From Ezra Pound to Waffles and Dinges

Rain and clouds and rain and mist and rain and clouds.


For two days, that's what we've had.  And it followed heat and smog and heat and smog that ended with a thunderstorm.


I got in a very short ride late today, along the waterfronts of Greenpoint, Long Island City and Astoria.  I picked up some chicken panang curry and steamed dumplings from an Asian reataurant near PS 1 and consumed them into the mist that was turning to dusk on the Long Island City pier.


Along the way, I saw something that put me in the mind of Ezra Pound's poetry:

Well, it doesn't really remind me of Ezra Pound's poetry.  But there is a connection.  I had the same reaction to seeing this bike that I did to reading Pound's work:  I thought, "All right, it's not my style.  But I kinda admire it."


I had to make no such qualification for my enjoyment of what I chased my Thai dinner with:

Tosca couldn't resist the aroma that wafted from it. Actually, I couldn't, but I was trying really, really hard to show that indulging myself wasn't entirely my fault.  (Ah, guilt.  We never get over it, do we?)  


You're looking at the Waffles and Dinges truck, which just happened to be at the pier. I had their waffles and ice cream once before, and loved it. So I was happy to see them again.  And the guy and woman on the truck remembered me!


Through this weekend's rain, I did a bit of bike-related tinkering.  I'll tell you more about that in a near-future post.

What Would They Make Of Us?

Whenever I see a public statue of some historical figure, I wonder what someone from another planet, or another galaxy, would think of it.  I find myself asking that question even more when the statue is of a famous person--usually a military or political figure--on a horse.  To me, horses almost always look noble, which may be the reason why warriors seem even more belligerent astride them.


Now that I think of it, I haven't seen very many statues of people riding bicycles.  I've seen a fair number of paintings, drawings and photos of cyclists.  But I definitely can't remember the last time I saw a public statue of anyone on a bicycle.


They could be very interesting. What would our friend from another part of the universe think about if he or she were to see a statue of Lance or Eddy or Jacques pedaling up an Alpine virage or a Pyreneean pass?  Or, what would our visitor make of a sculpture of someone like John Rakowski or Ian Hibbell on the pannier-laden bikes they rode around the world?

Maclean Featherweight

I only see porn when I stumble over it while looking for other things.  Really, I swear, it's true.


That includes bike porn.  All right, maybe this isn't quite bike porn:  It's actually quite dignified.  But pretty nonetheless:

It's a Maclean Featherweight from 1950.  Don Maclean formed his namesake company during the 1920's and employed several builders.  Apparently, they built frames and bikes for about 40 years, until they were bought up by the Holdsworthy company.

You can look at some more photos of this bike here.  Enjoy!