Bike Week is coming

It’s just about here! Tomorrow is the official launch.

Bike Week. Spring is here. If you haven’t already, it’s time to get your bike out of the garage, dust off the seat, pump up the tires and of course, put those safety tips to use because May is National Bike Month and May 16-21 is Charlottesville Albemarle Bike Week. To celebrate, Bike Charlottesville, Charlottesville Community Bikes, Alternative Choices in Community Transportation, and UVa Parking & Transportation have teamed up with local sponsors to offer a bevy of free events for cyclists of all ages and abilities.

See Bike Charlottesville for a schedule of those events and a downloadable flyer.

Junk mail’s gotta go

Yikes! I ought to do some fact-checking on the data here, but these numbers are awe-inspiring.

In the 1990s or so I began using the Direct Marketing Association’s mechanism for opting out of direct mail. I only have case-study level data, but I can testify that we don’t get as much junk as this graphic indicates we would. We also don’t get as much as some of our friends say they get. I’ve used the DMA for some of my family and seen a substantial reduction in the junk they get, too.

Now, I’d like to see it apply to the horrible marketing I saw in the just-completed election campaign.

The image is linked. Thanks to Jay and Tim Willingham for another good one.

{CLAW} comeback

Can this be real? Is it just in time for your worst—or, perhaps, best—fears? Will Charlottesville Lady Arm Wrestlers actually return?

Why isn’t there anything on the Web site? 12 November? Usual venue?

Franks’ show tops LA Times

Screen shot of LA Times page

As its lead article this morning, the LA Times Web site carried a story about a ceramics show curated by Frank Gehry and on display at my brother Frank Lloyd’s gallery. Because they’re both named Frank and both involved in the show, I used the plural possessive in the title for this entry.

Links:

• Jori Finkel’s LA Times article about the show.
• My brother Frank’s gallery site.
• My brother Frank’s blog.
• Frank Gehry’s firm’s site: FOGA.com.

Contemporary art in a hospital

My brother Frank and I have been spending a lot of time in a hospital with our mother recently (Frank more than I, as I just arrived on the scene a few days ago; he’s been dealing with it for much longer). Many of the hospital walls are decorated, and Frank (the artist and art dealer) noticed, of course. So he has a post, “Hospital Art,” about it.

In case you missed it

There is a blog at least loosely associated with Mr. Deity: Mr. Deity Fan.

Mr Deity returns

As one or two of the two or three regular readers know, I’m impressed by the Mr. Deity shorts. Well, after a delay following the second season, the third season is available. I recommend it.

Rational local buying thoughts

Over on Flashes of Panic, Parker Morse has a clearly reasoned and written statement about spending one’s funds in stores owned and operated by our neighbors. Take the 2-3 min it will require to jump over there and read his post. It may even be a enough to inspire me to write a letter to the editor. (After corresponding for many years, Parker and I had in-person lunch recently, so I figure it’s O.K. for me to use his first name.)

Candidate debate truths?

Of the two candidates for the US presidency who appeared together last night, who told the truth and who was stretching it? Was Mr. Obama’s assertion about Henry Kissinger recommending talks with Iran without preconditions true? Did Mr. McCain tell the truth about Mr. Obama’s vote for tax increases on people making as little as $42,000? Who was right about the position of Admiral Mike Mullen, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on withdrawing troops from Iraq? Was Mr. McCain’s assertion about size of and growth in earmarks accurate?

Well, I don’t want to count on the politicians and their spinners to disentangle these and other questions. I would like to have the facts checked by relatively independent and well-informed folks So, I turned to Annenberg Political Fact Check for clarification. Let me recommend it.

By the way, one of the benefits of not having obtained antennae for our small old television is that we still use radio to tap into these sorts of events. Undistracted by facial expressions, etc., we had to listen to what the candidates said.

HB, Caver

You’ve been in this morass for a year! Nice to have your company. http://starrhillgirl.wordpress.com/2007/08/ive-caved.html