The Goggles, they do Nuthing!

Congratulations to Kirsten Kent for guessing the theme of the titles!!! A gift certificate for a Free Pint of Baskin Robbins is forthcoming.

Here's some pictures for those of you who check this site for pictures (there's also a link below for more pictures)


That's the path of my bike ride last night. All morning I cleaned and organized and put away stuff that's been sitting out since we moved here. It's finally all taken care of (visiting parents were some motivation). The fog cleared up by noon so I went down to the Beach from 2-3:30. I explored the rocks down at the end, but had to pass the nudists on the way. They're kinda a strange bunch. Nearly all overweight middle-aged or older men. A few younger and a few thinner, and maybe two women, but I'm not sure about one, I wasn't trying to scan the crowd or anything. The one I'm sure of was a topless woman who decided to run right in front of me with a big tattoo on the left side of her back. It's funny, because private parts are not very attractive, especially man-parts. I'd much rather see swimsuits over those parts (girls or guys). Esthetically, it's much more pleasing to the eye (let alone for any other reason). I also think there's a certain amount of exhibitionist in it too (like bloggers, we're vain enough to think people might not mind us exposing ourselves to the world). I know there's the whole "being free and one with nature, feeling the wind on your skin all over your body" but it was pretty breezy and chilly at that end of the beach. I put my shirt back on just because I was cold (if I'm cold, that's saying a LOT. Actually, maybe not, I'm kinda skinny and they've all got some natural insulation).

I took a few pictures from the rocks of the scenery. Went home for a bit, and planned out my bike ride for the evening. I don't know what inspired me to ride that far, just that I knew I could. I didn't have a water bottle but promised myself I'd stop at a Safeway along Ocean Beach, but once I got there, I didn't want to stop. I never did get thirsty, but I did eat most of my snacks I brought.

I first rode by the Legion of Honor, down past the Sutro bath house ruins, the Cliffhouse, to the end of Ocean Beach, up towards the Sutro Tower in the middle of the city, down to Haight and Ashbury, over to the Seven Sisters, towards the Mission District, the Metreon, downtown, Chinatown, Embarcadero, Fisherman's Wharf and home. A big loop. Here's the pictures.

I crested the top of Lincoln Blvd (just a half mile or so from my place) at about 9:00. I stopped at the vista parking lot there and turned off my lights, sat at the edge of the pavement and ate the rest of my food while overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in the dark. The bushes sheltered me from the wind withouth blocking my view. It was really nice just sitting there in the dark for a moment with such great scenery.

It was mostly an exploration/scout trip to see the sights briefly. I'll come back and revisit some of them later more thoroughly. I left at 5:00 pm and got home just after 9. I was probably riding for about 3 of the hours. Maybe not that long. Oh, and the spiky bit on the profile to the right of the mountain was me riding around downtown and Chinatown. I think the buildings throw off the terrain or something, because it was just one kinda-long semi-gradual hill up and down to Chinatown.

And don't tell anyone, but as I passed by the trailhead to the north end of Baker Beach, there were a bunch of cars parked on the street. I found a couple people there and coaxed them into telling me what was going on. Apparently there was a mini Burning Man festival going on (3ft tall) for those stuck in San Francisco. I was tempted to go watch, but opted out of it, went home, and went to bed not long after.

Ana

This is the last title in the series (which is why it makes even less sense than all the others, I had to just use it). If you still want to take a stab in figuring the theme, I've got a gift certificate for a pint of Baskin Robbins for whoever figures it out (and I don't mean a bunch of in-laws on the beach-- ba-dum ching!) Serious, there's a gift certificate on my floor right now I got for donating blood (and then riding my bike home, but they didn't approve of or even know about that) and the nearest Baskin Robbins is a good ways away.

I watched a commercial by Let California Ring (.org). Of course it's to promote same sex marriage, but it displays a heterosexual couple getting married, and I guess the idea was to show various obstacles getting in the bride's way as she tried to get to the ceremony. It wasn't very clear and the point was pretty vague. No one was stopping her from getting to her hubby. Heaven forbid you have to step over cracks in the cement as you walk across the street! That's a low blow, sorry. It's just really a strange commercial and the point isn't very well made. Actually, it's not made at all. Eventually, the bride gives up right there on the isle, frustrated by tiny little quirks in a wedding. Weird. If losing your veil to a vined arch is stopping you from getting married, you really shouldn't be getting married. We wouldn't want to pass on the genes that predispose such futilistic behaviors (survival of the fittest! Darwin did have a lot of things going for him). I don't see the commercial gaining the movement much ground. Whoever made it, really doesn't understand love (despite what they've convinced themselves of). *That one was a kidney-shot.

Wanna see another low blow? If two people want to PRETEND they're starting their own family, they can just get a couple dogs in place of kids and raise dogs for several decades. Social circles are built around them at the local parks here. Some friends walked a neighbor's dog one time and locals at the park accused them of stealing so-and-so's dog! They are dressed up for Halloween (today I saw a picture of an awesome dog-Yoda costume. I'd have a dog if he dressed like that everyday!). They love you and are affectionate, are easily trained, there's no bratty teenagers, and you're not obligated to spend your money spoiling grandchildren either. And if you don't like your dog, just give it back to the pound or sell it. No guilt! No commitment! If you do feel guilty, just wait 10 years until it dies of old age (or put it down when you can convince yourself that it's in enough pain it doesn't want to live anymore either). That's much better than dealing with kids at home for 20+ years, and then having to solve all their adult-related problems interrupting your retirement.

Dogs are great pets. If we have a decent yard, we might get one or two. But, unfortunately, to a lot of people (it seems like amazingly more people lately), they are long term replacements of raising kids. I've seen "families" go through more years of dog ownership than parenting, 3 times over. It's really sad that there's no continuation. It's like an insult to your parents to not raise children who will raise children who will perpetuate family traditions and characteristics. If your parents really were awful and you're afraid of repeating their mistakes, give the ultimate blow to your progenitors and have kids, but learn how to raise them RIGHT. (Hah! Take that, Dead-beat Dad and Absent Mom! I'm a GOOD parent!).

That's my twenty dollars and fifty-six cents for the day. Now onto the excitement:


Adventure Stories Headlines from San Francisco!!!! (email editor for details)

Cyclist hits dog on way to church!

Dental student with backpack, dress clothes paces two professional cyclists during informal race up hill! Doesn't break sweat! Scared cyclists quickly leave vicinity looking over shoulders for fear!

Half-crazed early-bird swims in cold waters of bay over weekend! Returned tonight! No wetsuits dampened in process! Uncontrollable shaking!!

Vampire forced to live under menacing gaze of sun for 3 days! Prays for more fog! Longest drought of new residence by 48 hours over previous droughts!

Personal records bested! Original school ride: 20 minutes door to door. Today: 14 minutes! Higher gears used non-stop!

Bachelor touts Whole Foods as best place to spend grocery budget for family of 3! Delicious deli delites inside! Ordinary Housewives are envious!

Initial D preferred entertainment for lonely evenings!

Californian nursing student prefers Utah for LDS Primary Children's Hospital! Desires to work there for life! Child Oncology reinforced as future emphasis!

Toddler takes up waterpainting! Occupied for hours! Dollhouses come second!

Trompe Le Monde

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v160/MasterAsia/michaelphelpssupersaiyan.gif

Turns out, Michael Phelps isn't taking steroids, he's an extraterrestrial being known as Saiyan and he's in China searching for Dragon Balls.

Eight is Great: II

Well, my long-winded thoughts on marriage are nothing compared to the excellently written and thought out statement from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I recommend you read theirs and know it well (just in case anyone asks you about the issue).

http://www.newsroom.lds.org/ldsnewsroom/eng/commentary/the-divine-institution-of-marriage

From another perspective is this article:

http://byfaithonline.com/page/in-the-world/the-cultural-argument-against-gay-marriage

There are some interesting comments at the end of the second article that should make you stop and think. If you can figure out why some of those comments (made by both sides) don't or do hold water, you're on your way to effectively and properly discussing the issue with friends, neighbors, and anyone else who'll talk to you about it.

Good luck and may God aid us in the pursuit to save our society.

La La Love You

Re: love

There's a pure sweetness to feeling heartache. Like a hot knife into your heart, you just want to lose consciousness to escape the pain. Sleep is the only comfort while suffering it's weight. And yet, not feeling it when a loved one is gone is almost worse. You start to wonder why you don't feel it. Is your love not deep? Is your heart hard? Maybe you're too secure in your relationship. A little time passes and you go about your new lifestyle alone. Then when least expected, a searing hole rips through your chest and you are both euphoric and tortured at once. "Aha, there's the soft spot in my heart!" you think to yourself as you cry into your pillow for the ones you're missing.

Eight is Great

The title of this entry breaks from my usual pattern (which is soon to be ended anyway). The number 8 is significant in an incredible number of ways from culture to culture around the world. Maybe it is just a coincidence that it is a proposition of enough importance to get The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints stirred up enough to take an official stance. Here's the letter from the First Presidency read to all congregations at the end of June:

"Preserving Traditional Marriage and Strengthening Families

In March 2000 California voters overwhelmingly approved a state law providing that "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." The California Supreme Court recently reversed this vote of the people. On November 4, 2008, Californians will vote on a proposed amendment to the California state constitution that will now restore the March 2000 definition of marriage approved by the voters.

The Church’s teachings and position on this moral issue are unequivocal. Marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God, and the formation of families is central to the Creator’s plan for His children. Children are entitled to be born within this bond of marriage.

A broad-based coalition of churches and other organizations placed the proposed amendment on the ballot. The Church will participate with this coalition in seeking its passage. Local Church leaders will provide information about how you may become involved in this important cause.

We ask that you do all you can to support the proposed constitutional amendment by donating of your means and time to assure that marriage in California is legally defined as being between a man and a woman. Our best efforts are required to preserve the sacred institution of marriage."


"The sacred institution of marriage" is what they call it. Marriage is foremost a religious institution, it is secondly a civil institution, and I would argue that the developement of the civil version arose as an imitation or substitute for those less-religiously inclined persons. This issue is a moral issue (in reality, aren't all laws based off of morals at some level or another?). Ideally, laws and morals are made for the sustainability of the human population. They regulate our interactions with each other to promote cooperation and progress, they protect each other from mal-intentioned persons, or even to prevent innocent mistakes made by fellow members of society. I want to talk about marriage from a biological stance.

From a biological standpoint, all successful life forms are those who are able to strengthen an individual enough to allow it to propagate it's own species and pass on their own DNA and genetic structure. Any species that cannot propagate it's own kind in the face of adversity dwindles and becomes extinct. Most life is pretty simple. Aquire nutrition, grow, and procreate. This is the schedule of life that all organic lifeforms on this planet adhere to. Some species form slightly more complex groups or societies that aid in acquiring nutrition or aid in procreating, maybe both. Still, in the animal kingdom, this is as about as complicated as it gets. Even interactions between family units within species is to preserve the ability to aquire nutrition or procreative ability so that the family's own DNA can be passed on. This is THE driving force in all other lifeforms on this planet.

Why are we as a human species so complicated that we start missing out and destroying these basics of survival. I'm not talking about individual defects that get in the way of propagation, I am talking about the societal movements and cultures that destroy and impede such progress and discourage it in others. Why are we so complicated that we allow personal gratification to get in the way? Why are there significant portions of our populations that are okay with demoting our abilities and threatening our progression? Promotion of a species isn't a matter of choie, but a result of the environment and innate genetic programming. We have the ability to overcome our genetic programming and choose our own fates to a much larger extent than anything else on this planet, especially now with knowledge and technology so freely available. We have the potential and freedom to become so much more than simple biological creatures. So what are movements within society doing? They are taking advantage of that freedom by removing those morals and anchors that separate us from all other life. They are trying to promote lifestyles more in line with base hormonal creatures, than promote those institutions that provide an environment for maximum upward growth.

The institutions that move society in a progressive direction are healthy marriages. Healthy marriages tend to produce healthy stable families where healthy stable people are grown to promote the advancement of our species. Anything that degrades this institution will drag the human species backwards into just another biological species concerned with nothing but aquiring nutrition and obeying hormones. No better than lions on the savannah or gorillas in the jungles (except with maybe a few tools and shelters for our benefit).

As members of society promote alternative family units or companionships antagonistic to healthy families, they influence others to follow suit, if not in lifestyle then in priorities of selfishness. As families are degraded and disregarded, more families and potentially stalwart future members of society are destroyed. The knowledge of the value of the family is lost, even if for simple ignorance of its potential.

Anything that disvalues the importance of healthy families is based on selfishness. Cohabitation is based on erasing loneliness, sexual gratification, and financial gain. There might be some altruism in there by service to others or donations of time and money to worthwhile organizations, but the key is still missing. We are not passing on those unselfish habits to the most impactable part of society, our own children. Even if a couple intimately changes the life of a child or youth for the better, think of the good that could have been accomplished if you raised your own children in an altruistic fashion PLUS that one changed life. Likely, those children will go on to change countless lives themselves in an exponential fashion, reaching many more people and doing much more good than two people sharing resources could do themselves. Unfortunately, selfishness is much more contagious than unselfishness. Why should we encourage it by permitting selfish lifestyles and erasing the outward distinctions of such? Why are so many hetersexual couples avoiding and devaluing marriage as just a piece of paper, while so many homosexual couples are working so hard to get it? Are heterosexuals just taking for granted what a wonderful opportunity they have available to them, while homosexuals are doing everything they can to obtain a shallow imitation of the same thing?

Families are the gateway by which our species has arrived at this point. Unfortunately, having a family doesn't seem to be genetically ingrained into our brains. Our hormones are still there, driving women men and women to have children and gratify sexual desires, but having a healthy family is not instictive to us. We need to be shown how to do it. Find a healthy and (at least) mostly happy family and ask them how to do it if you don't know or if you want ideas. Even better, develop a deeply spiritual relationship with something incredibly better than yourself and live your life after that. Not everyone will get to have a family for various reasons. They still should keep themselves in a position to build up other's families, not set precedents and examples of what one can get by serving their own needs.

The importance of families and marriage is crucial to the progression and survival of humanity. It ties the whole world together in a vast meshwork of relation and background that allows us to progress in a way that can be healthy for all. It takes two families and two individuals with sometimes great differences and teaches them to be tolerant of non-destructive habits (or unusual but beneficial habits) and levels out each other's imbalances. In this way, the waves of the storm of culture are absorbed and smoothed over, bringing people together and combining talents to develop well-meaning children with a broader and more properly focused view of the world and all that is in it.

I'm not about to infringe on anybody's civil benefits (which are pretty equal across the board). People will do behind their closed doors what they'll do. But when it becomes public and when it is destructive to society and our species, limits must be set and lines must be drawn. Creating homosexual relationship institutions will not aid our situation any more than allowing unlimited speed limits on our streets would aid transportation. There may be excellent couples who could love each other as well as the happiest husband and wife. There may be couples who could raise children well and balanced, but there will be far more wrecks than it is worth. We should be focusing on helping everyone be a part of a healthy family to prevent the vast problems brought about by broken and incomplete ones. Giving marriage opportunities to everyone will not help this effort. I do wish everyone could enjoy the texture and detail of a happy family life and appreciate the variety of tastes possible by participating in one in an appropriate style.

U-Mass

All righty, here's some info on my bike and my riding for the past few weeks.

This is the profile of my twice-daily 3-mile bike ride through San Francisco. It looks kinda crazy. Maybe it is, but the worst part is the first hill. We live at the bottom of Pershing Drive and it's crazy steep, and turning onto our driveway off of it is a bit hairy. There's an amazing amount of relief two-thirds of the way up, it makes all the difference. Same on the way back (from right to left). From the left to right is my ride to school, right to left is the ride home in the evening. At the bottom of the first hill is the entrance to the Presidio at 15th and Lake. The red line is Lake Street to Arguello. Then a jog over onto Sacramento, the blue line, and all the way to school at Webster. Understand, this is exaggerated. I can't fit 3 miles of true profile onto this website. On the way home from school is the big hill up Sacramento, and almost every evening since we've been here, there's a nice strong headwind (usually about 20mph), so even when I crest the hill, I have to keep pedaling to go down the less-steep other side.

For the past two weeks (let me brag for a moment), I haven't changed gears either. It's a really good short 15-minute workout twice a day. I pass up every other cyclist I see. I am Extremely Fortunate to not get very sweaty. The only exception is if my laptop is still warm in the backpack, a puddle forms on my back underneath it. I wish I could take credit, but I'm just really lucky to be given a healthy physical body (thanks Mom and Dad). The other day in class we were learning to take vitals (Heart Rate, Blood Pressure). Each of us was given an automatic blood pressure machine. Dinking around with it, my heart rate was 58 bpm at 9:30am (after the bike ride and a test). In the clinic 2 hours later, we took each other's vitals with the machine and manually. Neither of us could believe my heart rate so my partner took it 3 times manually and had the machine try it twice. 45 beats per minute. Woof. The machine also said my heartbeat was irregular. I already knew that. Just now, I took my heart rate (I've been home for 45 minutes), and it's up at 70, but it speeds up and slows way down, noticeably. I wonder if I should get it checked.

As for the bike, for those of you new to my adventures, it is a Motobecane Fantom CX (I'm name dropping, because I know people come from the internets just looking for info on the bike). I am quite happy with it. Here's my experience:

I wanted a nicer bike for dental school in San Francisco that I'd be commuting on every day a couple miles through the city. My budget was a lofty one of $600. I really wanted a road bike of some kind, but the cheapest new ones start at around a thousand. I was leaning toward a Gary Fisher Urban hybrid bike, the Kaitai, simply because I was afraid of breaking anything less beefy than that and it was within my budget, sort of.

Every time I heard of some other bike company, I'd go research it and see what they offered. I compared components, frames, and style. I didn't have the time or the stores to go test many, I just had to go off of other's reviews.

I stumbled onto Bikedirect.com (oddly enough, they were a Google Ad on this website). I was suspicious. The components and parts on all their bikes were comparable to much much much more expensive bikes. The main line of bikes on there is Motobecane, which is a French brand from long ago that was taken over by another company. The only stores to sell Motobecanes are in Arizona, Texas, and Florida. I don't know what they charge. The Motobecane website has listed retail prices comparable to all other road bikes (I'm guessing it's a front to build some respect, "See, our bikes really ARE expensive, normally"). Every review on the internet for these is from people who bought a bike off of Bikesdirect.com (which is a related business venture for the owner of the chain-stores that sell them) at half of the "suggested retail price." They offer free shipping. The bike is "90% assembled" although, it really is more like 80% but if anyone puts up a fight, I'll let them take the point.

I was really nervous buying from them. There are a number of really angry reviews about their lack of customer support and the damage incurred on the bike during shipping. If the bike needs to be returned/exchanged, the customer has to pay shipping each way (about 40-50 bucks!). There were a few very favorable reviews about the bikes themselves. Most complaints are with the company or warning buyers about buying a bike without LBS (local bike shop) support or test riding. I did my research and in the end, I decided, if it needed to be exchanged, I'd just return it and be out 40-50 bucks. If a part needed to be replaced, I'd replace it myself and still have an AMAZING deal of a bike. By this point the next cheapest cyclocross bike out there is the Jake by Kona starting at $850 at the time. I'd decided a cyclocross would be the best bike for city commuting. Skinny like a road bike with drop bars for multiple hand positions and more aerodynamics and narrow profile for squeezing through tight spaces, yet knobbly tires, slightly thicker wheels, and attachements/room to put a rear rack and fenders on the bike. Seriously perfect for me. Also, the Fantom CX (I don't know if other CX's have them) has an extra set of brake levers at the top center of the handlebars: EXCELLENT.

So that was it, I was gonna fork out the $550 and pray it didn't come crazily messed up. There was a mixup with the shipping address (my fault, not theirs), and in communicating with them via email, they were slow, but they answered every single one of my 5 emails. It's as if one guy got all the emails and just spent some time every day working his way down the list. I got the bike within 10 days (it would've been a week, but there was the giving the company the wrong shipping address problem...). The box came to the door just fine. No folds, dents, or holes in it.

I opened it and found the bike and it's parts zip-tied, cardboard wrapped, and plastic bagged together as if it came directly off the assembly line (I watched a How It's Made episode on mass produced bikes, and it came exactly like they showed).

I didn't have too much trouble putting it together. A hiccup appeared when a bike shop owner pointed out that the guy who put it together (I'm sure if he knew anything about bike brands, he'd known I put it together), put the front brake cable outside the shifter cables so they were rubbing. Oops (easy fix). After my first two short little rides, I had to true both wheels just a bit (a perfect opportunity for me to learn such a handy little skill), but they haven't become untrue since, and I've abused them a lot more than I did on those first two little rides.

The stock seat is hard, but all uncomfortable pressure off the groin is gone when I tilt the seat forward-down, so all weight rests backward on my pelvic bone on the wider part of the seat, rather than on my prostate on the skinny part of the seat. I don't mind the seat at all now. Really. I also tilted the drop bars farther forward-down than nearly every other bike I see. It's much more comfortable for my wrists and hands. I replaced the stock pedals with $30 Powergrip pedals, and they are AWESOME. As mentioned before, I haven't changed gears in a few weeks, and it'd be impossible without the push-pull combo that straps allow. The Power Grips work absolutely great. No trouble getting in or out after a litte practice, and they provide all the hold I could want (except when I wear my smaller Vans slip-ons while riding to school, it's a little loose, but I still get enough out of the straps).

As far as the gearing on the bike. It was a little off on the front derailer out of the box. I tweaked it a bit and it got better, and I'm sure I could get it perfect if I wanted to. The first week and a half of riding the route above was no trouble on the gears (provided I changed lower BEFORE the crazy steep hills, but that's normal on most bikes).

The only problem I haven't addressed is that when I'm pedaling hard on the right pedal, it's as if the whole pedal axle flexes downward just a tiny bit, causing the large chainring and chain to rub on the inside of the front derailer for just a bit on each pedal stroke. This only happens when I'm putting a lot of weight on the pedal.

All in all, I'm extremely happy with the bike. It's a tank. I love to pass other cyclists, and I tackle the hills and traffic with no problems all while wearing a shirt and tie, some spare hemp string to tie my pant leg around my ankle and a wonking huge backpack they gave us for school. I'm guessing the first thing that'll go besides an inner tube, are the brake pads just because of the crazy steep hill twice a day. I highly recommend giving Bikesdirect a shot, and there doesn't seem to be anything wrong with Motobecane bikes, provided you can fix and tune-up a bike yourself (or deal with the bike snobbery of many LBSs).

Here's some pics from it's arrival and assembly for all you "visual learners" out there: