You can't see what you're not looking for

Last weekend was the going away party for two of my first friends from Dallas cycling, Waly and Jigna. They headed up Bike Friendly Knox Henderson, the first cycle group I started riding with—some of those rides, like down to the DMA for concerts on Thursdays, are why I started the blog. Their going away party was full of Dallas's recreational cycling finest.

I was talking to Amanda from Dallas Cycle Chic and she pointed me towards this video:

You're going to have to watch it twice. 

The video makes an incredible point—you don't see what you're not looking for. Dallas is not a cycling city. Although we feel like a community, cyclists in Dallas are a virtually non-existent fraction of the moving population and the cars don't realize there's even a chance they'll encounter one of us on the road (unless they're near White Rock, and then they just get mad). Hopefully this kind of video can get a little viral support, because it makes a good point and it makes it well.

Link Roundup

Running
Foot Strike and Injury Rates in Endurance Runners: a retrospective study
Marathon Runners Face Low Risk Of Cardiac Arrest : NPR

Politics
Rick Santorum Is Wrong: Lack of Healthcare Kills
The Santorum Effect: Why Sex and Culture Debates Are Recession-Proof 
Chart of The Day: Presidential Recess Appointments
How the Oil Industry Manufactured the Myth of the 'Energy Voter'
A Pennsylvanian's Guide to the Rick Santorum You Don't Know
Abortion-Rights Group Faults GOP Presidential Field : NPR
Over Two-Thirds Of Corporations Pay No Federal Corporate Income Tax 

Women
Iowa Caucus: What's in it for Women? 
Rick Santorum wants women to have lots of babies, whether they like it or not
New Abortion Laws By Year (Chart)
Generous Governor Pardons Men Who Murdered Their Wives
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Heroine, Issues Smackdown to Opponents of Planned Parenthood
Slut Shaming: 13-Year-Old Explains Why It's Wrong In YouTube Video

LGBT
Another Researcher Complains That an Anti-Gay Group Distorted Her Work
Child Abuse Rate At Zero Percent In Lesbian Households, New Report Finds 

Religion
Occupy Christian Oppression 
Rick Santorum’s Idea of Freedom: Enforcing Catholic Sexual Morality 

Education
Still “Lying to Children”: How No Child Left Behind Corrupted Education 

Science and the Environment
MIT Researcher Explains Why Gas Mileage is Still Low Despite Advances in Fuel Economy
This is What the U.S. Would Look Like Without Environmental Protection 
The 2011 Climate B.S.* of the Year Awards

Design and Architecture
TreeHugger at CES 2012: Our Hopes and Frustrations for Green In Consumer Electronics
DIY Shipping Pallet Bookshelf and Bike Rack Looks Quick and Easy
Built on Stilts: Tom Kundig's Sol Duc Cabin

Outdoors
What gear to I need to start: Rock climbing 

Food
New Year's Detox
50 Healthy Recipes to Kick Off 2012
Five Packaged Foods You Never Need to Buy Again

Just Fucking Awesome
Fuck No Rick Santorum 
INCIDENTAL COMICS: Design Like Nobody's Watching
Pentagon Scientists Use ‘Time Hole’ to Make Events Disappear
What to tip your waiter (almost) everywhere in the world
25 clever ideas to make life easier
How To Sleep For Free (How I Saved $18,000 While Traveling)
21 podcasts to check out
Introducing the Greatest Cosmetic Product Known to the Mankind: Fotoshop by Adobe

Hindsight: I really don't like Rick Santorum

Cold weather riding

For Christmas, my mother got me some gear from Luke's Locker. I'm a Run On! girl myself, but cold-weather gear is cold-weather gear, so I was stoked. Granted, it didn't quite work out—the more I run races, the more dry-fit t-shirts I get—but hey, that was a lot of store credit to use! I got a new jacket, a new pair of compression tights (yay!) and a few extra pieces to help me out.

The gloves are "wind resistant" and, go figure, they work! As we all know, the wind is the most painful part about winter cycling. The base cold we can deal with, cycling warms us up fast enough, but the wind? That can cut right through. I believe the brand is Manzella, they set me back $30 aaaaaand worth it! I'm thinking about sometimes layering a set of sweat-absorbent gloves underneath and see if that adds any extra warmth as the temperature drops.

And the headband? I've been trying to get by with the kind of silly hats I have (I have a lot of silly hats) and those weren't quite doing it. I haven't gotten a winter liner for my helmet—I have hair, nature's liner!—but my ears get so cold and this thing does the trick. Obviously Nike, and it has little reflective bits on it! If anyone's wondering, it will muss up your hair a bit but no more than a helmet (and makeup, it doesn't stretch a whole whole lot and can scrape past your face).

I've got a set of running tights that are crap for running, but they are full-length and make a great layering piece, same for a long-sleeved top. So, yay! Winter cycling!

Yeah, that's Texas winter cycling. It got into the 70s last week. Because of course.

But in the winter, the DART station is deserted. There use to be seven or eight of us on the platform in the mornings, now I'm by myself, or maybe there's one other person and that's not exactly comforting. Luckily we're past the solstice, so the days are only going to get longer. Can't wait!

Funny things I spotted:

Plano has a historic district?

Things that make my day

I've got a bit on cold weather gear in the works, but as a holdover ...

Yes, he really said it.

(Two Weeks Worth of) Link Roundup

Biking
Why We SHOULDN’T Wear Helmets
10 bicycling myths debunked
Bike Lanes and Learning Curves

Food
Now We're Cooking: How to Get Americans Back in the Kitchen
Eaters, beware: Walmart is taking over our food system
7 Cheap and Easy Vegetarian Meals

LGBT
Gay Community Apologizes to Cheating Minnesota Rep for Ruining Her Marriage
An Open Letter to People Who Hate Gay People

Politics
98 Percent of Welfare Applicants Pass Florida Drug Test
Are Iowa's Republican Frontrunners Taking Cues from Sharia Law?
God’s undue influence on U.S. politics
The Story Behind Ron Paul's Racist Newsletters
Gingrich thinks Palin would be a darned fine energy secretary

Women
The GOP’s 10 Most Extreme Attacks On A Woman’s Right To Choose An Abortion 
Frat Email Explains Women Are "Targets," Not "Actual People" 

Religion
The Christian Persecution Complex

Design and Architecture
Sony Develops a Battery That Runs on Paper
Beautiful Home Carved into Quarry Wall Enjoys Natural Air Conditioning
Living with Less: 229 square foot lofts have everything you need to live

Science and the Environment
Environmentalists Should Learn from Gay Rights Activists 
7 Ways Going Green Will Make You Lose Weight in 2012

DIY
diy project: neon tag giftwrap and decor
diy project: paper snowflake mini-garland

Ugh
Cops to Jogger Hit by Truck: "Don't try to jog to work, dumb$@!%" (Video) 

Just Fucking Cool
Trust Us, It's Not Just The Accents: Our Favorite Cravat-Wearing Brits
Ain't That A Kick In The Rectum? The Best Literary Adaptations Of 2011
Sesame Street Generation: Why S Now Stands for Smarter
2012’s Most Anticipated Movies: Dark Knight Rises, Hunger Games, More

A little Katy Trail etiquette

For Walkers and Runners

• Do not walk/run/meander three abreast. You take up an entire lane and force anyone passing you into on-coming traffic

• If you are two abreast, try to hug the righthand side of the trail. It's just polite

• Keep your headphones at a reasonable volume. You need to hear people behind you as they warn you they're approaching

• There are points where you enter/exit the main trail for the pedestrian trail. Please, check behind you before suddenly dashing in front of an unsuspecting on-comer

• Don't put yourself in the middle of the trail (unless you're passing people breaking rule #1) Don't just ... chill in the middle

For Parents

• In regards to babies, the three-abreast rule applies double to you—your carriages are a huge roadblock and they add an extra level of stress for anyone passing you

• In regards to older children, please don't let them out of your sight. There's something terrifying about a lone six-year-old struggling on rollerblades

For Dog-Walkers

• An idea: stick to the right hand of the trail and perhaps keep the leash in your right hand? Your dog doesn't know the difference between the the paved trail and the dirt just to the side, and it leaves more space for people

• Don't let your dog run crazy all over the place, animals can be very unpredictable and that makes them a huge hazard. If you cannot control your dog, consider a dog park where they can run around instead

• Pretty please, find a visible leash. Those long skinny ones are like trip wires and no one can see them coming. Considering the momentum a cyclist carries, this is as big a benefit for you as for us—the sudden impact of the crash could easily snap Fido's neck and then I'd feel bad because your dog doesn't deserve to pay for your idiocy

For Cyclists

• FOR THE LOVE OF CHRIST DO NOT RIDE THREE ABREAST

• Bells work, but a friendly "On your left!" works better. It's a little more specific

• You are the car of the trail. As much as you like cars to look out for you, look out for pedestrians. Expect the unexpected and be ready to dodge out of the way

For Motorcyclists

• If I see that fucknugget on my trail again I will kick him over so help me ... 

For the Asshat Who Tipped My Bike Where She Sat Outside My Apartment

• She was sitting innocently locked up and not in anyone's way, what the hell is your problem

For Everyone

• Smile and enjoy a beautiful day, a good run, a chat with friends. Respect the trail and respect the people around you and most of all, have fun :)

Oh December

Two days after Christmas and it is sunny and, like, 58° and gorgeous. I went pedaling around without a coat because I could (and because I would have madly overheated). I went to my Mecca (Half Price Books!), sold a bit to make some room on my shelf and bought a new book for the low low price of $1. Ahh happiness :)

And then I ducked over to Northpark. Because I could, and sooooo many drivers couldn't. The backup was absolutely insane, it looked like parking would have taken at least 45 minutes, which was the same amount of time it took me to pedal up that way. But really, folks? This time of year, bike is the only way to travel.

What really starts to annoy me, though, are the cars who don't seem to understand basic right-of-way at a 4-way stop. If you got there first, you go first. Flat out. Don't sit there staring at me, gawking like a goddamn monkey with its balls in a vice. You go, then I go. Trust me, when I see you there at the intersection, I know that you have right of way. I also know that you weigh exponentially more than I do. I am not risking this one so for the love of everloving christ just go before I end you myself.

Your insistence on utter stupidity totally harshes my mellow, man