hey guys,
i recently recieved some pretty negative feedback/criticism from someone on my email list about my journal emails. i currently have 150-odd people on my email list, friends and family from home, and people who i've met travelling who I consider good friends, but i have no idea who this was, because they set up a bogus email address and hurled the abuse at me from there.
this doesn't faze me in the least (its kinda funny actually - especially the lengths they've gone to remain anonymous!), as i've also recieved a fair number of emails from folk saying how much they enjoy my travel tales. but it does bring me to the point where I recognise that maybe not everyone is interested, some may think they're too long, others may not have time to read them. that's fine.
So, i'll say to all of you - if you no longer want to recieve my emails journals, that's fine - email me back, and I'll remove you from my journal list. No hard feelings. This way, two purposes are served - one; my list is trimmed down to those who actually are interested in recieving them, and two; whoever the anonymous abuser is, who obviously doesn't want me to know who they are, can be removed without me knowing absolutely definitively who they are...
To quote someone famous: "speak up now, or forever hold yer peace!!"I look forward to (not) hearing from you ;-)
cheers, tony
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Sunday, June 12, 2005
bollock naked biking on the World Naked Bike Ride
Hi,
June in Vancouver is Bike Month.
There are dozens of events happening over the month, celebrating bike culture, and raising awareness of this as a clean, healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to the car culture our society is so engrossed with.
In conjunction with this, last Saturday, June 11th was the day of the World Naked Bike Ride. In dozens of cities around the world, from London to San Francisco, Melbourne to Madrid, and Vancouver, hundreds of men and women disrobed and went for a casual cruise around their city.
The legendary, and compulsory, bike lift on the bridge - so popular on Critical Mass rides, but even better when naked!!
The point of this? Well, it's a rather novel way of highlighting and protesting against societies' dependency on car culture, and in a metaphorical way, expresses how naked and unprotected cyclists feel in on-road traffic.
....complete with Police Escort!!!
The ride in Vancouver attracted some 80-odd participants, myself included, and probably more than double that in spectators, media, and curious on-lookers. No doubt there was an element of voyeurism in the crowd, but there was nothing overt in that, and no trouble as a result.
This isn't nudity for the sake of it, this ride has a message and a purpose too!
The theme of the ride was 'Bare as you dare' and was a clothing-optional event, meaning that you didn't, if you didn't want to, have to be completely textile free. So, in a Carnivale style atmosphere, many people opted in very skimpy, flesh revealing outfits with flourishes of colour in the form of scarves, artful face masks and clown wigs, leopard-print vests among other items, while many of those who did go naked were body-painted up with bright, colorful designs, or political-social slogans, such as 'Oil Free' or 'Using Less, Living More'. There were elements of vaudeville thrown in, with a naked saxophonist blasting out show tunes, and general merriment all round.
....and Living More!!
The weather, which earlier in the day threatened to spoil the party, was pleasant enough, overcast and mild, with only the last portion of the ride featuring light drizzle. And with the media crews having being satiated with their 'odd-spot-of-the-day' quotient being filled for the evening's bulletin, we were off onto the streets of Vancouver. The riders had gathered at Sunset Beach, and we then started off by taking in the busy cafe and boutique shop-lined streets of Denman, Robson, Granville, then over the Granville Bridge onto 4th Avenue, back over the Burrard Bridge, finally returning, some 90-minutes later at Sunset Beach, swinging by a weeding party having bridal party pics snapped on the sand, giving thema little something extra to tell thier grandkids about!.
...just like "Bike Chik" is doing here.
Needless to say, the reaction we had from the shoppers, cafe-goers, onlookers and pedestrians on the streets was one of surprise, bemusement and laughter, many slightly embarrassed, covering their eyes, but secretly looking through their fingers! The tourists on the double-decker buses got more than they bargained for, a free naked bike-ride show not necessarily on their tour itinerary. Camera shutters were going off left, right and centre. It was great!!
See how happy everybody is!!
All in all, this ride was a major success, with a point being made, and hundreds of people, riders and spectators, having an absolute blast of a time in an open, friendly, and totally non-sexual environment.
Tony
June in Vancouver is Bike Month.
There are dozens of events happening over the month, celebrating bike culture, and raising awareness of this as a clean, healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to the car culture our society is so engrossed with.
In conjunction with this, last Saturday, June 11th was the day of the World Naked Bike Ride. In dozens of cities around the world, from London to San Francisco, Melbourne to Madrid, and Vancouver, hundreds of men and women disrobed and went for a casual cruise around their city.
The legendary, and compulsory, bike lift on the bridge - so popular on Critical Mass rides, but even better when naked!!
The point of this? Well, it's a rather novel way of highlighting and protesting against societies' dependency on car culture, and in a metaphorical way, expresses how naked and unprotected cyclists feel in on-road traffic.
....complete with Police Escort!!!
The ride in Vancouver attracted some 80-odd participants, myself included, and probably more than double that in spectators, media, and curious on-lookers. No doubt there was an element of voyeurism in the crowd, but there was nothing overt in that, and no trouble as a result.
This isn't nudity for the sake of it, this ride has a message and a purpose too!
The theme of the ride was 'Bare as you dare' and was a clothing-optional event, meaning that you didn't, if you didn't want to, have to be completely textile free. So, in a Carnivale style atmosphere, many people opted in very skimpy, flesh revealing outfits with flourishes of colour in the form of scarves, artful face masks and clown wigs, leopard-print vests among other items, while many of those who did go naked were body-painted up with bright, colorful designs, or political-social slogans, such as 'Oil Free' or 'Using Less, Living More'. There were elements of vaudeville thrown in, with a naked saxophonist blasting out show tunes, and general merriment all round.
....and Living More!!
The weather, which earlier in the day threatened to spoil the party, was pleasant enough, overcast and mild, with only the last portion of the ride featuring light drizzle. And with the media crews having being satiated with their 'odd-spot-of-the-day' quotient being filled for the evening's bulletin, we were off onto the streets of Vancouver. The riders had gathered at Sunset Beach, and we then started off by taking in the busy cafe and boutique shop-lined streets of Denman, Robson, Granville, then over the Granville Bridge onto 4th Avenue, back over the Burrard Bridge, finally returning, some 90-minutes later at Sunset Beach, swinging by a weeding party having bridal party pics snapped on the sand, giving thema little something extra to tell thier grandkids about!.
...just like "Bike Chik" is doing here.
Needless to say, the reaction we had from the shoppers, cafe-goers, onlookers and pedestrians on the streets was one of surprise, bemusement and laughter, many slightly embarrassed, covering their eyes, but secretly looking through their fingers! The tourists on the double-decker buses got more than they bargained for, a free naked bike-ride show not necessarily on their tour itinerary. Camera shutters were going off left, right and centre. It was great!!
See how happy everybody is!!
All in all, this ride was a major success, with a point being made, and hundreds of people, riders and spectators, having an absolute blast of a time in an open, friendly, and totally non-sexual environment.
Tony
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