Deep in the heart of Texas

Yesterday was November 14. November.

It was 82° outside.

I rode my bike in shorts and a t-shirt, after dark. And it was perfect.

Any time I start to complain about Texas, I am going to remember this. And I am going to smile to myself because our politics might suck, but our weather is unbeatable.

Tweed Ride

I went!

Kind of. Got bad intel and didn't bother to followup myself, so I got to Dealy Plaza at 3 (apparently, the time of last year's ride). The riders had taken a bit of a roundabout route, though, so we still made it to Oak Cliff before the keg was totally floated.

Everyone looked phenomenal. I was really impressed. There were more knickers and small hats and beautiful skirts than I could really process. And one guy on a tall bike. I do feel some pity for the people who went all out, because it was unseasonably warm, even more Texas. Some 83°. I had half-assed it, myself. Highwaisted shorts, a flowery button-down and some thin tights, and I was feeling pretty warm.

And then it was on to Cliff Fest! Maybe it's just me, but Oak Cliff and Bishop Arts see Saturday as a good reason to throw up tents and close down Bishop, and that rocks. Tons of food that looked and smelled delicious, but I'd overdone it at brunch and was still feeling a little stuffed. All in all, it was a stunning day and for as little of it as I was able to attend, I'm really glad I went.

Pictures will be up later. I went really old-school and shot on film!

Link dump

Biking
How the Bicycle Became A Symbol of Women's Emancipation
A new social marketplace makes it easy to find unique experiences, from workshops to bike tours
The Pursuit of Happiness on Two Wheels - a brief history of the bike
Swapping Tail Pipes For Pedals: Small Changes Could Pay Huge Dividends For Public Health And Economy

Politics
49% of Republicans Don't Know What GOP Stands For
When Is a Person?
Eradicating Rape in Wartime
6 Reasons Mississippians Said No to "Personhood" Amendment

Women
"It’s no longer just a Republican war on women. It’s a war on the idea that any woman might ever tell the truth...."
Mississippi in DC: GOP Pushes Zygote Personhood Bills
Americans' #1 Priority: Abortion?
The Men Behind The War On Women
Championing Rapists' Fatherhood Rights

Science and the Environment
Renovation and Repair Creates Way More Jobs, Uses Far Less Material Than New Construction
Green lifestyle choices won’t solve the climate problem
Old-school flower house leaves LEED in the dust
Climate Scientist Wins A Round for America
Green Gift Guide: The Fashion Buff
Green Gift Guide: The Health and Wellness Guru
Green Gift Guide: The Outdoors Enthusiast

Atheism
10 Commandments for Atheists

Design
Brilliant Use of the Space Beneath the Stairs
Typographer Ryan Gosling
swissmiss | The Division of Labor

Recipes
Best Comfort Foods for Winter, with Recipes and Photos 

Just Fucking Cool
This is Your Brain on Sports
Drunkify
Ride Your Bike While You Work With The Kickstand Desk
7 Easy DIY Gifts You can Make in an Hour or Less

Okay, that was weird

Things I am never owning: a cruiser.

Don't get me wrong, they're a great ride. They look adorable and those big fat tires makes it hard to fall off, no matter how drunk or inexperienced you may be. They're also way too easy to get used to.

I was a wobbly mess getting back on Sidney yesterday. I got spoiled on those DC cruisers and it took several blocks to remember how thongs were supposed to go. So, as long as I'm riding a road bike, cruisers are off the list.

Unrelated: Mississippi did NOT pass the "personhood" ballot initiative, proving that, on rare occasions, rationality wins out.

Home of the brave

Been a little MIA—just got back from a long weekend in DC. I'm starting to lose count of the number of times I've been to that city. Went when I was 12 for the annual 6th grade trip to Washington and Williamsburg. Went when I was 16, looking at colleges. Lived there when I was 20, for two months interning with NARAL. Visited when I was 22, interviewing for a job. At 24, running the National Marathon. And at 24, again, just bumming around. Because that's what I do best.

I love Washington, DC. That is, without a doubt, my favorite city in the United States. There's even a chance I love it more than Barcelona, and I really loved Barcelona. Before I went the last time, I was pushing myself to explain just why I loved DC. I love that the famous people you see around actually do things. I love the walkability of the city, and the stellar public transportation. I love go-getter personality of the city, with less stress than New York. I loved the time I lived there. I love the history of it. I still kind of felt like I was grasping at straws and couldn't pin down the exact why.

But now I know. DC instills in me a sense of awe that no other place is capable of. I am a godless hippie liberal, yes—but I also love this country and believe America was designed for greatness. Our founders wrote us to do great things and we have been and can be great. There are bumps in the road to be sure, obstacles to overcome. But American can and will overcome. DC tells me that. DC makes me want to be my best self so that I can help America be her best self.

And the bike share is awesome.

These stations were all over the city. Clustered closer together in some places, but I saw them as far out as King Street in Old Town Alexandria and Crystal City. I set the map of stations to my bookmarks on my phone and went off on my adventures. Capital BikeShare? You rock.

For a 24-hour pass, it was $7. That was it. $7 is like 3 rides on the metro, and this gets you access to bikes all over the city for a solid day. Each ride, under 30 minutes, is covered by your $7. Time after that you do get charged for—and the prices get up there really quickly—but DC is by design a small city. Everything is built very close together. All you need is 30 minutes, and that includes the time you pedal around looking for the station.

In the past, living and visiting DC, I've relied heavily on the Metro, but the Metro can distort your view of the city. It becomes a series of islands and how they connect is an utter mystery. I can work the underground, sure, that's not a problem, but I have no idea of the real-world relationships of Foggy Bottom to Capital Hill to Eastern Market. And now I do.

Also? Capital Hill is a hill. Like a, thank-christ-these-are-wide-tires-so-I-can-stand-up hill. Ay.

My first run-in with a bike share was in Barcelona, but it (and bike shares in general) was in its infancy and at the time was limited to only Spanish citizens—2-month tourists like myself were excluded. I like to think that I had been able to access the bike share, I would have gotten into bikes 3 years ago, but alas. I can't wait to start seeing bike shares crop up across the nation. They are a fantastic solution for tourists. You can get where you need to go, when you need to go, and it's fabulous.

Although I do credit my Dallas guts for my willingness to ride in the street.

Link dump

I realized that I tweet, Facebook and Google+ articles all the time. So I figured that every so often, maybe once a week, I'll comb back through them and see what kind of interesting (or crazy or offensive or awe-inspiring) kind of things the internet handed me.

Biking
Wednesday Words: Bicycle Quotations on Women, Fashion, and Emancipation
Anti-Bike Journalist Goes For A Ride, Changes His Tune
Cyclists Cause Less Than 10% of Bike/Car Accidents
Forever Bicycles by Ai WeiWei
DJ Your Commute with Record-playing Bicycle
Killed Cyclist Mathieu Lefevre's Family Demands Answers at NYPD HQ 

Politics
Darren Wesley Huff, Georgia Birther, Convicted of Plot to Take Over Courthouse To Topple Obama
Crockett Keller, Texas Gun Safety Instructor, Refuses To Teach Liberals and Muslims
Rick Perry and the False Appeal of the 'Flat Tax'
What Do Obama's Student Loan Reforms Mean For You?

Science and Green Living
13-Year-Old Makes A Solar Breakthrough With Fibonacci Sequence
evolveLA >> Living Cities Masterplan
7 billion: What to expect when you're expanding
Climate Scientist Wins A Round For America
Old-school flower house leaves LEED in the dust
Daily Show Blasts Media For Failing to Cover Study that Confirms Climate Change (Video)
Recording-Breaking Snow in Texas
Anatomy of a Smart City (Infographic)

Women
What's Different About Mississippi's Personhood Amendment? 
10 Sitcoms That Actually Moved Women Forward
Dear Toronto Police, Stop Blaming Victims of Sexual Assault
The Men Behind The War On Women

Design
The 8 Worst Fonts In The World

Just Fucking Cool
Guillaume Nery free-diving at Dean's Blue Hole (Video)
Not all silences are awkward
Vulture downs Russian paraglider (Video)

Well ... that gives you an idea of what I care about.

Smells like college

One thing I've learned since I started riding a bike is just how many people in the greater Dallas metroplex toke up on what I assume is a fairly regular basis. Just riding along, minding my own business, and suddenly the reek of weed smacks me square in the face. Granted, not quite as stale as the smell at Occupy Dallas, but not my favorite by any means.

I think my favorite so far was one gorgeous afternoon headed down the part of Royal that doesn't suck (the part in Las Colinas) and then all of a sudden it was just sniff sniff, sniff sniff ... smells like college. Option A) that little red car that just blew past was totally hotboxed or Option B) those golfers down there just lit a fat one. My money's on Option B. You crazy golfing kids. And by kids I mean self-indulgent 50-somethings.

It's like no one makes an effort to hide it. And I don't think they should.

Yes, this was all a lead-up to: Legalize It.

Look, I don't even smoke the stuff. It smells funny. I was that crazy art major who just made stuff, no latin lettuce required. The ganja just ain't my bag, man. But considering how seriously the government takes it, it much be awesome.

Check this, the White House just rejected a petition calling for the legalization of marijuana. Granted, a "pro-drug" stance would solidify a GOP win in 2012 but no one will even talk about the benefits we could reap if we changed our drug policies. For one, you'd drastically reduce the power of the drug cartels. No I don't have numbers but dollars to donuts most drug users are potheads and when that shit can be sold legit, there goes heckuva lot of the cartels' inventory. So, plus.

You drop the strain on the criminal justice system. Our jails are overcrowded. Court fees and public defenders and this that and the other are a drain state and local budgets. And really, Topeka? You go broke and decriminalize domestic violence first? During Domestic Violence Awareness Month? "Excuse me, sir? You beat your wife within an inch of her life? In front of your kids? Well, surely you're not as much of a threat to society as this teenager we busted with a roach. You're free to go."

We'll get to you later, Topeka.

And then? Then you tax the everloving shit out of it. This is what I call a win-win-win. So, chop chop, hombres. All that mary jane won't sell itself. Sure, people will abuse it, but being an alcoholic isn't criminal (and no one's yet proved that you can get "addicted" to weed). Keep it illegal to drive under the influence, please. No smoking and packing heat, sure. But you're really missing a clutch opportunity here, friends.