Flannelettes

Flannel is back!
Can you dig it?

winter wonderland

Photo: My bike was lonely at the bike racks last week. :(


I recently went to Golden Harvest with some wonderful friends. It is one of my favorite diners in the Lansing / East Lansing area. On the walls of the diner they have old Michigan license plates. In the late 50's and the early 60's on the bottom of the license plates it said "water - winter wonderland". This is the first time after living in Michigan for 12 years that I am really enjoying winter. I have finally learned how to dress properly. With the bone chilling winds off my mind I can't get over how beautiful it is outside. Michigan truly is a winter wonderland.

weather.com

Like most other bike commuters Weather.com is one of my most frequently visited sites. I often roll out of bed and automatically direct my browser to the a weather site. This is how I decide if I need to wear ski goggles and a mask for my commute. One of the developers working in my department wrote up some code so my work computer's wallpaper is a live animated image of Michigan weather. As I was leaving work, this is what the map was showing. . .



I wonder if Google is trying to make Michiganders feel better about what is ahead because instead of snow for my Gmail template I see a sunny day.

Chinese Translation - by M. Ward

A friend just introduced this song to me and I have been listening to it on repeat since then. I looked it up on YouTube and realized that it has one of most beautiful music videos I have ever seen. So, I had to share it.
This winter I have been getting attached to songs instead of broader genera. By the end of this Michigan winter I think I will have a soundtrack to bring back memories of the happenings of 2008.

Enjoy.

Cargo Only

Photo: Nassarawa State, Nigeira 2008


Technically passengers are not allowed to ride in the cab of trucks like this. People put a label on the side of the truck indicating that the truck is used for "Cargo Only" . . .

The roof doesn't count right?

Autumn 2008

Mandatory autumn photo.
I was just gone for a week. Where did all the beautiful leaves go?



Photo: Washington, DC 2008

My mom Rocks

My Mom just bought a bike and they made a movie about us.

P.S. Except this guy can do way sweeter tricks.

Via Hutchinson and John Prolly

Love in Italy

Am I a PC?

In their new ad campaign, Microsoft is trying hard to disabuse the coffee sipping, tree hugger, dirt worshiper stereotypes about Mac users. Regardless of how hard Microsoft tries to get rid of these perception about Mac users, it doesn't change that fact that when I walk into a coffee shop everyone but one or two people have a glowing apple behind their laptop screens.

Cognitive Daily is an interesting science blog about peer-reviewed journal articles on psychology. The Friday edition of this blog is called Casual Fridays. For a change of pace they conduct incredibly UNscientific surveys of their readership to set straight all kinds of questions. Last week the casual Friday blog was about whether we lost more sleep over the 2008 republican national convention or watching Micheal Phelps at the Bejing Olympics. This week they tackle the mac-head stereotype. Check it out here.

HARVEST!

Photo: Summer 200

Bejing 2008

The New York Times is one of the first things I see when I roll out of bed. Like clockwork I crack open my laptop, check my email and read the headlines on the NY Times front page. I am sure many of you read about the American cyclists who caused international unrest by wearing masks when they arrived at the airport. Apparently they were "scolded by the United States Olympic Committee for embarrassing their Chinese hosts".
Initially, I was surprised at the Chinese response to these elite athletes protecting their lungs but after a little research I can see how they would be offended. China has made great efforts to reduce pollution for the athletes. The Chinese have made were forced to make major lifestyle changes in order to reduce the pollutants in the air to more acceptable levels. The growing number of people driving in China and consequently all the cars idling in traffic jams are the biggest contributors to such elevated carbon monoxide levels. This article has a cool animation about the dramatic decrease in carbon monoxide due to driving restrictions.

Men in Skirts

Photo: NYC 2008, Me in my new Skirt 

I am absolutely hooked on Google Reader! It is one of the best methods for satiating my information hunger but that is just another post for a different day. On my Google Reader feed I am subscribed to The Sartorialist and a few weeks ago Scott Schuman made a post about "men in skirts". Not unlike most of the other post on this blog this one has over a hundred comments about everything from the above / below the knee debate to whether the world is ready for men in skirts. I say the world has been ready for men in skirts for a whiel.  Men wear skirts  all over the world. It is about time we bring the trend over to the west.

I grew up in Punjab among both men and women in skirts. You say skirt - we said lungi. Lungis are worn all over South Asia and even in parts of the Middle East. Nothing is more comfortable than a loose cotton garment when the sun is blazing. 

My friend just got back from Yemen and brought me back a futa. Futas or Ma'awiis are the Yemeni version of the lungi. I wore mind around Manhattan yesterday and on my drive back to Michigan. I bared dumbfounded stares as I stepped out of the car at gas stations all across the north east. I don't care how many people stare, this is the MOST comfortable garment I own. Men in skirts = Revolution

At this occation a perfect song comes to mind. CHECK IT

5 Years Time

Noah and the Whale: 5 Years Time

Random Acts of Kindness

Most mornings on my commute to work I encounter at least one disgruntled driver. Either they lay on their horn to get me out of their way or yell the typical "get on the side walk!" line. Only if I had the time to stop them and have a long "Same Road, Same Rules" conversation. Usually I just keep on biking quietly and it is already a bad start to a happy day.
This morning was an exception because a guy in a huge car stop next to me at a red light and was unexpectedly nice. He asked me about my commute and how I put my bike together. A few seconds later the light turned green and we both turned opposite ways. He renewed my faith in Mid-Michigan drivers.