Hollywood weighs in on health care reform debate

OMG...Too funny.

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

Babes in Bikeland III

IMG_8637
Originally uploaded by deplaqer

This is me in my Fat Cyclist jersey at the after party for Babes in Bikeland III, an all female alleycat race held annually in Minneapolis, MN. Alleycat races are basically scavenger hunts on bikes. You are given a manifest with a list of 10 or so stops to make, and the route you pick is entirely up to you. Speed is important, but not the only factor. Some stops require you to simply gather a stamp to document that you went there, but sometimes you have to write something down, answer trivia questions, complete a pick up/drop off, etc. There can be time penalties for incorrect info or missing a stop, so accuracy is critical as well.

This isn't necessarily the most flattering photo of me, but I used it because up until very recently I was too fat to wear my Fat Cyclist jersey. How sad is that? Too fat for a jersey that has the WORD fat on it. For those who don't know, Fatty is Elden Nelson, the author of the Fat Cyclist blog. Fatty writes really well, and I enjoy both his humorous posts and the ones he's written to document his late wife Susan's battle with breast cancer. I highly encourage you to click over and read more from him.

Robert Reich Explains Public Option

This guy explains things so that everyone can understand. No scare tactics, no shenanigans. Please take less than 3 minutes out of your busy day and watch this video, then share it with someone else.



If you disagree AFTER you have completely and accurately informed yourself in a responsible manner, fine...but PLEASE...DON'T LET THE RIGHT WING UBER CONSERVATIVE HACKS WIN WITH DELIBERATE LIES AND MISINFORMATION.

Tonic Sol Fa ...Best A Cappella group evarrr

Amy with Tonic Sol Fa
Originally uploaded by deplaqer

My friend Justine turned me on to these guys recently, and we were lucky enough to see/hear them at the Leinie's Lodge Bandshell at the MN State Fair this year. I bought their latest album there, and this pic shows them each signing the cover.

Click HERE to read their blog.

Wear your helmets CORRECTLY, people. Your life depends on it.

This mother of 4 was killed in a freak bicycle accident in Minneapolis today. She was riding into a tunnel on a popular bike path & crashed head on into another cyclist who was coming out of the tunnel. Her helmet flew off (so it likely wasn't being worn correctly) & she hit her head on the ground, killing her. RIP, Lisa Roden.

It isn't enough to simply wear a helmet, people. It has to fit AND be worn correctly on your head, not just slapped on the back so as not to muss your 80's style puffy bangs. If you can touch your forehead to the wall without your helmet hitting the wall first, that's a big clue.

Click HERE to read about how to properly fit/wear your bicycle helmet.

Click HERE to read about when you should replace your helmet.

I'm going right now to check the chin strap on mine. I'm pretty sure it's too loose.

Bad example, President Obama

While I love the fact that the Obama family went for a bike ride together as they vacation on Martha's Vineyard, I am NOT happy about how the President AND the Secret Service were not wearing helmets. See this article from the Washington Post.

Don't get me wrong...I loves me some Barack Obama...but whatever happened to setting a good example?

UPDATE: Surly Big Dummy Custom Paint Job

Some of you may recall this post from March of this year, asking for your input on what color I should have my Surly Big Dummy painted. It only comes in a yucky Olive Drab Green, and as I said before, a Navy vet simply can't ride an Army Green bike. I've noticed on my Stat Counter that a lot of people are searching on the subject of custom paint jobs for Big Dummy frames, so I figured it was time for an update.

Anyway, the folks at Powder Coating Technologies in Plymouth, MN were really great to me and have lots of experience in painting all kinds of stuff, including plenty of bike frames. Sadly, they didn't have the Bass Boat Purple that I was hoping for, but they DID have just enough powder left from a Harley Davidson dealership's custom color order to really make this bike pop.

Behold...
Sparkle Copper Metallic:



I've been riding it all summer long, and it's AWESOME. I can take Rocky to the dog park (seen here, ready to roll), haul 4 bags of groceries, and even my hockey bag. I also love the fact that somewhere out there is a HOG that is the same color as the Pretty Dummy.

Big thanks again to Uber Hubby for making this year's birthday prezzie a truly great one.