Featured post: New book captures the spirit and diversity of women riders

Below is the lead to a guest post by author Christina Shook, who has just published a photographic essay book, Chicks on Bikes. The full post is linked at the end of the excerpt; the full article originally appeared on Biker Chick News.

Sisterhood. A community. Of women. Not a sewing circle, not a women’s auxiliary club, not a mom’s club. There is a community of women bikers. Today women have formed organizations for every interest under the sun, no longer limited to domestic, nurturing or supportive activities. These women have taken up a lifestyle that is still a largely male domain and claimed their space and culture within it.

Few groups have the high-impact visibility of a pack of women riding up on their bikes. Few events have the singular sense of power that wells deep within as dozens of women roar their engines at the beginning of a group girl ride. It is a screamingly , throbbingly, wonderful feeling. It’s awe inspiring and fascinating to behold.

Read the full post on Biker Chick News.

Featured post: Five things about Facebook that make me want to punch a kitten

This post originally appeared on www.dmweblife.com.

Alright, here’s the deal: I’ve been pretty active on Facebook now for a couple of months. I’ve reconnected with childhood friends, I’ve become addicted to a couple of goofy games, I’ve taken myriad quizzes and posted photos, and I’ve even used it to drive traffic to one of my blogs. I have a nice little group of friends whom I like and care about.

But just like everything in life, Facebook’s not perfect. Some of it, in fact, is downright stupid. Or maybe it’s the people who’ve taken good features and made them stupid, I don’t know. Regardless of how they got that way, these are the features of Facebook I can do without:

Mind-numbingly Inane “fan” pages. I’m happy to become a fan of a favorite singer, or product brand, or whatever to show my loyalty. These declarations tell my friends a little about who I am. But here lately I’m seeing things like: “THE SUN – Become a Fan!” or “LAUGHING – Become a Fan!” Are you kidding me? This is like saying, “FINGERNAILS – Become a Fan!” or “INDOOR PLUMBING – Become a Fan!” We’ve obviously run out of meaningful things to “fan.”

Ads that lie. I do not believe for one minute that 7 friends have a crush on me, or that 3 friends think I’m dumb, or even that 60 percent of Hollywood uses ONE wrinkle-busting secret to look younger.

Irrelevant gift applications. I admit it, I love something called “Flair.” Flair looks like those little pinback buttons we used to have all over our jackets in the 70’s and 80’s. But why are people sending me trees for my farm, plants for my “green patch,” fishes for my “cove,” etc.? I don’t have these things, so I don’t need the flora and fauna that inhabit them. It’s just more crap I have to “click to ignore” each time I sign on.

Auto-Suggest Friends feature. I don’t mind at all if one of my friends wants to recommend someone to me for possible FB friendship. But FB itself needs to stop suggesting new friends. Here’s why this is useless: “Suggestions: Dave Smith. You and Dave both live in Des Moines, Iowa!” Wow, really? I surely know him, then, don’t I? Look:  Des Moines, Iowa has a quarter-million people in it, and that’s not counting all the suburbs. I have friends from grade school who’ve lived here their whole lives and I have NEVER run into them, ANYWHERE, in 35 years. What makes FB think I’m going to know someone just because they live here? I can’t imagine how useful this feature must be for people who live in New York City.

Quizzes that insult me. I wanted to know which M*A*S*H* character I was most like, and it told me I was “most like” Frank Burns. FRANK BURNS? I can guarantee you, nobody who knows me thinks I’m anything like Frank Burns! Even the quiz didn’t try to sugar-coat it by talking about Frank’s respect for rules and authority or his unwavering commitment to the military. No, the quiz gleefully raved about how much everyone hated him and what a ferret-face he was. So thanks a lot, Quiz, you’ve made me feel SO good about myself! I’m not even going to try to find out which “Taxi” character I’m like, because you’re obviously just going to tell me LOUIE.

Featured post: Five must-have motorcycle accessories

This post originally appeared on www.bikerchicknews.com

Whenever I get a new computer, I always “load it up” with my favorite add-on tools: FTP program, graphics program, alternative browser, etc. And I’m the same with bikes, so today’s edition of Friday Fives presents my must-have motorcycle accessories. Each of these makes riding (especially highway riding) so much more comfortable – I couldn’t do without them!

Windshield – If you plan to do much highway riding (and believe me, most of those “open roads” you’ve heard about are indeed highways <grin>) you’re going to be amazed at the difference having a windshield makes. Not only does it catch the bugs that would otherwise end up in your teeth (you ARE smiling when you ride aren’t you??), it also lessens the wind force hitting your head and chest, making for a much more comfortable ride.

Saddlebags – you don’t give up the need to carry stuff just because you start riding a motorcycle. And I tend to carry a lot of stuff, including my rainsuit, a light-weight jacket, some tools, road map, makeup bag, bike paperwork, etc. If you’re a minimalist, I suppose you could get away with just a fork bag.

Wrist rest product – Again, if you’re going to be on the highway for any length of time, you’ll want one of those wrist thingies that lets you loosen your grip on the throttle while still keeping it wide open. Kuryakyn makes the Throttle Boss that coordinates with its ISO grips; other companies have similar non-proprietary products that work, too. I prefer these to the “cruise control” feature on some bikes – somehow locking the throttle open doesn’t feel safe to me.

Rider backrest – Does it strike you as odd that so many stock two-up seats come with backrests only for the passenger? If your bike’s stock seat makes your lower back or tailbone ache, you’ll want to check out after-market seats that offer rider backrests. The one I bought is made by Mustang. It did raise me up an inch or so, but the increased comfort is well worth it.

Voice-activated protective wrap-around bubble – This device deploys much like an airbag in a car, except it is voice-activated. If the rider shouts “Oh SHIT!” in a panicky voice, the bubble deploys and encases the bike and rider in a large see-through “hamster ball” made of indestructible space-age material. See also: Guardian Angel.

What are your must-have motorcycle accessories?