I’ve been saving up for a tattoo. I’d like that blue graphic of my own design (the one with the fisticuff roots to your left) forever marked on my body. But I decided that I’d rather get a new bike. I have a Kona “fire mountain” right now and I adore it. However, it’s a mountain bike with killer suspension, which makes it very slow on the road. Knowing that one is limited by the capabilities of the bike, I’m integrating my love of riding to the next level. I’ve decided on a cyclocross bike. In particular, the 2007 Kona “jake.” This bike will allow me to zip around town at a moderate 40 to 45 miles an hour. The Kona description: “Our most versatile machine is an all-round utility bike that can be a Cyclo-Cross race bike on Sunday and your commute to work on Monday.”

I had my eye on the neon green “jake the snake,” and even looked into getting a Surly “cross-check,” but couldn’t justify the cost for either.

The frame is aluminum and very solid. Most of the components are Shimano. At some point, I’d like to work up the nerve to swap the peddles for clips, but I’d like to get used to the bike first. I just dropped like 400 bucks on some routine maintenance on my car. This obviously prompted a necessary shift in priorities. The more I bike, the less cash I’ll have to drop on my car. It just makes sense.
What does this have to do with you, faithful readers? Nothing. I guess I’m just showing off.

In other, unrelated news, I’ve recently become a spectacle in the world of Men’s Rights Activists. I’ve learned a lot from the exchange on my site and else where. I’d like to write about this soon. If anything, I learned that I’m a “mangina,” which is a new word for my ever-enlightened lexicon.

Anyway…..I dedicate this video to my new bike:

Created by: fearless gearless

From Delete the Border, via migramatters.com 

It’s a widely held belief, reinforced by those who advocate for stricter immigration controls, that increased immigration brings with it increased crime. It’s by no means a new notion. All immigrant groups at one time or another have faced accusations of inherent criminality. Whether it’s Italian mafiosos or Chinese opium dens, stereotypes and myths about immigrant criminality have permeated American culture and political discourse since the nation’s inception. So it is not surprising that many Americans today believe that the newest wave of immigrants bring with them a disrespect for the law and a proclivity for criminal behavior. A new study, released last Monday, looked at immigrant criminality and found that not only are new immigrants less likely than their native-born counterparts to commit crimes or be incarcerated in state or federal prisons, they actually contributed to a decrease in the overall crime rate nationally.

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