Midnight Ridazz in L.A. Times

December 6th, 2007

The L.A. Times has a nice article here about the origins of Midnight Ridazz, Los Angeles’ monthly 1400+ rider phenomenon. I was particularly pleased to see the support it gets from the city council:

Calling Midnight Ridazz “a reflection of the growing frustration people have with L.A.’s car-only culture,” Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti welcomes the challenge of incorporating its constituents onto city streets as a way to reduce car traffic and pollution. He also sees deep sociological significance in the group.

“There’s this myth in Los Angeles that we lead solitary lives, but I think that Midnight Ridazz and the other bike groups run counter to that. Los Angeles is a place where you certainly need to be in the know to find out where things are, but once you do, you see as strong and deep a community as anywhere in the United States.”

I am also in pretty strong agreement with their comparison between Midnight Ridazz and the more politically charged Critical Mass. Whereas Critical Mass rides occur once a month during rush hour, Midnight Ridazz happens at night with minimal traffic and with a much more laid back atmosphere - essentially a party on wheels. People like having fun more than having an agenda. Because of this, Midnight Ridazz has, in my opinion, done more to inspire and attract new cyclists in this city than any other form of cycling advocacy. The proof is in the list at the end of the article detailing other rides and groups in the L.A., many of which sprouting as a result of Midnight Ridazz.

The next official Midnight Ridazz ride is December 14th with a holiday theme and toy drive. They did a similar theme and toy drive last year. I hear it was pretty successful, and I can tell you first hand that it was a lot of fun so I recommend everybody roll out for it this year.

Filed under Bicycles & Scooters, Los Angeles, Politics & Activism | Comment (0)

Thanksgiving Travels

November 28th, 2007

Exactly a week ago Bronwyn and I were landing in Seattle to spend Thanksgiving weekend with my parents. Travel there and back went by fairly uneventfully; the supposed ravening hordes of holiday travelers massed in record numbers went more or less unnoticed by the two of us. We packed light (carry-on only), checked in online beforehand, and as a result just needed to go through the security checkpoint.

As it were, this is my least favorite part of traveling. We still have to contend with the ritual of removing shoes, removing jacket, removing baggy of liquids, removing laptop from laptop case, and placing said items into two plastic bins while still juggling a boarding pass in hand as we pass through the metal detector and… oops, forgot the belt, take that off, too… and then don’t forget the other half of the process as one hastily gets dressed and assembles their belongings while baggage and bins pile up behind them.

It wouldn’t be half as bad if we weren’t required to remove our shoes. It’s not the time involved that concerns me. It’s the scrambling to reshod oneself, the hastened bending over and hopping about, that I find particularly belittling. I think a lot of the process is just to establish a power dynamic between the security personnel and the traveler. As a traveler, it’s hard to maintain a modicum of dignity under such circumstances. Meanwhile, while travelers are at their most vulnerable, security watches with an objectifying gaze and this is what really sours me on the process. The overhead P.A. proclaims that security is there “to serve us” when in reality travelers are forced to oblige the demands of security or else. The degradation, of course, extends past the metal detectors as one can see with the instances of passengers being trapped on the tarmac for hours on end or made to stand in hot cramped corridors in the airport (read that article, it’s a good one).

Truth be told, we zipped right through the checkpoint even with all the ridiculous security measures. We’re good little travelers and know how to pack so as to avoid any hassle. Regardless, being forced into such a submissive position irks the hell out of me. And while I need to comply if I want to see my family, the tourism industry and thus the economy as a whole is taking a hit as international travelers decide they don’t want to play ball.

Give us back our shoes! Give us back our dignity!

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Socially Conscious Shoes

November 20th, 2007

My taste in clothing has been veering towards that of an old man as of late, in that I’m really digging lots of itchy wool clothing of the tweed, herringone, and plaid persuasion. As a result, I am totally enamored by this L.A.-based company I just discovered, TOMS Shoes. Check these out:

Love it. What’s even better is that the company is socially conscious. For every pair purchased, they donate a pair to a child in need. That is awesome.

I tend to be fairly cynically when it comes to the various campaigns many companies will put on to jump on the charity bandwagon where they might donate a couple percentages of their profits to causes while the goal is more to boost their public image. An example would be the Product(RED) project which feels like a thin layer of “altruism” is used to rationalize heightened levels of shopping and a branded self-satisfying conspicuous consumption. There’s a pretty good criticism of it by Robert Peston on the BBC site where he points out that while the campaign has raised $18 million, it has also spent $100 million in advertising and marketing.

The validity of a one-to-one matching donation is hard to argue. I could buy a shiny new $199 iPod and “give” to charity… actually they don’t even state how much they donate. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say it’s 5%. So $10 goes to (RED)… all of which gets spent on advertising. Alternately, I could buy a pair of shoes which results in… a donation of a pair of shoes. Sweet. As an added bonus, I don’t get laden with annoying (RED) branding telling the world how good I am. Instead I get plaid!

The only important fact that I can’t find is where and under what labor conditions these shoes are made. I don’t care if they’re made in the U.S.A. (I expect them not to be), but anti-brand shoe company Blackspot Shoes makes a point of ensuring that their sneakers are made in a safe, union-controlled factory. I’ll have to shoot TOMS shoes an email or something to find out what the deal is.

Filed under Art & Design, Politics & Activism | Comments (3)

Clinton/Gore ‘08

October 29th, 2007

Not that it would likely ever happen, but I was just thinking it would be hilarious if Hilary got the Democratic nomination and chose for her running mate Al Gore, with his recent Nobel prize-winning celebrity status. Then everyone could save a few trees and reuse their twelve-year-old Clinton/Gore campaign signs.

For what it’s worth, I’m rooting for an Obama/Edwards ticket.

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Chris Crocker Redux

September 17th, 2007

Okay, this’ll be my last post on Crocker, but I couldn’t resist. I’m a sucker for satire and this internet phenomenon has bridged pop culture with politics.