gauntlets, gauntlets!

now playing: "work out my number." bangers + mash.

my dare:

anyone at all doing mashups, remixes, or any other collagist sort of music-digesting/synthesizing/regurgitation, could we please try to do them without the aid of Beyonce in any form whatsoever?

it's not that i have a problem with Ms. Knowles; far from it, in fact. as far as current pop icons go, she's got a fantastic voice, some great production, and is also quite lovely. what more could one ask for in a pop superstar?

no, my issue instead is that really? because of all these things, she's a bit of a crutch. it seems like every other mashup/megamix/etc. features her solo work or her work with Destiny's Child in some way or another, and it's a bit tired.

so please, i implore you. if you're going to assemble such a work, please drop the Beyonce crutch.

thank you.

just that little bit further...

nearing the end of week 3 with my new Dahon Piccolo D3, and so far, i'm reasonably pleased. there are still some modifications i need to make, however---not the least of which is how i carry my stuff along with me.

on any given day, my essential items include: a packed lunch, my Polar Bottle filled with ice water, my wallet, a mini hairbrush and a handful of small similar accoutrements, my contact lens solutions + case, my glasses case, my sunglass case, my mini first aid kit, my umbrella (which is a lovely, small, TOUGH ShedRain one that Spaz got me for a present last year), and perhaps a light fleece or jacket in case i get cold. also usually a book and/or notebook with pen for use/entertainment on the train, and of course my CD pouch w/portable player and earbuds.

since obtaining this bike, i've been dumping off ballast left and right. but a few things have also come to light:

* no matter how much ballast i dump off, as i am an eternal part-time student/full-time worker, i am ALWAYS (well, for quite a forseeable period of time) going to have textbooks to accommodate.

* having a bike with 16" wheels is lovely, but not so much if one wants to fit the sort of panniers that would accommodate all the stuff i carry.

* again, speed is of the essence. as i am a multi-modal commuter, i do have trains to catch, and they do as a rule stick to their stated schedule (barring medical emergencies, etc.).

therefore, taking these three basic things into account, a proper balance must be struck. i need a way to carry my essentials around that's quick, convenient, roomy enough, and waterproof. much as i hated to admit it when i came to this conclusion about a week or so ago, i need a backpack.

i've always been one to have a backpack filled to the brim with various oddments i felt i needed to have (in addition to the ones i actually did need to have) with me. the problem with a normal backpack and cycling is that inevitably, no matter the weather, one's back gets disgusting and sweaty. and one's backpack gets disgusting and sweaty. with a standard backpack, more problems arise the more gear is in place inside the backpack; things such as undesirable shifting of the pack when attempting to pedal/turn/etc., and of course back pain.

my current setup with the Dahon involves what is basically a large messenger-type bag which is quite sturdy, for which i have three straps with red-reflector-enhanced buckles. the bag sits on my rear rack, and the longest strap goes through the handle at the top of the bag, around my saddle loops, and clasps onto itself. the other two buckles secure the bag to the back of the rack by going round the straps that hold the bag shut and clasping onto themselves once they've got passed through the rack wires. while i've gotten faster at this, it's still not speedy enough---although it's a far sight better than my initial attempt at mounting this bag to my rack, which involved strips of hook-and-loop material that worked a little too well and thusly took WAY too long to undo. plus, this bag is absolutely killing my arms.

so lately, i've been looking into optimal backpacks/daypacks/rucksacks for cycling. i'll spare you all the steps i've gone through in narrowing down what i've decided i want, but the main things i'm interested in are: suspension, proper ventilation along the back panel (MUST avoid the sweaty back problem, or why bother getting a new bag in the first place?), waist and sternum stabilising straps (i LOVE these on the bag i've got for my laptop. if only it prevented the sweaty back issue! XD), and of course adequate capacity for my stuff. and waterproofness, or at least a waterproof cover.

after doing rather extensive research (and via the help of some of the people on rec.bicycles.misc), i've narrowed it down to a fight between two companies: Deuter and Ortlieb.

from Deuter, i think i'm leaning toward the Trans Alpine 30 pack. it comes with a hydration system, which is quite lovely and would come in quite handy, but it won't really make or break my decision on a pack. while Deuter's packs are not waterproof, they come with rain covers which are supposed to work quite well. the thing that really makes me like (at least, in theory) the Deuter packs is their suspension systems. check them out and you'll see why. i've read nothing but good reviews of their gear, from hikers and cyclists alike.

from Ortlieb, i'm leaning toward the X-Cursion (and before you have a coronary at the price, i've found it much cheaper elsewhere XD). Ortlieb has a decent ventilation system, and a lot of people rate these really highly as well. the biggest bonus Ortlieb has going for it is that their packs are completely waterproof. COMPLETELY. every review i've read of their packs has likewise been quite complimentary.

both the packs i want can be had for similar amounts of money, although the Deuter is still slightly less expensive. both are reputed to be very well-made packs which feature very high quality craftsmanship. i do think at this time i'm leaning toward the Deuter, although i still haven't quite made up my mind. if anyone's had experience with either/both of these, i'd be interested to hear about it.

there's another company (and again, they're German...hrrm, i sense a theme XD) called Vaude that's supposed to make excellent cycling packs as well, although from cursory explorations, it doesn't appear they're distributed in the US anymore. pity. shall have to explore it further, although good sense would tell me i've narrowed it down so far that expanding my options is kind of the wrong direction in which to go. XD

the cycle never ends...:)

the holidays, they just fly by too fast

i can't believe i missed out on this yesterday, but according to an e-mail i got this morning, apparently yesterday was Frankie Knuckles Day in Chicago.

Frankie Knuckles Day Best Chicago holiday EVER. Today is officially Frankie Knuckles Day, in celebration of the Chicago DJ who popularized house music in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Jefferson Street between Van Buren and Monroe will be renamed Frankie Knuckles Way today, and after that Frankie will be honored at Grant Park's Spirit of Music Garden.

...uh, yeah. so. day late, dollar short, what? XD

cycling is fun

as some of you may be aware, i finally got myself a portable bicycle to aid in my overlong daily commute; in specific, it's a Dahon Piccolo D3. it's quite lovely, and while of course there's been a bit of an adjustment period since i first got hold of it a week and a half ago, it's been working out quite well so far, and has cut out approximately an hour out of my daily commute in total. as of next month, it will save me having to purchase a link-up bus pass in addition to my usual train pass as well, which will put nearly $40 more in my pocket every month. as a result, this bike will pay for itself in almost no time.

and as i'd been told prior to getting this bike, of course it's sparked conversation with various people on the street who witness it. i also now get nods from other cyclists on the road, which i find kind of amusing; it's much like people who've got the same specialist model of car (or sometimes even make; Volkswagen people often nod or beep at each other across vehicle platforms) acknowledging one another, actually.

it's also sparked some really dumb comments, too. which i suppose i can't totally blame people for but yes i can, the idiots!---i've had two people say something about it being just a GREAT idea when they don't feel like walking somewhere, and implying it's somehow an aid to laziness.

which doesn't really offend, per se---i mean, i know what i'm doing with it, and i don't much care how it's perceived. however, it does make me question their intelligence and/or skills of observation, because i'd really love to know in what parallel universe carrying around a 24 pound bicycle in a shoulder bag can be considered "effort-saving." is it time-saving? yes. money-saving? eventually. and while i don't carry it much (as it's usually busy carrying me, or else sitting on a seat next to me on the train), it's awkward and large and no small feat to carry on those occasions when i do carry it.

next time someone says something similar to me, i think i should quickly disabuse them of their ill-thought-out notions of laziness and just hand them the bloody thing to try carrying on their own. of course, with my luck, the next person who says a similar thing to me will be significantly taller and possessed of much greater upper body strength than i, and will merely raise an eyebrow at me and enquire as to my point in this little exercise upon hoisting it onto either shoulder.

my current route to and from work is the same: bike, train, bike, train, bike. it's like a repetitive pentathlon, but it's better than it was before! XD

give them the business!

last week, made my less-frequent-than-i'd-like pilgrimage up to Chicago Comics to poke around and pick up some stuff. reviews may well be forthcoming, if i get around to it in a decent amount of time, because i did pick up a few quite good things.

the store has changed quite a lot---i don't know when the change happened, but the internal layout is different, they now have you check your bags in at the counter when you come in (which i can understand, but it's still totally different to how it used to be), etc. Eric Thornton is still there---saw him wandering around, although i didn't get the chance to talk to him. one of the other Erics is still there, and the dude who's always got interesting hats on, too (whose name i don't know).

but what this post is REALLY about is a really adorable and lovely TEA SHOP that has opened on Belmont Ave. it's called My Place For Tea, and as clicking the link will inform you, they also sell tea and tea accessories online.

i wish i'd had more time to sit there, but by the time i went in, i really needed to be on my way home. plus, i'd had a very yummy and filling lunch of excellent Indian food with my sister, and so i was quite stuffed. which is too bad, because this tea shop also sells various sorts of steamed meat and veggie buns.

they sell all sorts of tea, and tea accessories, and bubble tea kits and accessories---all in addition to being a cosy little cafe in which to enjoy various teas and tea-based beverages, which they'll create to your specifications as you watch.

i myself walked out with a green tea soy milk shake, a business card, and a fervent wish that this place stays in business---i know i won't get to go there often, but there have been all sorts of neat places that have come and gone along that block, because i know rent has got to be pretty pricey. so please, if you get the chance and are interested at all in tea, visit them in person or online! the people in the shop are really nice, too---i really wish we had more places like this. although one is more than we had before! :)

panic on the streets of kansas city

Yoshitsune has a quite disturbing tale of heading down to the voting booth for the Missouri primary yesterday. it's well worth reading in its entirety regardless of your voting orientation. here's a small excerpt:

"Apparently there are groups out there who buy copies of the voter registration rolls, then send in new registrations for registered voters giving them a new address. It's really a more sophisticated version of the whole thing with the felony lists in Florida in the last election - however, people aren't being REMOVED from the voting rolls, and hence there's no red flag being raised. After all, people DO move and send in change of address, so there's no reason for them to suspect voter fraud. And there's really no way to trace this, so there's really no way to detect this. But in effect what it means is voters are removed from the rolls - after all, if you're unknowingly registered in another precinct, how can you vote at yours? I was lucky...I have the job flexibility and transportation to go down to the election board and find out the problems, but I'm betting a lot of the other people with the same problems don't. And there are a lot - at my precinct, during the period we were at the polls, which was pretty slow, there were only about five or six people in and out, including us. And of those, me and one other guy found ourselves off the rolls, and one woman said she'd had the same thing happen to her during the 2000 presidential election and had to spend the entire day down at the election board."

the right to vote is not and should not be a partisan issue. it's disheartening that the debate on this entry devolved into such, because the people who made it into that argument are possibly deflecting and/or missed the entire point, which is that such tampering is wrong, scary, and should be exposed for what it is and dealt with accordingly. voting rights and responsibilities should have NOTHING to do with political orientation, and such tampering is absolutely intolerable and inexcusable.