Brain buckets save lives...

I have a confession to make.

When we bought our new bikes, we didn't always wear helmets when we were just running over to our friends' houses. Or to grab food. Sure, when we're riding to Royal Oak, or to Birmingham, no question, but just to go a block? What's the point?

Keep in mind that, on the bike trail, I won't even ride with anyone who doesn't wear a helmet. I am adamant and militant that, if you're going to ride with me on a trail, you will wear a helmet. I will help you get out of the woods should you hurt yourself, but I don't want to ride with someone who's risking a serious closed head injury; I know people who've gotten serious concussions on the trail when the helmet did its job. Sans helmet, they would have been looking at skull fractures.

So where did I get this double standard? Who knows. But no more.

A friend of ours was riding his bike. Same scenario, just running to a friends house, so no helmet. He was hit by a car. He got a serious concussion and seven staples in his head. Serious shit. He was still recovering when we saw him last week.

I now wear my helmet every time I get on my bike.

The other night, we rode our bikes to the Borders in Birmingham (12 or so miles round trip), got some books and rode back to F-town. We stopped in for cocktails with friends, then headed home.

As we made ready to head out, unlocking bikes and putting on the buckets, some douchey hipster walked by with two ladies. He said, "seriously, helmets? Is that necessary?"

A. WTF? Why say anything if you disapprove, other than you want to impress your hipster lady friends?
B. Seriously, WTF? What did I do to you.
C. I mean seriously. W. T. F. you ass?

I started to look daggers at him, then decided it wasn't worth it. Instead, I said flatly, "my friend just got hit by a car."

No response from him, and the girls stopped to turn and glare at him, as if they just realized the dick move he's just made.

I hope he went home alone.

Anyway, helmets save lives, kids. It's sad when you need to be reminded this way.

In Asheville, a bike helmet even stopped a bullet.

Apparently, a guy, who happened to be a firefighter, saw another guy and his son riding their bikes on a busy road (which is legal). The firefighter got upset because the guy wasn't being safe, so he shot him.

The helmet stopped the bullet.

I know a lot of people are wrapped up in how psycho the shooter was (and the fact that the shooter, Charles Alexander Direz, is on paid leave right now!), but I really want to know - where can I get a bulletproof helmet? It could come in handy in Detroit.

Speaking of Detroit, Anthony Bourdain devoted part of an episode to our lovely town last night. I liked what he said, and he hit some great places, but we're worth more than part of an episode. I mean, he didn't even get coneys!

After the Race

muddy feet
Originally uploaded by alpharat

Team Angry Monkey had a great time at this year's Team Tree Farm rally.

It was rainy, and the trail was SLIPPERY, slow and just a little bit muddy.

Just a little, though.

For $200, you too can blow up a bridge...

The guy who smashed into the tanker, caused the overpass to collapse and left the city with $2 million in damage? He got a speeding ticket. That's it.

He didn't even get a reckless driving charge or anything like that. Nope, his only penalty will $200 fine and two points on his driving record.

The messed up thing is that he can probably get out of this, too. Seriously, once the police announced that he'll only get charged for speeding, that's it. Now he can take that charge to court and say, "prove it."

And nobody can.

Meanwhile, businesses, commuters and our cash-strapped state is going to suffer even further.

That's all I have to say. Now I'm going to go ride my bike - just not to the Kroger that's closest to my house. Not for quite some time.

It was 40 years ago today...

On this date, in 1969, the U.S. government faked the moon landing.

In honor of this auspicious occasion, retired newsman Walter Cronkite was planning on revealing the coverup to the world.

Certain forces felt this should not be the case.

RIP Mr. Cronkite.

It's all rubble and rubbish

Short post, but it's worth noting that an overpass on I-75 collapsed less than a mile from my house last night after a tanker exploded. Miraculously, nobody was hurt, but the expressway is closed for now, and who knows when the overpass will be rebuilt.

Today, it's revealed that a guy who was driving two fast veered into the tanker and caused the whole thing. One guy caused this massive destruction because he's a douchebag. I can't get to the nearest Kroger to my house because this guy is a douchebag. Seriously? I hope they kick his ass, put him jail and make him pay for the new bridge.

Honestly, just knowing that he singlehandedly has made my commute hell for the foreseeable future and messed up daily life for so many people simply because he's an idiot drives me nuts. Idiots should never be allowed this kind of power. Idiots should not be allowed out of their yards without a leash.

In other, unrelated news, punk rock has entered the world of organized crime, I love my new bike and so do the ladies, and the movie The Blob seems to be coming true.

I can lead a nation with a microphone...

Listening to: "Handlebars" by Flobots



Really, that's just a small fraction of what I'm listening to right now. No exaggeration, over 100 new CDs have passed through my hands in recent weeks. Some have been absolutely amazing (New Tomorrow's latest is one of the best hardcore records I've heard in a while), and some not so much (brokenCYDE is the biggest piece of shit ever).

All along the way, I haven't bothered to blog. Sometimes I like to blog, sometimes I don't feel link it, and sometimes the world gets in the way and I can't be bothered. Who knows and who cares which one it was this time, as only four of you read this stuff anyway.

Concert season is in full swing; one show a week is a slow week for me lately. Tonight? Green Day. I'm hoping it will be good, but their latest album isn't that great. Hopefully, they'll put on a good show tonight.

I'm more so looking forward to the weekend that will have Warped Tour and Mayhem within two days of one another. A weekend of two all-day festivals, culminating in a performance by Slayer. Ruling level? High.

In an effort to help stimulate the economy as well as to become ever more like Eurotrash, I motivated the purchase of two new velocipedes for our house. This pairing consists of the equivalents to station wagons - big, smooth-rolling machines with grocery racks and bags - the sort of thing that will be getting us all over the neighborhood as long as weather allows.

Last night, for example, we took them to the bookstore, to a restaurant and then for drinks, a total of only say six miles or so, but it was an incredibly fun way to traverse those six miles and spend an evening. Now, that's all I want to do, go home and ride my new bicycle.

Too bad I have to go see Green Day tonight.

Clare Pproduct
Originally uploaded by griffinshot

My mom, in the current bid to be the coolest grandmother ever, took my nieces to see Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg play in Lansing. Afterward, the met the band and got autographs. Their bassist, Clare Pproduct, was incredibly cool to the girls, and encouraged my oldest niece to keep playing the guitar, as ther needed to be more girls in punk rock.

My nieces discovered a new idol that day, and she's all they can talk about. And not only that, they're all about punk rock now. So instead of aspiring to be like the girls from High School the Musical, they're aspiring to be Clare. Which I fully approve of.

My New Friend Bina

Bina
Originally uploaded by alpharat

This is our new friend Bina. She's a sweetheart. She'll be having babies, and we've been promised one, but I don't think city ordinances will allow it.