Le Fox, this ones for you...

I say next time we're together we each get a needle tattooed on us- so we're a pair! (you can pick where- somewhere discreet, I'm sure!) xxxxxxx

Tunnel of Doom 2009

Tunnel of Doom 2009, a Ride it Sunday event, was a time-trial race through the Mersey tunnel, this Sunday gone. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it to the actual race (at a steampunk party in London with Le Fox) but it looks like it was a lot of tiring fun. Chikin made this video of the recce trip:

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check out the Ride it Sunday blog.

Manchester Critical Mass + Zine

If I haven't posted anything for a while, it's at least partially to do with I bike MCR, the Manchester grassroots cycling group.  Somehow, I've ended up writing an I bike MCR zine.  Check it out:

• Here's a version for viewing online (~1.2MB)
• Here's a black and white version for printing (~12MB)
• Here's a colour version for printing(~33MB)

I'm distributing copies around Manchester over the next couple of weeks and hopefully a new edition will come out in a month and a half or so.  Feel free to print out copies yourself and assemble them following these slightly crazy instructions:

Also, come on the next Critical Mass:

Yay, atheism!

Neat-o. Apparently I missed out on the crazy bus advert wars featuring scary Christian messages saying that us non-Christians are going to hell. That's so nice! Well I really like this story about groups that are protesting with their own, much less graphic, atheist messages. I'm sorry to miss these, too. Anybody want to take a picture for me? I don't know if I'm an atheist, but I'm certainly not down with the negative things that organized religion has to offer/creates amongst people- oh, like intolerance. Also, being into anthropology/archaeology I always have to wonder who had/has the first and right god anyways, when there are so many to choose from. So I really like the fact that these big, free thinking ideas are being prominently displayed in public. I definitely think along these lines already.

I think I found my new subculture

Well, while looking for bits and pieces for costumes for an event at the museum, a 'Japanese Club Night' (think Fruits) and for our Great Depression themed flat warming party, I discovered that I've been a part of (or always been stylistically aiming for) Steam Punk. I'd never heard of it before, but found it as s subheading for some dresses I was looking at. I googled it (and have been reading anything I can find on it) since last night- and who knew?- but the aesthetic, and some of the idealism behind it- are really me. Here are the correlations between what I already am into, and what 'steampunk' is about

• museums/artifacts/antiques/vintage/old stuff- both in my career, how I decorate my home, and things I like to have and wear. Steampunk reapproprates modern style and technology, using old fashioned styles.
• wild west/adventure/exploration- hello, am I not totally into female action heros? and historical movies? I grew up on a farm, so I've always been a bit of a cowgirl. I'm into archaeology, hiking, rock climbing, travelling. Learning new things, building new things, and trying new things (and the gear that goes with it) has always excited me.
• hands on/DIY- althought I've been lazy as of late, I have always loved personalizing my things, or buying old things and using them like new (vintage/etc). The gizmos that steampunks make are amazing- screw covering my mobile or ipod with stickers, I can completely reimagine and rebuild the thing! My whole life my dad has had me discovering and restoring and reusing so many old and antique things... it all fits!
• decay/historical/industrial stuff- I have always found old, crumbling buildings and factories so beautiful. Hence why I like working in museums, or living in historic buildings. I HATE new, cookie cutter, generic things. I only want things around me that have some life to them, some longevity, some staying power. So far, what I have seen people do in their home compares quite a lot to mine, and inspires me to do more...

The whole movement is a backlash against the homoginsation of modern western culture, mixed in with styles ranging from Victorian, Gothic, Old Empire, Sci-Fi (a la Jules Verne), Wild West, Punk, DIY and Tech/Geek. Is it comforting to find out that I'm not the odd one out? That a lot of things I've always had around I can now proudly wear and show off, and use as signifiers to link up with other people? Like, things that I've always treasured and kind of tucked away (a spyglass I was given as a kid, little pieces of jewelry that a Great Uncle got in World War II in India, army boots, old fashioned welding goggles, an antique Chinese parasol, the huge iron and wood trunk my ancestors used to come to America, etc) are totally celebrated and put together and used to create a look and a lifestyle. It's cool to explore this and perhaps incorporate more of it into my public life, but whenever a lot of people get together to celebrate a trend, it makes me feel uncomfortable, and really 'scenester-ish'. Anyways, I just wanted to share my new discovery... godbless Ebay, google and human creativity.

Kobayashi and the Bear

Takeru Kobayashi, world eating champion. Versus a bear. I think it speaks for itself. Be sure to catch the "coming next" part at the end.

I thought this was looked a bit like a video from the Onion. It's not.