Maybe it's the full moon, or I dont know what, but I find myself suddenly under the gun with projects that need to be finished; an article that is due, but not yet written; workshops to be designed, promoted and pulled off; oh, and I have to clean my house so that a fixer-guy --who bares a striking and delicious resembelence to a blond Jake Gyllenhaal-- can come work on my bathroom (I am secretely working on a lengthy list of home improvement projects in the hope of keeping him around indeffinetly, kinda like the painter on Murphy Brown)So, in my absence, please remember that erin is preparing for a benefit walk that promises to makes the lives of countless children better --and longer. Zilla has a wonderful post about it. Please give generously.
Also, in honor of the BTA's Bike Commuter Challenge (all this month), and International Car Free Day (September 22nd), here is a refresher on signaling --and a motherly reminder to wear your freakin helmet! I had hoped to have tips and resources each day of the Challenge, but I am swamped, so the tips will be intermitent and periodic: and the most important one is wear your freakin helmet. For additional resources, check out Bike Portland , especially good if you live in Oregon.*1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
* Wearing a bike helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent.
* Eighty-five percent of bicyclists killed in 2003 reportedly were NOT wearing helmets.
* Helmets are cheap. The typical discount store price has risen from under $10 to about $15, but there are still models available for under $10 at major retailers.
* Bicycle helmet usage has increased from 18 percent in 1991 to 50 percent in 1998
* Of bikers who now report wearing a helmet, 98 percent said they wore a helmet for safety reasons, 70 percent said they wore a helmet because a parent or spouse insisted on it and 44 percent said they did so because a law required it.
Jake Gyllenhaall wears a helmet
13 comments:
I admit it. I clicked Jake's picture to enlarge it.
Hoo, mama!
yes-sir-ee. and just imagin him blond and in a tool belt and you have my houseboy -er- fix-it guy. ;)
Have you no shame? I mean, really, ladies. ;-)
Good luck with your projects. And remember, men are not objects. :-)~
eh-hem (pulling self together) yes, let me just state my deep and abiding respect for Mr. Gyllenhaal's film career, as well as the craftsmanship and professionalism of my contractor; and reiterate the real point of this post: the importance of wearing a helmet. With everything going on out there, one can not over state the importance of wearing protection!
:)
I used to have this rule of thumb where I wore a helmet on the streets, but if I was on a bike path, where I more or less felt in control of my own life and death, I could take the helmet off.
Now it doesn't seem to come up anymore, I just wear the helmet all the time.
Wear a helmet... live long and prosper!
of course, if I think of my recent accident, I need an athletic cup as well. : (
There are days when I think full body armor would be in order -though not very practical.
I have gone through a couple rules of thumb, along those lines, and even went through a point where I figured that, if I really got hit that hard I would either die of my injuries, or be unable to cycle anymore (effectively ending my will to live). But just recently a cyclist was hit by a drunk driver just a short distance from my home. The pick-up truck hit her so hard that she shattered the windshield with her body before being sent tumbling up over the truck, into the back of the truck, and out onto the street. She is alive today, and looking forward to getting back on her bike. Helmets: their a good thing!
No numbers on how many cyclists wear a helmet because it's somewhere else to cover in reflective tape and hang a flashing light off? How... odd.
WoooHOOOOO!!! Erin surpassed her goal today!!!!!!
And I'm supporting the effort to save Leelanau Farmland, as of last night!!!
Next goal: make the world safe for nude bicyling!!!!!
Saving farmland? nude cycling?! I want details! Are you going to post about it on your blog??
Where did you get a picture of Jake Gyllenhaal riding a bicycle? That's awesome.
timely post. the other evening i just crashed and busted another helmet. that is the third in three years. each time i toss one out i am thankfull that the helmet cracked and not my skull.
yikes dave-hope your ok! Somehow I have managed to go for some years without crashing, though I have only recently became "serious cyclist"
Jill, got Jakie's pics from a google image search. Very inspirational ;)
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