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Thurmond smiles
post Critical Mass obligatory Bull McCabes sitting
Fourth of July
Some photos from the annual tribal festival of the Americanas.
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To paraphrase Ed, because it’s difficult to hang out with 300 million people, we break ourselves into tribes. A few of Durham’s tribes came together for today’s festival to celebrate their part in the coalition of tribes we call the United States.
Preparations for this year’s event included authentically ritualistic fasting and much vision seeking. Even a few sacrifices were made to appease the gods.
Much merry-making — via water hoses, cupcakes, lemonade, and banner waving — was had.
afterthought
This sign — mostly the lack of care with which it is placed in the ground — sums up how I often feel about urban design and transportation planning. You?
uno auto menos
Just a quick reminder that Durham’s Critical Mass is tomorrow, Thursday July 3rd. Come celebrate your right to be on the road with your bike! UPDATE: As always, Durham Critical Mass meets 5:35pm at Major, the bronze bull statue in the CCB plaza, downtown. It’s across Corcoran Street from Blue Coffee Café.
Seeing as it’s taking place the day before the 4th (the 3rd usually comes before the 4th), you might wear your favorite patriotic spandex, sparkly hat, or shoot fireworks from the back of your bike. Wait, that’s probably illegal, in which case you can scratch that I said it (though whether you do it is sill up to you). Sparklers! That’s what I meant. Yeah, bring the sparklers.
Upside-down flags, orange jump-suited Guantanamo detainee impersonators, and Native American sympathizers are also welcome.
Pro or anti- Independence Day — come one, come all.
Looks like we have some educating to do — just read the comments on this news story about a pair of local cyclists who were victims of a deliberate hit and run.
Most violence results from a failure to see what’s best in your fellow person. I ride because the world looks more interesting, more beautiful from the seat of a bicycle. And when the world is more interesting, more beautiful, it’s easier to see each other more charitably.
ANOTHER UPDATE: Yours truly was interviewed by NBC17 today for a story that ran on tonight’s newscast.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: The video is now up at NBC17.com’s website. I want to thank Lauren, Dominque, and the camera man who strapped the camera to the back of my Xtracycle for the POV shots. Follow the link.
tall bike, ca. 1933
This is a very short clip of a clown on a tall bike on Repeal Day, celebrating adoption of the 21st amendment and thus the repeal of prohibition, December 5th, 1933. Although the clip is not an authentic newsreel (it is an ad for whiskey, produced in 2007), the footage appears to be vintage. I edited out all but the bike. If you want to see the rest of the ad, you can find it in the Prelinger Archives.
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