Good bikes should be had by all

So one of the few people I would ever have gotten a hand made bike from is closing his shop Jonnycycles.com. I've seen a number of his bikes on Fixed Gear Gallery and I must say, I like what he does and I like the way he does it. Sadly not everyone (including me) can afford a custom bike so little guys like him are going out of business. I see this more as a problem with the way our economic system works then anything. It is my personal belief that everyone (I mean last person on the face of the planet) should be able to have a quality bike that will last them a lifetime for a price that is not 2,0000 dollars U.S. for the frame alone. A lot of the people I see riding their bikes for transport can not afford a quality bike, they can afford the walmart special ($150-$200 new and I have a feeling that they aren't buying them new) and the bike is not going to last them. The parts will wear out in a year or so and they'll be forced to keep riding or throw it away and get another.

I remember while I was living in Salt Lake I would generally see the same guy dressed in commercial kitchen garb riding his bike to work each morning. It was an ill fitting walmart special that creaked and groaned as I'd pass him. Both he and I rode year round so I know he was putting some real miles on that bike.

My point is that bikes are a much less expensive form of transport then a car but if you have to go long distances (which more and more working people have to do as our inner cities become gentrified and they can't afford to live and work in the same city) you can buy a cheep car for 500 dollars that will maybe get you to work everyday but the cost of repairs and gas will push that well over the cost of a good bike but because that cost is spread out over months or even years people don't feel it as much as if it all happened at once. So Jonnycycles is closing up because not enough people can buy his product. There are so many reasons why this happens but the main underlying reason is the flaws inherent in capitalism. I would love for some day every city in the Emerica to look like Amsterdam, in regard to bikes anyway... I'd love to see the day when working people can afford to live closer to where they work, they can get there by bike with out fear of being killed by a car and they can do it on a bike that they won't have to replace unless it breaks. Oh well... I know I'll never live to see that day.

Obama won what changed?

No really, I may be drunk but really what on the fucking lovely beautiful Earth changed? You elected a Black man, you think you ended racism? You need to think twice, you may have made a VERY small step in the right direction but it's not, I repeat NOT enough. I hope for the love of all that is really, really good for all people that he claims to represent. Go fuck your self Obama, you pulled a fast one over the the people. You just perpetuate the hoodwink of the people.

So tomorrow is the "big day"

And every time I see an Obama button I shiver a little. He claims to be this big man of change and really if you look at his stances and really think about them how much different is he then McCain? Besides his stance on a woman's right to choose there seems to be very little difference.

He says that he wants to "responsibly redeploy" the U.S. imperial forces in Iraq by saying that he can have all troops out in 16 months yet calls for the following:

increase U.S ground forces by 65,000 soldiers and 27,000 Marines. He has also stated that he will invest in training "special operations forces, civil affairs, information operations, foreign language training and other units and capabilities that remain in chronic short supply" with a focus on "counterinsurgency."

If he plans on pulling the invading forces out of Iraq why then is he increasing the number of troops?

Look at their domestic policies on crime and crime prevention. Both call for increases to the number of police on the streets, the recruitment of young people in to the police force, and more spending to local law enforcement agencies. This has been the same thing since the 1970's and all it's done is put more poor people and people of color behind bars then ever before.

If you really want change why are you voting for the two parties who are funded by the same people. Who do you really think they are going to represent when they get in to office. You or the people who paid to put them there?

Voting is Sucide.

So you think voting matters? I'm sorry to say but you're wrong. Go to this page, CarterCenter.org and ask yourself, "Why is it that the Carter Center does not watch U.S. elections?" They have looked at First Peoples Nations elections, they've looked at elections in places where we're told that there is no "democracy." Places like Jordan, and parts of South Africa, and South America yet they have NEVER, not once, done a survey of the United States. Why? Perhaps this is why, Carter Center and why they don't watch U.S. elections

The fact of the matter is that by voting you are allowing some old white man who's only interest in you is as a commodity, not as a human being, as paid for a politician to vote for you. You've given your ability to say "Yes" or "No" away. I'm sure some of you will say that by not voting I'm not participating in my community or working for the betterment of society. I say you're doing more then that, you're working to destroy and undermine everything you claim to uphold and love. I spend roughly 10 hours a week working with young men who've been not only pushed aside by society but who have been purposefully handed a shit sandwich and told to eat big bites. When they throw aside what they are given and try (I'll admit in ways that are no better) to make something else for themselves they are locked up and treated as if they were trash. I go and spend 10 hours a week with incarcerated youth. What did you do today? Am I doing enough? I doubt it. In fact I know I'm not, but hey I'm doing more then you ever will on November 4th.

You say voting matters. What happened in 2000 then? Remember that one, the majority of the people who are allowed to vote (another problem all together) voted for one man yet he didn't get in to the White House? Why, I thought your electoral system was about empowerment for the people?

What about Jim Crowe's lesser known grandson? You thought that Women earned the Right to to vote with the 19th amendment? Or People of Color with the passing of the 15th?

You have no idea how many lies you've been told. So when it comes time to "vote" think about what you're really doing and look in to what is really happening when you step in to that little booth.

First Day at Maple Lane School.

So today marked the first day that my Program went to Maple Lane. Maple Lane is a maximum security school for young men who've some how run afoul of the law. The majority of them are from poor family and are people of color. But they have been lucky enough to be able to participate in the Gateways Program for Incarcerated Youth. Everyone who reads this knows where I came from and where I am so to say that I have a divergent past from them is to say that the Earth is round. The Gateways Program takes young men at Maple Lane School as well as another of the same time and puts them in college classes with students from Evergreen. In order for them to be in the program they must have a G.E.D. a High School Diploma or be close to getting one.

This is my first time speaking to anyone who has spent any time what so ever in a long term lock up. I'm still thinking about what happened today and the world they live in is so totally different then the one I live in that I don't really know what to say.

I can safely say this, in all the time I've been at Evergreen the greatest seminar I've ever had was the one I had today. We discussed a book called "A Peoples History of Sports in the United States" by Dave Zirin. We've yet to even start reading the book but today we discussed what the author could possibly be writing about. Given that the guys I have class with are in jail for something I saw some of the more encouraging and helpful behavior one person could ever exhibit toward another and this from men who society says are no good, trouble and can not on any level be trusted. I met your average 17 and 18 year old men. I'm sure as I digest what happened today I'll be better able to describe what happened but to say the least it was a life changing experience.

So I Heard Back From that Journal I Tried to get Published in.

They rejected my first draft of my paper. I'm not really up set about it as the reason it was rejected was that I tried to do too much with it. I kinda thought that would happen when I wrote it so it's not too surprising that they turned me down because of that. Now I'm working on doing something different with it and resubmitting it. I'm hopeful, in fact I could submit about three or four papers from what I did last quarter... If only I had the time. :)

Ode to the Dude who Rode to Work With Me the day Before Yesterday

So the day before yesterday on my way to work, I caught up to this guy on Cooper Point turning on to Evergreen Parkway. He was doin' a fairly good clip (about 30 MPH) when I caught up to him. I passed him with a polite "on your left!" As I rounded the corner on Evergreen Parkway, there was this older dude walking his dog, I slowed down waiting to pass him. About that time I hear an "on your left!" and my bikin buddy pass us. I catch him again as we make the turn on to Overhulst Road, and give him a little "on your left!" and as I go by I say "tag?" we then proceed to leap frog past each other for a little bit until he said he was too tired and we rode the rest of the way to the college chatin'. It was a good way to start my day, and left me in a fantastic mood for the rest of the day. I made me wish that I had someone to ride to work with everyday, because it was so much fun.

It reminds me of the few times Cassie and I rode to work together when I was working at the Law Office and she at the "Job From Hell". I find it a lot more enjoyable to ride with people then by my self.

I also heard back from the Journal I am trying to get published in. They rejected my paper as it was last quarter and I need to do some re-writes... Nothing too major in my mind, they were things that I'd been warned about when I first started on it so I'm not too worried. I'll start to re work it tomorrow.

Holy Shit I Graudate in June

So I've been reviewing my progress in college and just realized that I graduate in June. I'll need to take a few more credits over the summer or take 20 credit hours for two quarters but I'll graduate in June regardless... It's strange, I've been in college since 2003 and I'm about to finish off my BA... It's exciting but strange at the same time because it means I have to get a grown up job soon... Or go to Law School and put that off for another three years or so.

It's funny because I started to update my resume so that it includes my degree (not that I have it yet but still) and all the wonderful things I've done in college.

It's so strange.

Also Collin spent the weekend up here with me and it made me remember how much I missed him being around. I really don't want him to fly home today.

God I fuckin love you right now.

I got out of my old apartment and in to a house with five of the most awesome people I know, my brother is visiting me this weekend and I just drank some coffee... Life is fucking good right now!

Shit it's been a long while hasn't it?

So, here we are... It's been a long time since I post anything, mostly because I don't have Internet at my house... Well I didn't until one of the new neighbors got an unsecured wireless network. Now I just barrow theirs. :)

I started this thing while I was living in the dorms to keep my family and friends in Shit Lick updated as to what I was doing and how I was. Now I talk to them more because I get better phone service here and I don't have to go sit in my car in the parking lot to talk on my phone. I finished my paper for my program last quarter. In fact I finished it more then a month ago, I'm happy with it and as soon as I sort my shit out I'll submit it for publishing. My Faculty from winter quarter really likes it and wants to share it with other educators as a voice from an extraordinary person. I'm very excited about this as that was the whole reason I wrote it, to be used as a voice from my community to the ordinary educational community. Whether or not it's really that good I don't know but I am proud of it so I'd like to get it out there, all that's really left to do on it to be published is talk to a reference librarian about what key words I should use so that the publisher knows how to reference it in the quarterly.

I'm watching "Weeds" while I write this so I'm kinda not paying attention to my writing.... Oh yeah and I need to go pick up Lauren in ten minutes...

Life is a shit sandwhich and some times it has a creamy filling.

So a whole hell of a lot has happened. First the roommate from hell has been only slightly better then before. She's agreed to do mediation in an effort to get my ass outta her (and I mean ours because legally it's ours but she likes it to be hers.) house. So that was good... I also applied for and got a job as the CARE Network Student Coordinator for next year. That means $12 an hour and about 10-12 hours a week. Not really enough to get by on by it's self but when combined with 7-9 hours at the Housing Office, I'd be golden for money. I'm still living with the bitch from hell and I can't stand her, the other day she left a lovely little note for me that passive-aggressively accused me of tampering with her mail, which I didn't do and have never done. When I confronted her about it she said nothing. So as the title implies life is a shit sandwich but right now I'm taking smaller bites and there is a lovely little cream filled center.

Something Wonderful...

Yeah yeah it's an Arthur C. Clark rip off and I don't care. I'm in a good mood right now (seems to be a rare thing these days) and it seems to be mostly due to Lauren and my bike. I'm in the middle of putting my fixed gear back together after I trashed the bottom bracket and had to replace it as well as the crank. As you all know I'm poor, the joys of being a student and not living with my parents. So it has taken me about two months to spend $100 to replace them, 20 for the bottom bracket and 80 for the crank. All is better now, I need crank arm bolts but there was a kid in a local shop up here that said he had a set he wasn't using and offered them to me. So I'm picking them up tomorrow and I'll have my fixed gear back.

I LOVE riding my road bike but riding fixed really is something else, I just enjoy it so much, no gears, no cables; just me, my legs, the bike and the road... Wow that sounded like chezze to the max but it's true I miss the feeling of always pedaling and not having to use my hands to slow down, I'd just pop a quick skip or skid and scrub off some speed then keep going. Track stands at lights is also really nice, no having to un-clip and clip back in, just standing there waiting for the light.

In the land of Lauren we have her new (to her) Ross that my dad found on the Shit Lick Craigslist. He sent it up here with some extra parts and all it's missing is pedals, seat post, cables and a new chain... Maybe, I forgot that the chain I had on my fixed gear prior to it being a fixed gear was brand new and may not need to be replaced. Oh and brake levers, tires and tubes but other then that it's good to go and will be a good bike for her. Thanks dad, she's really excited about it and can't wait to ride it. The really exciting part for me is I'm not going to put it together, she is. I'm just going to watch and help when she needs it. I love watching people learn about their bikes and the best way to do that is to get your hands dirty. Another plus side to that is it will help her build some confidence in herself and her ability to learn a new skill. I'm really excited about her. Plus when you build your own bike you really learn to love it and it means that much more to you. I'll post some pictures as we put it together and tell you all about it later.

I Hate Feeling Like This

So I've been having roommate issues... To say the least. She's a complete asshole and loves to have power struggles, if she's not the top dog, then she's gonna make you hurt to become the top dog. This has been going on since we moved in, she likes to tell me what to do and how to do it. Last time I checked I had a mother and her name was not the Bitch. Also, I fail to see how if she wants something cleaned, and I didn't make the mess (it was there when we moved in), she was cleaning where the mess was, why I should have to clean it up if she's already about to do it?

So we get in this fight and she starts calling me, among other things, a dead beat. This is one hundred and eighty degrees off what she said when we moved in, which was "you're the best roommate ever." Know what changed? I told her off when she told me to do something that she has no right to tell me to do. Like when she told my girlfriend to tell me to take out the trash in the bathroom because there was a used condom in it that supposedly was hanging off the side... OK if that had happened it would have been fucking gross but IT DIDN'T and do you want to know what else was in the can? No I'm sure you don't but you're going to find out anyway, a bunch of her used tampons. And when I say a bunch, I mean the damn thing was full of blood soaked TP and tampons. Now I don't have a problem with taking out the trash when it's full, even if it's used tampons, because if the trash needs to go out, it goes out. I don't really care what's in it. In fact I took out the trash because it was FULL. What I really have a problem with is her telling me, VIA MY FUCKING GIRLFRIEND, that I had to do it because it was gross. Now why this is a problem is that she didn't think about anyone but herself in this matter, she didn't think, 'maybe Aaron has a problem with handling my tampons as much as I have a problem handling a used condom?' The whole thing is about her not thinking about anyone but herself.

There was also the time my Mom and Brother came up to visit about two months after I moved in. She had been offered a washing machine by the dude she just happened to be fucking at the time and TOLD me (see again not asking but TOLD) me we were getting it and that it was fifty bucks and I needed to pay for half. I said OK because at the time I was all "whatever, we could use it and it's cheep." So Mom and Brother come up with a Uhaul, the Bitch says we're going to use it to get the washer, I said we MIGHT be able to use it but it depended on what Mom and Brother and I were going to be doing. I asked her to check with her Fuck Toy when we could come and get it. She said she was free on Monday, Mom and Brother came up on a Friday, but didn't ask when we were free. So Brother and I take the Uhaul back on Saturday because that was the only day we had free. The Bitch wakes up after we take it back and asks where the truck is. I told her we took it back and she yells at me, "Why?! We need to get that washer on Monday." I told her that Saturday was the only day we could do it and that I never said we COULD use it I said we MIGHT be able to use it. She made my Mom so uncomfortable that she checked in to a hotel for the weekend. Brother wanted to spend time with me so she stayed with me but I'm sure it was not as much fun as he had hoped.

So yeah, the next story involves me telling her I'm moving out. I'm required to find a replacement for my half of the lease so I post an ad on craigslist about it. Someone comes by to look at the place and I tell the Bitch after about it. She gets really pissed off and says, "I don't want you finding me a roommate, I'll find my own." and stomps off... Everyone I've ever told that story to was all, "WTF?! She got mad at you for trying to find her a roommate?"

Yep, that's why I'm not calling my friends and family as much as I used to because I'm stressed to fucking hell about dealing with that fucking Asshole roommate. There's more but I'm done with complaining about it for now.

Disability and You.

So my family and most of my friends up here know what I'm doing this quarter as far as school goes... I'm sure I've mentioned it here as well but I'll do it again and here's the title... "Retarded: The Creation of the Learning Disabled in Contemporary U.S. Educational Culture." I'm enjoying the work I'm doing on it very much as it allows me to really tie in what I learned in the last two quarters, Winter and Fall, in to my understanding of another subject namely me. It's been hard to really... Wait no, it hasn't be hard to write it, in fact it's come easier then a lot of my other writing. I think this is due to the level I studied how people oppress others over the year that I find this so easy. Compared to what I did then this is a cake walk and I've had all quarter to really get in to it. I'm very happy with what I've come up with and I know it will only get better. If I don't get it published in the publication I want then I'll publish it here.

Oh yeah for those of you who don't have Ad Blocker Plus please tell me if there are ads on my blog because if there are then I'll do something about it. thanks.

More Bike Stuff...

The problem with me working 8 straight hours in an office where I sit on my ass is that I then spend most of that time wishing I was riding around with friends on my bike... But sadly I don't really know anyone up here that likes to ride and two I'm at work...

So I really want (key word here as in I don't NEED) another bike... I'm thinking an old school touring bike... Full fenders, frichion shifters, racks, the whole nine yards. Not that I really have the time to be doing loaded touring but it would be really cool.

I've been looking at sites like Orange Velo, Surly Bikes and a few others wishing I had the money and the need for another bike... I am kinda toying with the idea of getting a Surly Cross Check frame and building it up with some new parts and using it as a winter bike. I'd take the wheels and crank and bottom bracket off my fixed gear now and put them on the surly with full fenders and a front brake and use that in the winter instead of my Nishiki when the weather turns to poo... Then when I have the money building some new wheels for the Cross Check and getting a new BB and crank for it. It'd just be nice to have full fenders and such and the Cross Check is just a good base for that.

Damn Cassie and Her Bike Ridin' Ways!!!

Cassie's been blogging about riding her bike and it's made me sorrowful because I don't really have anyone up here to ride with like I did in Shit Lick. Cassie and I rode the ULECR last summer and it was great, since then I've just not gotten on the bike as much as I'd like, I hate getting wet and it is WET up here. Thanks to my folks this past Godless Christian Holiday #1 I know own a pair of waterproof pants and boy are they waterproof. But it's also hard to get on the bike when it's that wet and that cold and you don't really have to ride to get to work (because at the time I didn't have a job) or school (because I was living on campus). Also when it gets dark at 4:30 PM and the sun doesn't come up until 8:30 or 9:00 AM it's a little hard to ride if you live in the woods like I do...

The good part is that I've been riding almost everyday I work now, save for one or two days last month when I woke up late and just could not bring myself to do it. Another pain in the ass part is that it seems that every time I go out I get a fucking flat because the roads between my house and ANYWHERE are shit and covered in shit that goes right though my gatorskins and puts a big fucking hole in my inertubes. So as soon as I have the money I'm getting some tuffy strips to put in em' so that I don't get as many flats.

God I miss riding with people...

Matts and not as in the name.

So Lauren and I came back from Spokane with a little friend, his name is Finnigan. He's an orange kittiy kinda like Garfield but a millions times more awesome. He's super sweet and purs if you simply say his name.

So I'm fucking angry about him, Lauren left him in the 'care' of her mother and step father... Care is a funny word, in the six months she has been in Oly Fin some how ended up with most of his back covered in mats. One is so big it almost covers his whole back... We tried to cut some off but the simple fact is that we're going to have to take him in and have him completely shaved to get them off... Yeah, I'm about ready to fucking hit someone....

He's such a wonderful cat, nice, cute, loving, playful, well mannered, FUCKING ADORABLE... If you ever wanted a cat, Fin would be that cat. No, you can't have him, Lauren (and by virtue of dating her me) will never give him up.

He's just great.

It's been so long...

Since I post here. WOW. So yeah... Where to start... Oh, OK. I know.

I have a job! I'm working in the front office in housing at the college, it's 17 hours, two days a week. That means kids I'm working from 8 AM to 5 PM two days a week with two 15 minute paid breaks and one half hour unpaid lunch. I like it, I'm making 9 an hour so I can pay rent and my loan payments but that's about it. I may need a second job.

Also I'm selling my car. All of you know what that means as I used to love that car but I love eating more and I hate the wheels on my LeMond. So if anyone knows anyone who's looking for a 98 GTI 2.0 hook a brother up.

Oh I kinda gave up writing this because I'm looking at riding a century or two and I'm trying to find some in the SPS area.

Happiness is a warm gun...

OK not really but I like that song. So why am I happy all of a sudden? Well I've got two weeks left in the quarter, I've got myself a lovely young lady who for some reason thinks I'm cute and really nice, as well as my Mom and one of my Brothers are coming up here the end of this week to visit (Collin is staying until Tuesday of next week, my Mom until April sometime but she'll be staying with family in Seattle while Collin stays here).

OK so for the two things that are really making me excited, the pretty lady, who's name is Lauren, and part of my family coming to visit. The first part, yes I have a girlfriend and she is amazing, I'm not kidding when I say that she is by far the best person I've ever dated. She's great, kind, loving, smart, good lookin' (yeah I can be that shallow sometimes), open and honest with me about everything that she's thinking. Really she's the type of person I should have been dating since I started dating women. But sometimes you gotta burn you hand on the stove before you understand why it's not a good idea to touch it when it's hot, 'ya know?

And for the second part of why I'm happier now then I've been since moving up here. I'm getting a real bed... Well that and Mom and Collin are coming up. It's Mom's birthday on Saturday so we're gonna go see George, Lois, Mellisa and Etienne for that. It'll be really good to see them all, I've not had a lot of chances to get up there because of how heavy my work load has been so far this year as well as not having a job for all but maybe two or three weeks... So it'll really good to see them more as well. Collin is planing on getting tattooed and I may spend some money I don't have and do that was well. I'm also going to get him drunk as it's the end of the quarter and I'm all but done, it'll be awesome!

So I've been thinking... AGAIN...

I just found out a really good friend of mine might be having a relapse of a not so nice condition they have. They read this from time to time and I know it and they'll totally know that I'm talking about them right now but they know how much they mean to me so they'll forgive me this one time.

So because of what happened to them I've started thinking again that I'd like to orginize a crosscountry bike ride to raise funding for research and raise awareness about this condition. I worry about my friend a lot because they really are one of the best people I know and because they mean so much to me, I want to do something in their honor. Besides it'd be a good reason to ride my bike across the country and not have to worry about paying for it. :)

This has been something I've wanted to do for awhile and I think it will be good for many reasons, I might even be able to get credit in school to do it, another plus.