Two Thumbs Way Up for BikeGlow Bad-Ass Bike Bling!

Gliding Alien Life Form?

My neighborhood cruiser :) BikeGlow.com

Last year I got a stocking stuffer that initially had me scratching my head. Some glowing light fiber stuff that you're supposed to wrap around your bike. Seemed kinda frivolous, but it was a gift from my wife so I felt I should at least see how it looked. 

I was so surprised at just how much fun it's been cruising around the neighborhood on my bike during the early evening and at night! The other day I was riding and two young boys were out in their yard. As I went pedaling by all a-aglow, they just stopped what they were doing and watching in amazement as I passed. At the last minute before I was too far away to make eye contact, they both thrust their thumbs way up in obvious approval of my bad-ass bike bling!

A little further down the road there was an older woman waiting for someone on her drive-way. She had her arms crossed and looked a bit annoyed at first... then after realizing what she was looking at was not some alien life from gliding by, but some funky dude on a bicycle... her face just lit up with the same level of obvious approval that the boys had displayed. 

Not only have these lights been a riot, they've also saved me from getting hit by cars on at least 3 occasions I can recall. So, not only are they fun... they also make riding after dark much safer!

I don't have any particular interest in this company, but after having some trouble with the first BikeGlow lights, I contacted their customer service and they had a new one already on it's way to me within an hour. No hassle at all! No complicated return codes, or having to ship anything back. They simply took care of me with no pain what-so-ever. I just really appreciate the fact that there are still companies out there who treat the customer with a very high level of value. I was so blown away by their service that I just had to share.

if you're looking for a really fun gift that's not too expensive, more fun that a barrel of monkeys, and also makes you more safe on the road, check out BikeGlow.com.

I think my BlkeGlow lights came off the shelf from REI, but you can order directly from their site and I bet a few bike shops carry them as well.

You won't be disappointed! 

Skip Hunt
Austin, Texas

Time to Stop the Political Hatred/Division...

...and, start communicating like adults.

Over the last few years, I've become less and less vocal about my political leanings. Having a discussion about political opinion has become so difficult and seemingly pointless anyway. Seems everyone falls into one of 3 categories. They are either left, right, or really don't care either way and don't want to talk about it. If they're on the left or right, they can't be swayed away or even to the middle ground no matter what. 

I don't know how it used to be, but I always thought it was about adults having adult conversations about how the community at large should be governed, serviced, and protected. I say I don't know how it used to be, because I really didn't bother paying attention at all until I watched fellow students have to leave the University because of cuts President Reagan had made. It didn't effect me at the time so I just kept moving along. It did wake me up to the fact that political decisions can effect who can afford to go to school or not. Or, whether friends would be sent away to die in a war.

Over time, and after way too many heated arguments that often ended in lost friends and even estranged family members… I pretty much avoided any conversations about politics. What's the point? You're not going to change anyone's mind… you don't really know for sure what's going on anyway because you can't trust ANY of the "news" organizations anymore. The end result is always either you're wasting time parroting same agreed upon views to each other, or you're getting in to a horrible fight that severs an otherwise great relationship.

That's why when I listened to a couple of podcasts by Alec Baldwin called "Here's the Thing", where he interviews a couple of conservative thinkers. I say thinkers because these cats are smart and can back up their beliefs instead of just repeating tired sound bites. I pretty sure Alec Baldwin is a fairly left-leaning liberal sort, so I figured it'd be a heated discussion. 

It was so refreshing to listen to adults with opposing views, discuss their beliefs smartly like adults without spewing vitriol or canned sound bites. They seemed willing to listen to each other, and back up their viewpoints. This is the way I believe it's supposed to be. I don't think either swayed the other, but it didn't end in anger and likely caused at least some folks like myself, to consider some alternate viewpoints.

This severe division between everyone that we have now, serves no one. If we are ever going to evolve, progress, and move our species forward, we're going to have to begin with being able to discuss topics that effect us all without all the hatred. 

Have a listen to the two podcast links below if you agree that division, hatred, and corporate sound bite politics has to end, and that the smart people who are capable of fixing the mess we're all in, need to be able to talk to each other like adults.

Favorite Podcasts as of 8/12/12

Current favorite playlist of podcasts in no particular order

Started to make a quick note to myself to list my favorite podcasts, but figured I might as well share it here as well. I don't like to "subscribe" to them because sometimes I don't want all their episodes downloading automatically. I like to just grab them ala carte.  

If you have any you want to recommend to me based on the vibe in this grouping, please let me know in the comments!​