good night

it was a late one.

update on my run-in with the bus

[regarding my post from 10/22/07 about a dangerous encounter i experienced]

--from l.a.'s metro customer relations:

"We certainly regret the incident below and will make a report against
the driver. Can you please tell us what direction you were traveling?
Did you by chance see the operator's badge number on their sleeve?

Again, our regret for this incident.

Metro Customer Relations"

--and my response:

"Thanks for your response. I was heading west and, unfortunately, was
unable to retrieve the operator's badge number."

--and their response:

"Thank you for your information. We apologize for the unprofessional
conduct of the operator. Per Metro procedures, operators encountering a
cyclist on the road or on an adjacent bike path should follows at a safe
distance. If it is necessary to pass a cyclist, the bus is to slow down
and pass with 3-4 -1/2 foot side clearance from them.
Rest assured your report will be investigated.

We entered your report into our database and forwarded a copy to
management for their review. They will identify the operator, interview
them and take corrective measures. Thank you for bringing this to our
attention.

Metro Customer Relations"



i'm pretty happy with the attention they've given my incident.

ALSO ALSO ALSO ALSO!! i forgot to mention: intelligentsia silver lake is hosting its first art opening tonight 10.26 from 7-11pm featuring the photo montage art of georgia cobb turcasio [i think i got the names spelled right]. the pieces will be up for a few weeks.

goings ons

been listening to the deadly syndrome a bit lately [http://myspace.com/thedeadlysyndrome]. they're an l.a. band [as much as most bands in l.a. are "l.a." bands [meaning half the band is from elsewhere]] that a devoted intelligentsia customer and [now] friend manages. thanks, joshua.

intelligentsia got rid of their urn for brewed coffee and now relies solely on two clovers for all of our brewed coffee needs [http://cloverequipment.com/home/Default.aspx]. every cup brewed freshly.



[photo www.flickr.com/photos/benchristen]

the vacant counter space is now occupied by a two-group synesso [http://www.synesso.com/], which marvellously complements our three-head at the front of the bar. this is ballin in coffee land. oh, and it's a little late to mention now [though maybe we'll get more?], but intelligentsia silver lake engorged it's succulent tastebuds with the worldwide-competition-winning hacienda la esmeralda de panama [read geoff watts's accout here: http://www.intelligentsiacoffee.com/origin/offerings/10-25-2006]. it was delicious. retail: $55/ 4 oz. or $220 / pound. oh, we also just got the little 1-3 cup chemex [http://www.chemexcoffeemaker.com/] in... not sure what it'll retail at yet, but it's pretty cute:



and makes a damn clean cup of coffee. we also carry the 8 cup version.

tattiya's goga ride is still kicking ass [http://gogabikeride.blogspot.com/].




the air here is fucking horrible.



[courtesy of airnow.gov]

^that small purple spot is where i live. purple means "very unhealthy" and helps to explain why i've been using my inhaler more than usual the past few days.

the mash dvd is now available for to order. it's $40, but looks to be well worth it and will ship nov. 15. i forgot to mention.. the weekend of the l.a. premier tattiya and george and monica [george's gf] and i had just finished eating thai food on melrose and pulled into the street when suddenly we were swarmed on by all the mash dudes [massan, emi, etc...] just fucking flying down melrose. i wasn't planning on partaking in any of the events, but that made my [i'm going to say it] heart speed up quite a bit. we drove behind them down melrose and watched as they were refused entrance to paramount studios..

this past sunday polopolopoloXXbikebikebike was pretty awesome. this dude boo showed up from sf [happened to be in town] and played a few games with us, forcing us not only to step it up but also reminding us that bike polo is bigger than what we do here and that we need to motivate and make it to some tournaments, etc.

sorry for all the pasted links without pop-up-in-another-windowness.

grape drink baby

hey ya'll, i work for a local independent bike shop and it is high time that we get a bit more exposure. so i made a myspace page in order to advocate living a bicycle infused lifestyle.

we specialize in recreating old reliable bikes into light strong commuters. we don't force the carbon fiber or the 'fixed gear' mentality, but we will give you all the advantages or disadvantages and provide as much info as you need to make the next decision for your two-wheeled steed.

well, before i type your eyes out, come check out our photos (bikes we've built) and blog to get a feel for who we are and if we are the shop for you.

be our friend or if you know someone that is new to all this, refer us.

this is not about making money, this is not about show, this is about sharing something that has made our lives better.

cool,
earl

myspace.com/revcyclesmadison

good ol l.a. public transit...

an email to the los angeles metro system:

I'm filing an official complaint against the driver of bus 5076 at
approximately 4:35 PM on October 22nd.

The following is a synopsis of the events which I am publishing on my
blog and making extremely clear to everyone I can possibly spread the
information to:


"ten minutes ago i was riding my bike within half a mile of home when
bus 5076 of the los angeles metro public transit pinched me into the
curb after honking at me. i was riding as far right as i could on
washington boulevard, which at that block consists of three lanes
going each direction. the other two lanes were entirely free, yet the
busdriver honked at me (an unnecesary and startling action) and then
literally inched around me and pulled his front end to the curb
without loading or unloading any passengers. i rode around the bus to
the left and pulled up to his window (which was open) and grabbed the
side of the bus while remaining seated on my bike and attempting to
speak to the busdriver.

"didn't you see me??!" i said.

i was ignored, so i tried again, "excuse me?! you obviously saw me
because you honked. i was in my lane of traffic. what you just did was
illegal!"

finally he turned to me and said, "what are you doing in that lane?
you don't belong there."

the light changed and i rode in front of the bus in the rightmost lane
while he tailed immediately behind me and then sped up to pass me,
only to pinch me to the curb once again at the corner of washington
and 6th avenue. this block was my street to turn left on so i went
around him once again and yelled that i'd be reporting him and he
yelled "you're lucky you're not dead.""


Your busdriver could and should be cited for reckless behavior and
attempted assault with a deadly weapon. This behavior is
unnacceptable.

Sincerely,

---------



ugh.... thanks, bus number 5076 driver between arlington and 6th ave on washington boulevard at 4:33 pm on october, 22nd. thanks for increasing my already cynical view of angeleno drivers.

a friend of mine

is labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org labikepolo.org

"Deadline" by Dean Young

i've been re-reading this poem quite a bit the last several days. it is from dean young's newest book, EMBRYOYO. enjoy.



Swimming pool full of brown leaves.
The jury files back into the courtroom.
The burning fuse wriggles like a mouse's tail.
Cymbals. Tadpoles. The bearded gods
who battled dragons with big hammers.
Arriving at the cafe, men with hatchets
in brown shirts. It is the time of fascism
then strangers kissing in the streets
and the time of fascism is over. For now.
The calm of the sea then an armada.
Certainly the meteor is on a deadline,
soon to begin a more sedentary life.
Oh those wild years on a deadline,
the morning full of headache looking
in a mirror that looks into a mirror
where infinitely repeated is an apple tree
on a deadline, its fruit must be finished
by first frost, its buds not open before
the last. Halmet on a deadline but
not sure which or where. Athens
on a Sparta deadline, swimming suit
an overcoat. Hurry calls one son
to the other across the country.
Running through the airport, running
even on motorized walkways,
it's best not to carry much.
A great doubt then a great hope
then a certainty. Cymbals.
The longest day of the year,
sunset peacock flash. Ash.
In its DNA, each cell is on a curfew,
lights out, on tables the chairs
turned upside down. I missed my chance
with her thinks the boy hoping not
but being right. Never again
to be alone with her on the porch
cricket cricket cricket
while her boyfriend misbehaves
and a vengeful need ripens in her
as does a third watermelon daiquiri.
The ice melts in the glass, clinking.
The puppy is gone and in its place a dog
then the dog is gone. Friendship
on a deadline, suntans, milk.
The daughter helps her mother up the stairs.
You thought you'd never heal
but you almost did.
The little cart creaks down the street
pulled by a man talking to himself.

More Dim (and not)

A piece of hope in my head from those weekends away, along with pieces of wine and a part of a piece of a passing day and a man in a Jaguar doesn’t look any happier than me and that’s not big or small. Another trip to the airport is a piece brought here and a piece to the past and a distortion of time and pieces of space and pieces of time overlapping a lean-to I helped build in my youth against writers that are against tattoos.

An inopportune moment, but I feel like writing and sometimes those moments are best.

Spent today eeking out an existence inside a small piece of me, stealing away a valuable day.

We communicate through our accomplishments. A subtle shift is a season. A long weekend splicing my desires splitting my excitement into what am I doing with myselves but hold strong hold steady hold on anyway. The weather is even fitting for that. Fresh ink on my skin it’s almost clicking. Almost familiar. Stop gazing off it won’t just happen it’s only almost familiar don’t push it a change in light and it’s all skimmed off the top. Don’t push it. Today’s a lingering day it’s a let things happen and when you breath smell just a little bit more through the nostrils and pretend to pick up hints of apple blossoms (even if you’ve never smelled them).

Where were you when
When the neighborhood opened up?
When the shingles spilled from the roofs?
When the real people all emerged from their routines and the hermits rushed from the hills to rejoice (wisdom passed down)?
Where were you for all this and more (still standing in line?) and where were you when I was reminiscing about days spent lingering and I was left to linger all alone?

last night

i really had a ball [or something like that. remember that kid 'n play song?] anyhow.. saw beirut at the avalon and the shit was awesome. people were sort of dancing and the energy was real good. inspiring, creative young musicians, even for someone who doesn't aspire to play. i thought of this poem i wrote a few months ago:

Better Than Dancing
An afternoon can be an argument for a city.

A night at work can be another late night.

A dance with friends can be magic and a dance with strangers can be confiding and can be the widest of smiles and sharing sweat and can also be forgetting.

Taking a step back can be knowing how it feels to be missed and can also be lonely and can be taking a step in the wrong direction and also taking a step back can be taking a step back.

Spending $200 can be accidents and can be hellish and can also be good causes can be coffee food sharing and can be a weekend away.

Reading can be realizing what you don't know and can also be boring and being bored can be the result of hearing your mind tell itself the same things just to hear them another time to make them more real and that can be dangerous because enough of that makes a fact, or can, and can prime you to think one-directionally.

Writing can be connecting and scouring and being apart and some of us grew up hearing we could be anything and some hear that we still can.

an armadillo experiment

[a more literal post than i usually present]

i recently had to buy some new tires and, with a strong recommendation from the men at orange20, i went with the specialized armadillo city tire [my rear is the folding version and my front is the non-folding [not purposefully]]. i've had best success with the bontrager race lite hard case, but heard good things about the armadillo and wanted to support a smaller, track-oriented shop. four days into riding the front tire [non-folding], i'm riding down w. sunset blvd. and my tire completely splits. tire is flat within twenty seconds and i find a gash through the tire in the tube about two centimeters across [bigger than i've encountered with the exception of a tube blowing up]. now i'm left with a $40 barely-used tire that's shit to me. luckily tattiya and i had gone on a ride [oh yeah, check out http://ridearc.org/] and she'd driven to meet me in silver lake, so we were near her car and drove home. fast forward three days. being a tight-ass and refusing to succumb to a small gash, i decide to try to fix this thing.

step a: buy adhesive.


step b: apply adhesive to inside of gash, both on the inner and outer parts of the tire.

step c: place a folded dollar bill across the inside tire over the gash, also using adhesive to secure the bill.


step d: wait.



i have a feeling this isn't going to work. so for now my opinion is that specialized's claim that the armadillo is "puncture-proof" is very false.

in other news,
remember the summer?

[location@@myspace.com/berdhousegallery]

an october glory

this weekend tattiya and i went to solvang
(i.e. the movie sideways), where we consumed delicious cheeses
and tasted many wines and got crunx in the beautiful afternoon backdrop of the dutchish small towns and the rows upon rows of grapes (not simultaneously).

highlights:

-watching resident evil: extinction, which i snuck a bottle of wine into (and we were also fortunate enough to see the chubby kid behind the front desk making out--with his ass on the counter, mind you--with his girl on our way out of the movie). oh, the movie was fun too.

-visiting foley's winery.

-receiving foley's winery's free wine glasses.

-taking foley's winery's employee's atv ride, courteously offered by a denim-clad wine protector to your young couple when we stumbled upon a patch of grapes (meaning to picnic near them, of course) which had recently been sprayed with chemicals. the caring employee gave us a gorgeous ride through the fields on the back of his four-wheeler. awesome city.

-listening to so much creedence clearwater revival. i'm still of the firm belief that it's the supreme california soundtrack-to-our-lives music. i banged on the roof.

-driving around the countryside (while banging on the roof).

-battling in scrabble-off october2k7:

round one. i win:


round two. i lose:



glorious end result:
.

-watching sideways went we got home in order to re-live our experience and look at the places we had been to replicated by the motion picture.