Critical Mass Tonight

SE Corner of Courthouse Downtown meet @ 6:30 pm ride @ 7pm

Jim Spag hit on Christmas Eve

from Ashley:

We went to the ER to make sure nothing was broken, and all is okay. He's really sore, but it's a far better situation than what could have happened. Seeing as how he's the sixth documented cyclist hit in 2 months (2 of which are dead, right?), I'm livid at the state of things, but could not possibly be more grateful for his well-being.
The guy who hit him wasn't paying attention, slammed on his brakes and was skidding to a stop when he rear-ended Jim on Oakwood near Church St. He went over the handle bars, and his catlike reflexes saved him... although it has really taken a toll on his knees.
The driver has insurance, and they will be hearing from an irate wifey on Monday morning.

City council will certainly be getting an earful at their next meeting, from me and Jim and whoever else would like to show up and contribute.
Thank you all for your concern!

His mentality was stereotypical, though... "you shouldn't be on the road...etc etc..." But Jim also says that he was apologetic and sincere. He's defending the guy that could have taken his life... certainly not the point of view I'd have in his crippled shoes, and sure as hell not the POV I currently have...

/he left the scene of the accident (technically referred to as a hit-and-run)
//when Jim called to ask him to come back, the guy said he "couldn't"
///the cop had a hearty laugh at that one-back in less than 5min

x mass

Santa vs Jesus

Modern Day Jesus: Santa vs. Jesus

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Atom Originals | Holiday Hell

Bikes Point the Way to a Sustainable Future

From Alternet

Bicycling subcultures signal a sensibility that stands against oil wars, environmental devastation, urban decay and monocultural sprawl.

[In] this bike subculture there's no person who is the best, who is winning, or getting the most money. It's a pretty equal community in that everyone can excel, but not have to be the top dog -- Robin Havens

A funny thing happened during the last decade of the 20th century. Paralleling events that transpired a century earlier, a social movement emerged based on the bicycle. This "movement" is far from a unified force, and unlike the late 19th century bicyclists, this generation does not have to rally around the demand for "good roads." Instead, "chopper" bike clubs, nonprofit do-it-yourself repair shops, monthly Critical Mass rides, organized recreational and quasi-political rides and events, and an explosion of small zines covering every imaginable angle of bicycling and its surrounding culture, have proliferated in most metropolitan areas. Month-long "Bikesummer" festivals have occurred in cities around North America since 1999, galvanizing bicyclists across the spectrum into action and cooperation.

This curious, multifaceted phenomenon constitutes an important arena of autonomous politics. The bicycle has become a cultural signifier that begins to unite people across economic and racial strata. It signals a sensibility that stands against oil wars and the environmental devastation wrought by the oil and chemical industries, the urban decay imposed by cars and highways, the endless monocultural sprawl spreading outward across exurban zones. This new bicycling subculture stands for localism, a more human pace, more face-to-face interaction, hands- on technological self-sufficiency, reuse and recycling, and a healthy urban environment that is friendly to self-propulsion, pleasant smells and sights, and human conviviality. read more here

ErockIT

If I could buy myself anything for Christmas this would be it.

More Motorcycle Videos at 5min.com

Signs promote bike safety

Saturday, December 20, 2008
By JOHN PECK
Times Staff Writer john.peck@htimes.com
City approves $5,000 for rider awareness project

Huntsville leaders are shifting into gear to make city roads more bicycle friendly.

The $227 million budget approved by the City Council Thursday night earmarks $5,000 in the city's $40,000 sign budget for bike safety signs.

Councilman Bill Kling pushed the earmark on behalf of the recently formed Huntsville Bike Advisory and Safety Committee. The committee was formed in the wake of a bike-car collision on Technology Drive that killed 20-year-old UAH student Sarah Chapman in September while bicycling from campus.

City Transportation Director Richard Kramer told the council $5,000 should cover the installation of about 107 signs.

"We will be working on bike signs and try to get them out as quickly as possible," Mayor Tommy Battle said. Bicycling advocates said they'll make sure city leaders follow through on that commitment.

"We're going to keep reminding you," said Jamie Miernik, bicycle activist and bike safety committee member, noting city promises in October to erect the signs within 90 days.

Sasha Riffle recently got rid of her car and uses a bike as her main transportation. Riffle told the council the signs should improve driver and bicyclist safety awareness and promote Huntsville as a more health and environmentally conscious city.

Kling said the $5,000 earmark will infuse a lot of money toward bike awareness efforts.

"Instead of doing just a small number one year and a small number another," Kling said, "This $5,000 commitment will put out enough signs to have visibility and impact throughout the city and hopefully that will increase awareness to car drivers and bikes and avoid fatalities."

It was not immediately clear what kind of signs will be erected. Kling initially talked of posting the popular "Share the Road" signs but loosely worded the earmark to let traffic engineers decide. City officials and cycling advocates also have talked of using painted markings in traffic lanes.

Chapman's death spurred much of the recent concern about making Huntsville more bicycle friendly but the city's plans were in place long before but slow to materialize.

City planning department employee James Moore recently finalized a map of the city's 158 miles of bicycle paths and greenways and will work with the bike safety committee and traffic engineers to make designated routes safer.

The police department, which has 16 bicycle patrol officers, also has been charged with enforcing bicycle and traffic laws and developing measures like public service ads to keep the public safe. Road planners also will try to include wider shoulders in new road designs.

On a related bike note, the City Council approved a measure Thursday night that will extend the Indian Creek Greenway in west Huntsville. A development agreement between the city of Huntsville and Streetside Communities calls for the engineering, design and construction of extending Explorer Boulevard in Cummings Research Park along with extending the greenway north along Indian Creek.

The 2,000-foot road extension will connect the existing terminus of Explorer Boulevard north of Farrow Road to Pegasus Drive in Research Park to help service the Midtowne in the Park residential development being built by Enfinger-Steele Development.

Developers will pay for the engineering and design and grant city easements. The development agreement lists the cost of the greenway at $662,283.

City planners want to eventually connect the greenway to the greenway segment behind the Village of Providence. Officials say that won't happen until the U.S. 72 West Bridge over Indian Creek is replaced so the greenway can run under it.

Ghost Bike For Horace

Critical Mass Posters

To the douche bag tearing down the posters at Star Market we know who you are. Try playing with yourself instead of tearing down peoples work. You amoeba!

Ghost Bike Memorial Ride?????

Want to know why you are fat?

Knoxville, TN -- There's evidence of a link between obesity and the way people get to work and get around in general.

The research illustrates the health benefits of regular biking, walking or taking public transportation to work, school or shopping.

The study authors say the least amount of obesity shows up in countries with the highest levels of active transportation use.

In the U.S. where only 12 percent use active transportation, 25 to 33 percent of people are obese.

By comparison, 67 percent of commuters in Latvia, 62 percent in Sweden and 52 percent in the Netherlands either walk, bike or use mass transit. Latvia's obesity rate is 14 percent, the Netherlands' is 11 percent and Sweden's is 9 percent.

YOUR TAKE: Are you willing to bike to work? If it's too far, would you take the bus?


The Top 3 Most Obese States are:
Mississippi
West Virginia
Alabama

YEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Thursday City Council

City Council will vote on $5000.00 budget for 75 Share the Road signs Thursday night @ 6pm. While this is a nice step I hope this is not a cheap band aid for a much bigger problem. @ People have died in the last 6 months. That works out to 2500 per person. So putting 75 signs up and not educating an incredibly undereducated public is somewhat troubling to me. Think about it this way when you see the pedestrian sign around public housing, schools etc... Do you slow down?

Education Education Education!!!!

REAL LIFE MARIO KART

MARIO KART (REMI GAILLARD)
by nqtv

French prankster Remi Galliard is at it again. This time he brings Mario Kart to the real world with some pretty hilarious results.

Previously from Galliard:
Crosswalk Characters
Astronaut Lands on the Green

via Laughing Squid

Olde Towne Chocolate Stout

Olde Towne brewery's chocolate stout debut is tomorrow, Monday the 15th at the Nook. I think it starts at 5, and no ending time was announced. Some of us will be riding from Trailhead at 6:30ish as long as we judge the rain/wind/etc to not make riding too dangerous. Or meet us there. If you haven't been before, it's on the south side of Bob Wallace between Triana and 10th.

Hufnagle Cycles

Check it out his bikes are beautiful.





Hufnagle Cylces

Vintage Ride Tonight

The original & true (un-affiliated with SCCC) vintage & cruiser bike club is having their 2nd annual Vintage Bike Ride during the Twickenham luminary tour tomorrow night (sat) including stops at each home on the tour. Tickets for the home tour are available at the door (among other places). Not sure the cost but my guess is $15 range. (for whole tour).

Bikes need good safety lights. Decorations & decorative, festive lights highly recommended. Remember that cars will not be using their normal lights, only their fog lights-- so lights are especially important!

Bring out your sparkliest, prettiest, winter solstice-celebrating decor (also known as Christmas decorations for members of the christian persuasion or Hanukkah or... I think, most every culture and religion has some form of winter solstice celebration). However, there will be no condoned preying or praying. And hopefully will be jerk-free. Cynics ok, though.

Last year was fun. Coat recommended-- suitable for riding & waiting in ticket or entry line.

This event may be too low key (i.e. boring) for some.
RSVP for further details.

Ride does not connote anything other than an announcement, so no need to read anything else into it.

(Irene) Nolen Clark
The Original and True Vintage Bike Tourer

Cooking Up Bike Co-Ops in Los Angeles

Ride the Christmas Parade

Please come to the Christmas parade on Saturday, 6 December, in downtown Huntsville. We'll meet about 11:30 AM in parking lot K, across from the Post Office on Clinton Avenue, and the parade begins at noon. Parking is a zoo that day so park remotely and ride to Clinton. The route is not exactly aerobic at less than 3 miles, but its a great opportunity to remind the crowd to share the road, and that we are out there, and its fun. I plan to wear a black armband to memorialize Sarah Chapman, I hope
others will to.


You can decorate your bike & body, and wear a helmet too. I usually get a three dollar Santa hat from Big Lots and zip tie it to my helmet, and wear red or green. Others go all out with costumes and red gloves. Last year I taped an eight inch diameter foam "Rudolph Nose" to my fairing, along with electrical tape for eyes & lashes, and zip tied some stuffed doggy toys to the bike. The poodles (my dogs at home) got to enjoy the toys after the parade. Hope to see you there. Any questions call me
mobile at 256.348.5181.--george

Stearns Coffee fire

Stearns caught on fire but didn't burn down around 5am yesterday. Daniel says he plans to re-open in 2 weeks. That will be a busy 2 weeks. read more
picture

In other news, how did the bike committee meeting(tomorrow) go if you're on it? What is the plan for Thursday?

Hands Free Headsets are just as DANGEROUS!!!

Here is a an article I found that concluded that drivers on cellphones are just as dangerous as drivers impaired by Alcohol

Check It

Vintage Ride Sunday

Sunday, November 30 at 2:00 leaving from the Child's Advocacy Center this month.

Be there or be round.

Critical Mass Tonight

Looks to be a loveley night for a ride.
Meet @ 6:30 pm ride at 7pm
SE Corner of Courthouse

another cyclist killed

Another Huntsville cyclist was killed yesterday afternoon. The officer said the cyclist was flying down the hill on Pulaski. Really? The speed limit is 40 I think. He probably wasn't even doing 40. And even if he was going over 40, it's the van driver's responsibility to not pull out in front of the cyclists just like not pulling out in front of a car going 50. Only it matters more with a cyclist. What has the city been doing to help? Has enforcement or education increased much? I haven't noticed it. Signs have been added to Cecil Ashburn. How many drivers pay attention to that. As far as I know, no charges have yet been filled against the drivers who killed the last 2 cyclists in Huntsville. Would the motorists pay attention to that? Does the city care?

link

GO, GO, GO DANCER

Call him the flesh pedaler.

Biker Andrew Katzander is taking pole dancing to the streets - on the back of his pimped-out pedicab.

The 44-year-old, a landscaper by day, pedals his racy rickshaw while a sexy dancer shimmies up and down a shiny 8-foot metal pole on a neon-lit platform attached to the back of the bike.

The PoleRider, as he calls it, is already stopping traffic. In one case, he said, cops briefly pulled him over in Times Square.

"It's all legal. The cops can't really stop us - I'm riding my bike and she's exercising," he said of flash dancer Marlo Fisken, 25, a pole-dancing teacher.

"I'm not a stripper. Because you have high heels and you're on a pole, it doesn't mean you're doing anything raunchy," she said. "It's fun, and it's a little bit exhibitionist." read more here

Who said work is no fun

null - Watch more free videos

Critical Mass Buy Nothing Day and a Free Bus Ride

Critical Mass Next Friday, Buy Nothing Day and Free Bus rides, how can you make any other plans come on out and work off those calories from "misgiving" oh sorry "thanksgiving"

From the Huntsville Times
Free Ride Day

The City of Huntsville shuttle buses will run Nov. 28, the day after Thanksgiving, with the exception of one red and blue core loop. The routes will run once an hour. It will also be Free Ride Day, so park your car and ride the bus at no charge. The Friday night downtown Circulator will not run. Handi Ride services will run their normal schedule and staff will be available to take appointments. more to cum!!!

Recycle-A-Bicycle Raises Money Selling Bike Jewelry

Founder Creates Pieces Made From Bike Parts
By Sarah Tobol
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

LONG ISLAND CITY — When faced with the coming winter, with people riding their bicycles less and not buying any new ones, how does Recycle-A-Bicycle generate funds? By selling jewelry made out of bicycle parts, of course!

Last Tuesday, Karen Overton, the founder of Recycle-A-Bicycle, had a table at “Crafted at the Creek,” an event at The Creek restaurant in Long Island City where local artisans gathered to sell their goods. Overton sold her bicycle jewelry, the profits of which were donated to Recycle-A-Bicycle. read more here

Pranks are Good

KYOTO LOCO '08

KYOTO LOCO '08 from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.

IRAQ WAR VETERANS RAID GAS STATION

A group of Iraq war veterans do a little bit of culture jamming at a gas station late one night.

Bicycle Friendly Community Presentation

John Burke, CEO of Trek Bicycles, and Andy Clarke from the League of American Bicyclists visited Omaha yesterday and gave a series of presentations to highlight the benefits of and encourage efforts towards building Omaha as a Bicycle Friendly Community. read more here

Finding the Best, Local Food Near You Just Got Easier

Before you go to Hardees this morning and order up that Pork Chop and Gravy Biscuit:

From Alternet
The Eat Well Guide is the best new online tool for foodies, farmers and anyone who cares about sustainable eating.

Food is making big headlines, and it's about time.

In a year marked by rising food prices and riots throughout the world, we've seen what happens when the reality of our energy, climate and water crises collides with trying to feed a planet.

As Vandana Shiva writes in her newest book, Soil Not Oil, "The era of cheap food and cheap oil is over." Add to this changing precipitation patterns, melting glaciers and increasing drought from climate change, and we have a recipe for disaster.

Michael Pollan has warned the next incoming U.S president, "What this means is that you, like so many other leaders through history, will find yourself confronting the fact -- so easy to overlook these past few years -- that the health of a nation's food system is a critical issue of national security. Food is about to demand your attention." more here

Nation's Oldest Existing Bike Maker Keeps On Rolling

The legendary names in U.S. bicycle manufacturing have all but disappeared. But at a factory in a residential part of Queens, N.Y., there's a bike maker that's been around for more than a century. You've probably never heard of them, but Worksman Cycles is the oldest existing bicycle manufacturer in the country.

The next time you're in New York or some other big city and you buy a hotdog from a street vendor or see a pizza delivery guy riding by, check out their wheels. Chances are they're peddling or pushing a Worksman, though the name may be tough to read. Some of these battered specialty bikes are 20, 30 or even 40 years old. read more here

Not only are they socialist but they are great designers too!!

Get used to it, friends. Because this baby, designed by Ian Mahaffy and Maarten De Greeve (Bettlelab) from Copenhagen, Denmark, is going to be as ubiquitous as, well, all the old bike racks around town have been. It was picked from a competition that attracted over 200 entrants from around the world. Ten prototypes were installed and tested at Astor Place starting on September 30. Good, bad or indifferent, these will be everywhere.
· And the Winners Are... [nycityracks.com]
· ‘Hoop’ Wins Bike-Rack Design Contest [CityRoom]

Urban Cyclists -- From Sprockets to Rockets

Alabama First State to Adopt Bible Textbook for High Schools

45th in education..... I wonder why.

Alabama has become the first state to approve a Bible textbook for statewide adoption, makers of ”The Bible and Its Influence” announced Monday.

The Bible Literacy Project, an interfaith group that released the book in September 2005, said the decision by the Alabama State Board of Education last Wednesday also makes ”The Bible and Its Influence” the first textbook for academic study of the Bible to be adopted statewide. read more now or get someone from Vermont to explain it to you

More info here too
http://www.aclualabama.org/News/PressReleases/Highlights/102808.html

Anyone can be a bicycle planner

What's surprising about that bit of optimism is Peithman lives in Portland, one of the country's most bike-friendly cities, a place where about 5,000 commuters pedal across the Hawthorne St. bridge every day.
In Portland, commuters don't ride in isolation. They ride in packs.


To be fair, Peithman has a bit of a vested interest in Milwaukee's cycling stature, since her company,Alta Planning + Design, has been hired by the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin to assist in updating the Milwaukee Bicycle Master Plan.

Her co-workers will be in Milwaukee Thursday, to share and gather information at a planning open house in the Washington Park Senior Center, 4420 W. Vliet St.

Anyone with ideas on how to make bicycling better in Milwaukee is encouraged to share them during the session, from 4:30 to 8 p.m. read more here

For South, a Waning Hold on National Politics

VERNON, Ala. — Fear of the politician with the unusual name and look did not end with last Tuesday’s vote in this rural red swatch where buck heads and rifles hang on the wall. This corner of the Deep South still resonates with negative feelings about the race of President-elect Barack Obama.

What may have ended on Election Day, though, is the centrality of the South to national politics. By voting so emphatically for Senator John McCain over Mr. Obama — supporting him in some areas in even greater numbers than they did President Bush — voters from Texas to South Carolina and Kentucky may have marginalized their region for some time to come, political experts say.

The region’s absence from Mr. Obama’s winning formula means it “is becoming distinctly less important,” said Wayne Parent, a political scientist at Louisiana State University. “The South has moved from being the center of the political universe to being an outside player in presidential politics.” read more here

European Support for Bicycles Promotes Sharing of the Wheels

BARCELONA, Spain — In increasingly green-conscious Europe, there are said to be only two kinds of mayors: those who have a bicycle-sharing program and those who want one.

Over the last several years, the programs have sprung up and taken off in dozens of cities, on a scale no one had thought possible and in places where bicycling had never been popular.read more here

Bike Polo Sunday

4pm Optimist Park be there!!

Huntsville Bicycle Committee PSA

WOW!!!!!!

I got nuthin............to say just enjoy!

Today Is the day .... go vote

Saw this on my way back from voting in one of my neighbor yard. Sorry took this with cell phone at the bottom it says "the republicans stole my sign but they won't steal another election"..

As an Obama Victory Seems Increasingly Likely,

Conservatives Are Getting Panicky and Unhinge

I can feel it here!

5 Ways to Protect Your Vote

If there's one thing we see every election, it's that Republicans will try to manipulate the rules any way they can to prevent some people from voting. Don't be discouraged--be prepared. If we're armed with the right information, we can beat most of these dirty tricks.

1. Be Prepared, and Conquer the Lines.
   We can't let long lines stop anyone from voting. There are several ways you can reduce lines and make sure they don't prevent you or anyone else from voting:
    
   
   • Vote early if you can. You can find early voting times and locations at govote.org.
     
   • Double-check your polling location before you go to vote. You can look it up at govote.org.
     
   • Have a Plan & Have Fun. Have a plan in case there are lines. Bring some food, drinks, friends, books, games, a chair -- anything that will prevent you and other voters from walking away. Have fun while you wait and encourage your friends and neighbors to stay in line so their vote is counted.
     
   • Don't give up--don't walk away without voting.
   
   
   

2. Two numbers you should have in your phone.
   Put these numbers in your phone so you're prepared to report problems and help other voters find their polling place:
    
   
   • 866-OUR-VOTE is a hotline that's been set up to collect information about problems on election day--lawyers and election protection advocates are ready to respond. It's the best way to make sure someone addresses any problems you see.
     
   • The number for your local election board--in case you need to tell someone where they can vote. Enter you zip code at govote.org, then look for "Contact [your county] election officials" on the right.
   
   
   

3. Beware of lies, misinformation and dirty tricks; spread the truth.
   
   Republican operatives are spreading plain lies to frighten new voters. In Philadelphia, anonymous flyers in Black neighborhoods have falsely claimed that voters with unpaid traffic tickets or outstanding warrants will be arrested at the polls. If you hear a scary rumor, it's probably a lie. Call your local election officials to check it out--and make sure your friends and neighbors know the truth.
   
   

4. Leave the Obama gear at home.
   
   In some places, you won't be allowed into the polling place if you're wearing clothes and pins that support a given candidate. This isn't true everywhere, but it's best to play it safe. You can contact your local board of elections to find out if it's a problem in your area. If it is, bring some extra plain T-shirts or sweaters to loan neighbors who show up unaware of the rule.
   
   

5. Read the ballot carefully, and ask questions!
   
   Some ballots can be confusing even for smart and informed voters. Read instructions on the ballot carefully, and if you're not sure you understand something, ask a poll worker to explain. Remember what happened in 2000 in Florida--a confusing ballot caused thousands of people to mistakenly vote for the wrong Presidential candidate. Don't let that happen to you!
   

Critical Mass Tonight

Tonight SE Corner Of Courthouse meet @ 6:30 pm Ride @ 7pm Dress up

Vote Tuesday

But know who/what you're voting for and why. Here is a Madison County sample ballot:

http://blog.al.com/ht/2008/10/SampleBallot2008_09.pdf

If you plan to vote on any of those constitutional amendments, please read the full text. The sentence or 2 is often insufficient to know what's going on. Only the 1st amendment deals with the whole state. The full text for all 6 are linked below in order.

Amendment 1
2
3
4
5
6

There is more info to these amendments here

New Plan for Official U.S. Bicycle Route System Approved by National Transportation Authority

States start work on interstate routes * New system could eventually become largest in the world Missoula, Montana —The United States is on a path to creating what could become the largest official bicycle route network in the world, thanks to the approval of a new plan by America's leading authority on national route designations. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) has just approved a National Corridor Plan laying out the framework and guidelines for the development of this system.

The plan identifies corridors connecting America's urban, rural, and suburban areas. The corridors cover well over 50,000 miles, which, if transformed into routes along roads and trails, would create the largest official bicycle route network in any country or on any continent. By comparison, the planned Euro-Vélo network in Europe is projected to be 60,000 kilometers or 36,000 miles. read more here

Empire

Nice video from Empire not to be confused with Empire Building

Empire from Empire on Vimeo.

Some thoughts on riding a fixed and using brakes, or not.

From Bicycle Hacker

I have been riding fixie predominantly for a while now. Of course, there's an ongoing discussion about whether a fixie should or should not have a brake. I have run with and without a brake on the hack-together Motobecane. I can ride either way, with reasonable control without a brake.

I do, however, refute the argument that one can stop faster by skidding the back tire. This is patently false. Stopping with traction is considerably faster and more controllable than losing all traction. Anyone who has ever raced an automobile can affirm that locking up the tires isn't much of a way to control the car, and the same is true for a bicycle. In short, it's possible to ride the city streets without a brake, but it is not the safest way to go. A decently set up front brake will stop the bike way faster, and in a more controlled matter. read more here

Contra Flow Bike Lane

Madness in Colorado!!! What are they thinking? Not to be confused with Reagan's Iran Contra

NYC CityRacks Design Finalists

Also check out Transportation Alternatives

Bells Mountain Bike Team Party Promo

wassup?

DIY stunt camera

From cnet
Here's a really ingenious way to record your cycling stunts. All you need is the old school bicycle bell that you use to warn pedestrians or irritate cats.

Jens Almstrom has found out that by removing the upper casing of the bell, there is usually a screw at the bottom chassis which has the same dimensions used for most tripod sockets. What he simply did was to mount the camera onto that screw, and there you have it--a simple fix to record your journey or stunts with your BMX.

Our advice is to not fumble with the controls while you're on the road, lest you cause any accident, or worst, damage your shooter. Keep to point-and-shoots for this experiment as a dSLR may make your ride unstable. If you've survived the experience, tell us about it below.

Come on Now I couldn't resist

From Bike Blog

Keep in mind

As we all bicker over the election, vegetarian or omnivore diets and bike tires keep this in mind:

Eight thousand Africans dying every day of AIDS, TB and malaria -- preventable, treatable diseases -- dying for lack of drugs we can buy at any drugstore. Twelve million AIDS orphans in Africa, 18 million by the end of the decade. A whole generation of active adults wiped out, children bringing up children.

That's not a cause, that's an emergency.

MANIFEST HOPE ARTS FESTIVAL

Volunteers for Obama present The Manifest Hope Arts Festival, 3pm, 2nd Floor, Lowe Mill. Join us on Sunday, October 26th, for our MANIFEST HOPE ARTS FESTIVAL, a fund-raiser for the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. This will be a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon and early evening, and a great opportunity to support Barack's Get Out the Vote efforts in the final push of this historic campaign. We will have drum corps, working street artists, a live art auction of work by our BEST local artists, superb performing arts, and delicious food. All money will go directly to the Chicago Obama for America office. Be a part of this movement, have a great afternoon, and take home a warm feeling of community - and maybe a new piece of art. You won't want to miss this one! Admission $15. Buy your ticket and get updates at manifesthopeartsfest.com.

Steal Back Your Vote

Steal Back Your Vote! from Greg Palast on Vimeo.

Go here for more info
Steal Back Your Vote http://www.stealbackyourvote.org/

Vintage ride Sunday

Vintage ride scheduled for Sunday October 26th at 2:00 from Huntsville Middle School.
Vintage, cruiser, old, new, tandem, fixie. All are welcome. November will be from Child Advocacy Center.
See you all there.

Crazy Tracy - This is Why America is Broken - From "Now on PBS"

Kid's Walk n Roll Oct 27-31 Volunteers Needed

Jamie is looking for volunteers email her here jamorgan10 (at) comcast.net

Kid's Walk n Roll Oct 27-31
October is International “Walk to School Month”
Jamie has arranged with three Huntsville elementary schools to hold an event the last week in October. We are promoting “Safe Routes to School” (SRTS) to encourage kids to walk or ride bikes to school. Oct 27-31 will be a challenge or opportunity for kids to walk or ride to school that week. On Monday, Oct 27, kids can bring their bikes to school to get them “tuned –up“ for riding that week. (This means pumping tires, lubing, adjusting seats and helmets, and tightening them up) I have 30 helmets and 10 locks, for kids who need these things to ride to school. They can “borrow” them all week and keep them, too. I’ll have big maps at each school so kids can see/learn the best way to walk or ride to school. There will also be “meet-up” locations, where kids who really live too far can get dropped off/picked up and still participate. I think I’ll have at least one teacher at each school to meet kids at the meet- up spots every day, and hopefully, some parents, too.
Then, on Friday, kids will be encouraged to decorate their bikes for Halloween! (Children aren’t allowed to dress in costume for school, but they can decorate their bikes!) There will be goody bags for all participants, early Friday morning before school (those who rode or walked during the week) and lots of congratulations for all the kids!

Locations:
1. Chapman Elementary (near Maysville Rd and Oakwood, 2006 Reuben Dr 35811)
2. Jones Valley Elementary (On Garth Rd between Drake and Carl T Jones, 4908 Garth Rd SE 35802)
3. McDonnell Elementary (between Triana and Patton Rd, about as far south as Airport/Johnson Rd, 4010 Binderton Pl SW 35805)

Event Details:
Monday: 7:00 to 8 am - Bike “tune-up” at school. Some helmets and locks available for “rental”/give-away
Also, hand out Walk n Roll cards for kids to get stamped each day.
Special Meet-up locations at each school being arranged for parent and teacher volunteers to lead “bike trains” and “walking school buses” to schools
***Goody Bag prep one day next week.
Friday: 7:00 to 8 am - “Bike Decoration” for Halloween and a BIG Celebration Party with Goody bags for all walking and riding participants and a visit by the Bike Cops.

Bike Shops can donate lights, helmets and gift certificates too!

If you have not registered to vote yet

Go Vote 8 more years of People hearing voices in their heads and thinking it is god speaking to them is ......Insanity

Last day to register is October 24th

Huntsville Council To Consider Cell Phone Ban for Drivers

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) - Huntsville City Council members plan to discuss a ban on handheld cell phones for drivers in the city Tuesday evening.

The cell phone ban is one major issue that councilman Glenn Watson is bringing to the forefront before he leaves office. He told WAAY-31 that seeing people run red lights or causing accidents while talking or texting on cell phones is common in Huntsville.

Huntsville would be far from the first city to enact a ban on handheld phones while driving. Dozens of cities and several states have already banned the use of handheld devices while driving.

Alabama's legislature tried to enact a statewide ban several times in the last couple years, but measures have failed each time it's come up.

Guess what committee this is from

Build a polo mallet

Find out how here http://www.hardcourtbikepolo.com/?page_id=6

Hutchinson Tires Video

Right-Wingers Celebrate Increase in Bicycle Accidents

From Alter Net

A few days ago my 13-year old son excitedly showed me the new bumpersticker he got for this bike. It’s a picture of Barack Obama with the word “believe,” designed to stick in the spokes. Cool!

A few days later I read in my local alternative weekly here in Minneapolis that a local right wing website announced that an increase in bike deaths on the streets might mean fewer Obama voters come election day. Cruel!

A bad joke, I thought, until I looked up the blog and saw that it was illustrated with photos of cars plowing into and presumably killing a group of bicyclists. The photos look authentic (even if they were faked), which makes this more than a sick joke. It’s almost a provocation for motorists to mow down bicyclists, since they are a no-good bunch of liberals anyway.

Thinking about this, on top of the shouts of "Kill Obama" and "Off with his head" heard at recent Sarah Palin rallies, worries me. There’s an element in American society -- even here in Minnesota, which has the longest record of voting Democratic for president of any state -- that can’t seem to accept most of their fellow citizens no longer share their right-wing views. And perhaps never did.

What will they do if Obama wins on November 4? I hope that it’s nothing more than mean-spirited humor.

Four commuters, four types of transport, one destination: The winner is ...

SICK of sitting in peak-hour traffic with your life in neutral and your brain fit to blow a gasket? Nauseated by the thought of yet another morning crammed into the sweaty armpit of a fellow train commuter? The Sunday Age feels your pain, and has three words of advice: On yer bike.

An experiment using four modes of transport — a car, a motorbike, a bicycle and a train — has revealed that the quickest way to get from bayside Sandringham to the central city is by cycling. read more here

With Free Bikes, Challenging Car Culture on Campus

Caution the word subsidy is used in this article which may freak some people out. I would suggest doing the following
1: Breathe
2: Close you eyes
3: Repeat the following: "it's ok it is a socialist idea and I will be ok and so will my country".

The University of New England bikes are personalized. Free or subsidized bike programs at colleges have had mixed success.

BIDDEFORD, Me. — When Kylie Galliani started at the University of New England in August, she was given a key to her dorm, a class schedule and something more unusual: a $480 bicycle.

“I was like, ‘A free bike, no catch?’ ” Ms. Galliani, 17, a freshman from Fort Bragg, Calif., asked. “It’s really an ideal way to get around the campus.”

University administrators and students nationwide are increasingly feeling that way too.

The University of New England and Ripon College in Wisconsin are giving free bikes to freshmen who promise to leave their cars at home. Other colleges are setting up free bike sharing or rental programs, and some universities are partnering with bike shops to offer discounts on purchases.

The goal, college and university officials said, is to ease critical shortages of parking and to change the car culture that clogs campus roadways and erodes the community feel that comes with walking or biking around campus. read more here

For Sarah Palin: Huge Field of Dinosaur Tracks Found

Dear Sarah, the earth is older than 4000 years old.

More than 1,000 dinosaur footprints along with tail-drag marks have been discovered along the Arizona-Utah border. The incredibly rare concentration of beastly tracks likely belonged to at least four different species of dinosaurs, ranging from youngsters to adults.

The tracks range in length from 1 to 20 inches (2.5 to 51 centimeters).

"The different size tracks may tell us that we are seeing mothers walking around with babies," said researcher Winston Seiler, a geologist at the University of Utah.

The tracks were laid about 190 million years ago in what is now the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument.
"There must have been more than one kind of dinosaur there," said researcher Marjorie Chan, professor and chair of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah. "It was a place that attracted a crowd, kind of like a dance floor."

While the site is covered in sand dunes now, the researchers say the tracks are within what was a network of wet, low watering holes between the dunes. In fact, the tracks provide more evidence of wet intervals during the Early Jurassic Period, when the U.S. Southwest was covered with a field of sand dunes larger than the Sahara Desert.

Monday Night Japanther Taco Ride

Monday Night Japanther and Taco Ride 7:30 pm meet downtown at the bike rack @ The Klaatsch ride to La Michoacana then to the show.

Sunday Bike Polo

4:30 meet 5pm start @ Optimist Park Polo is Back !!!!!!
Skip church thats no fun.

Dixie Derby Girls

Dixie Derby Girls vs. Roller Girls of Southern Indiana
October 19th
RollerTime Skate Center
707 Arcadia Cir.
Doors open at 6:30pm
Bout starts at 7:30pm
Admission is $10
Kids 6 and Under are Free!

First 50 students with college ID get in FREE!
BUY TICKETS NOW!!

Saturday Happenings

• Saturday 12pm Filming for the PSA's start at Lowe Mill Rex Reynolds, Bill Kling and the whole gang will be there to help. Dead Workers are Filming.


• Saturday 12 - 4 Bike Fixin on the dock at Lowe Mill


• Saturday 6 till ??? Bike Fixin at Manna House

Are Bicycle Businesses Heading To Potential Turmoil? Your Say

Some months ago, (and perhaps still now) one of the buzzwords bringing good fortune in the bicycle industry was 'high gas prices'. While the automobile industry was faring badly, the bicycle business was booming. Most prayed for lower gas prices, but the diametrically opposite people in the bicycle business secretly wished that it kept increasing. That seems like a cunning way of thinking, but in the end, business is business.

Now a bigger calamity might put all that to rest. Of course, you all know what I'm talking about! Just open the front pages of your newspaper. read more here

Busy Weekend Starts Today

• Friday - 17th - Anti-Fashion Show, Admission $10 (9pm)
  The Anti-Fashion Show is a collaboration between Iris Billiter of Irisewn Design and Cheryl Carlson of Karma Rags, both located here at The Flying Monkey Arts Center. The show takes place on Friday, October 17th at 9 PM at The Flying Monkey Arts Center Theatre. A reception will follow where guests can relax and see featured work up close, select items to purchase, and place orders with designers.


• Saturday 12pm Filming for the PSA's start at Lowe Mill Rex Reynolds, Bill Kling and the whole gang will be there to help. Dead Workers are Filming. Bring your bike and helmet and be an extra!!


• Saturday 12 - 4 Bike Fixin on the dock at Lowe Mill


• Saturday 6 till ??? Bike Fixin at Manna House


• Sunday Recording PSA's @ WLRH


• Sunday 5pm Bike Polo @ Optimist Park


• Monday Night Japanther and Taco Ride 7:30 pm meet downtown at the bike rack @ The Klatsch ride to La Michoacana then to the show.

Multitasking In The Car: Just Like Drunken Driving

Morning Edition, October 16, 2008 · Drivers seem pretty comfortable chatting on their cell phones while navigating the streets. But brain researchers say it's a terrible idea, even with a hands-free device.

"If you're driving while cell-phoning, then your performance is going to be as poor as if you were legally drunk," says David Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan. read more here

Bikes Not Bombs

Assembly Required: One Peace at a Time from Bikes Not Bombs on Vimeo.

Commuter Tips

From Paul Dorn's Bike Commuting Tips

GETTING STARTED: THE BIKE

Just about any bicycle will work for commuting. I've traveled to work on a mountain bike, a road bike, a hybrid, and even a fat-tired cruiser. The important thing is to get a bike you feel comfortable on. Find a reputable bike shop, consult with the sales staff, think about how you might use the bike, how far you'll be going, what you might need to carry, what conditions you'll be riding in, and so on. My present commuting bike is a hybrid, which I'd recommend for most everyday urban riding needs.


In much of the world -- in such countries as Japan, Denmark, France or Holland -- the bicycle is valued as a utilitarian vehicle. And bikes sold in those countries come equipped with fenders, bells, lights, kickstands, racks, and, very important, chainguards.

In the US the bicycle is generally considered a toy, a recreational device, or as exercise equipment. Something you load on top of your car, like skis or a surfboard, and travel to some remote area to "play." That's why bike shops are filled with mountain bikes. They thrive on selling the "sport" of cycling. Travel they leave to other vehicle retailers, i.e. auto dealerships. This is a big mistake.
read more tips here

Employers warm to bicycle commuting

I know that Huntsville Hospital is providing showers and you can be 15 minutes late to work if you bike.

What are other local business's doing?

Bicycles, sidewalks don't mix well

Seems we have a lot of confusion when it comes to this here.

And the situation can only get worse as more people turn to cycling to save money and the environment

JACK LAKEY
STAFF REPORTER
Few people would argue that bicycles and people on foot are not a dangerous mix – except those cyclists who apparently believe city sidewalks intended for pedestrians also belong to them.

And not without reason; cyclists never finish first in collisions with vehicles and are justifiably fearful of a fast-moving truck, inches from their handlebars. They are run down, maimed and killed with frightening efficiency.

Sidewalks amount to a safety zone for cyclists, offering a buffer from menacing traffic.

But after a Sept. 22 Fixer column about a 69-year-old "raging granny" who refuses to yield the sidewalk to cyclists who won't ride in bike lanes created for them, we've been deluged with comments, many from seniors who feel equally menaced by fast-moving handlebars just inches from their elbows. read more here

Halloween alleycat promo in Vancouver’s

Bicycle recyclers empower riders

NEW YORK
A year ago, Natalie Feliciano couldn’t tell the difference between a derailleur and a bottom bracket. A bike was a thing, made up of other shiny things, all of which churned together in some strange, magical concert. Sometimes she’d walk the streets of her East Village neighborhood and see rusty frames jammed into trash cans. “I’d think, you know, what a waste,” she grimaces. “All that garbage for someone else to clean up. But I never knew how much went into a bike.” read more here

Lady is the Boss - Bicycle Fight

Thanks Peter

Cyclists visit LifeSouth to promote vital gifts

By VICTORIA CUMBOW
Times Staff Writer victoria.cumbow@htimes.com
Five Points of Life tour to go to 6 states on 2,000 mile ride

A group of cyclists rolled though town this week looking for donations - but not for normal monetary handouts.

The cyclists hoped to entice people to give blood and related donations: blood, apheresis, marrow, cord blood, organs and tissue. read more here

Bicycle Commuter Tax Break Is a Bittersweet Victory for Measure’s Sponsor

PORTLAND, Ore. — People who pedal to work each day have long sought a kind of commuter equality: a federal tax break for biking similar to those given for parking or riding public transit. Last week, after years of rejection, the credit suddenly became law.

Enlarge This Image

Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images
Representative Earl Blumenauer founded the Congressional Bike Caucus.
Scheduled to take effect in January, the credit was among a range of energy and tax provisions quickly added to the $700 billion financial rescue. read more here

Study behavior toward bicyclists, A & M professor says

From The Huntsville Times

By BUDD MCLAUGHLIN
Times Staff Writer budd.mclaughlin@htimes.com

Oluwoye says many drivers don't know road rules

While city officials work with local bicycling enthusiasts to make the streets safe for cyclists, an Alabama A&M professor stresses research is needed on motorists' attitudes and their knowledge of highway safety.

"It's a very good plan," Dr. Jacob Oluwoye of A&M's department of Community Planning and Urban Studies said Wednesday of the city's proposal. "It's a very good concept - we need it - but something is still missing: research of drivers' behavior."

Oluwoye, who did graduate work in Australia and has published several papers on the subject, said his research shows a lot of drivers believe the roads are for them and not to be shared with bicyclists or pedestrians. He also said drivers' lack of knowledge on road rules often contributes to accidents.

"Don't put the cyclists on the road at risk until we provide the drivers what they are supposed to know," he said. Oluwoye said his proposal is, basically, the "four e's: education, engineering, enforcement and encouragement."

"As it is now," he said. "I would not encourage my own kids to ride."

Recently, Huntsville Transportation Planner James Moore said he's been working on a map of the city's 158 miles of bicycle paths and greenways for the past two or three years.

Diamond-shaped road signs featuring a bicycle and the words, "Share the road," are expected to be placed around the city in the next couple of months. The city is also planning to televise public service announcements on its cable channels (Comcast 16 and Knology 42).

If cyclists are to share the road with cars and trucks, Oluwoye said there should be a clear separation.

"We should demarcate the bicycle lanes," he said. Solid white lines should be used to separate motor vehicle traffic from bicycles, he said, "so drivers won't go into the bicycle lanes and bicyclists won't go onto their lanes."

Oluwoye also suggests that six months after the cyclist plan has been implemented, there should be an assessment "to help give the cyclists' confidence."

He is seeking funding to aid his research and for an educational campaign.

"My dream is to carry out the research," he said. "To keep bicyclists safe."

Share the Road: Sidewalks

Share the Road: Motorist tips

Saw this last night in Louisville

Share the Road: Cyclist Tips

Go Revolt today

Go Vote today

Solid steps on bicycle safety

Saturday, October 04, 2008
Huntsville Times
Since I wrote about local bicycle safety issues in last Sunday's column, some things have changed - and all for the better. But there's a lot of work to be done.

In the wake of the bicycling death of a 20-year-old University of Alabama in Huntsville student on Sept. 15, Mayor Loretta Spencer held a news conference last week. She announced that several city initiatives on bicycling and bicycling safety are being speeded up.

The city is rushing into production a new bikeways-greenways map. It's adding more bike-route and bike-safety signs. It's preparing a series of public service announcements. And it's adding bike racks (those, too, tell motorists that cyclists are in the area) downtown and in Five Points, the latter the home to three of the city's four bicycle shops.

Most important to me is the formation of a committee of bicyclists that will work with city departments, including the police, on safety issues.

In the long run, the work of that committee could determine the success of the whole effort.

As a bicyclist, I have a few recommendations for the committee and for others who might be interested:

Bicyclists are riding the public roads and will do so far into the future. The new committee should recognize that the issue is communitywide, not just confined to Huntsville. The May 2007 death of a young woman engineering student occurred outside the city limits. The new committee should include a representative of the Madison County sheriff's office.

The public, cycling and noncycling, must be informed about traffic laws and dealing with bicyclists and safety issues in general, and that information must be widely disseminated: on any Web site appropriate and in the form of easy-to-read brochures distributed to bicycle shops, car dealerships, high-school driver's education classes, county license department offices, automobile insurers and the like.

The dangers inherent in bicyclists and cars sharing the same road are not confined to North Alabama. I suggest the governor create a statewide task force that would include the Huntsville-based bicycling advocacy group the Alabama Bicycle Coalition (alabike.org) and the state departments of public safety, transportation and travel and tourism, among others.

Any and all efforts to raise public awareness should recognize that the world is not divided into two camps - motorists and bicyclists. The vast majority of cyclists also drive cars, and a lot of drivers have bikes in their garages even if they don't ride them often. That can always change.

My ideas aren't necessarily new. But I'm pleased that - with the exception of the brochures - they can be implemented at little or no cost. It just takes the will.

To repeat, bicyclists will use the public roads. Their safety affects the safety of everyone. Bicycling is healthful, energy efficient and nonpolluting. If it's promoted properly, it can be a significant source of tourist dollars.

In other words, something that the Huntsville area and the state as a whole view as a problem can be converted into an advantage - and even as a reason people might visit (or even move to) Alabama from other parts of the country.

It's happened elsewhere. It can happen here.

John Ehinger's e-mail: john.ehinger@htimes.com

3 Bike Racks have been installed Downtown

The City has finished the first 3 bike racks around downtown.

South Side of Courthouse in front of Voodoo and Papous

Across the street from Hunphrey's

KaffeeKlatsch

You can also send a thank you to the city here. They need your encouragement so please send them a thank you.

Loretta.Spencer@hsvcity.com

Rex.Reynolds@hsvcity.com

pstamper@ci.huntsville.al.us

Bill.Kling@hsvcity.com

james.moore@hsvcity.com

Joy.Mckee@hsvcity.com

Mark.Russell@hsvcity.com

Support Local Business

Lots of work to be done Bike Plan and the Public

If you don't think job number one is to change peoples attitudes and perceptions then read some of these forum comments here

There seems to be a lot of public anger towards SCCC also. We all need to look at ourselves too to improve this. Start waving to cars, smile, or....?

http://search.al.com/sp?aff=100&keywords=cyclist&x=0&y=0

Constructing bike lanes costs $650,000 per mile

Thursday, October 02, 2008
Huntsville Times
Q. How much money would it take to build 3-foot bicycle lanes on any new roads or roads that are to be repaired, and why doesn't the city or state do that instead of allowing cyclists in roadways?

A. Steve Dinges from the City Planning department said the standard for bike lanes is 4 feet. Adding bike lanes to most existing roads would require additional right of way and would damage the value of adjoining property, he said. The cost of these bike lanes would be approximately $650,000 per mile.

Dinges said the city is planning to include bike lanes on new construction of city projects in the future, including Old Monrovia Road, Meridian Street, Church Street and Slaughter Road. Any roads built with shoulders will have pavement to allow bikes.

Push on to make city safe for bikes

Thursday, October 02, 2008
By NIKI DOYLE
Times Staff Writer niki.doyle@htimes.com
As mayor touts efforts, bicyclist nearly struck

Little could distract Mayor Loretta Spencer from her discussion about bicycle safety and education Tuesday - except for the sound of squealing tires and groaning brakes.

In the middle of a meeting at Big Spring Park to unveil the city's plans to improve bicycle lanes and signs, a cyclist crossed Church Street. The oncoming truck saw the bicycle; the next car didn't. The car skidded. A cloud of brake dust settled into the street, leaving both vehicles and the bicyclist unharmed.
read more here