Some meta and reflections on my list of 100(ish) things

First the meta-

You have probably noticed that the list of links on the sidebar has grown and evolved quite a bit over the last month or so. These are all sites that I either visit on a nearly daily basis or are simply good occasional resources. So check them out if you haven't already.

I also amended the about me portion. That is probably an emotional response to first being elated that Anthropik linked to me, and then being slightly TO-ed, seeing that they describe me as a kid (which I then realized is how I describe myself in my about me section): "The nice part about being a kid now is that you have a chance to grow up to see a free world; the bad part about being a kid now is, you're not born into that world." So I felt inclined to update the about me section, naturally.

Also, I don't have a full understanding of the way all of the laws work, but I have put up a notice that I release all rights over what I write here. I don't know how that works if I ever post things that other people have copyrights on. I'll look into that, I guess.

I switched a while ago to have everything in the sidebar to lower case, including even the title of the blog (tom campbell). I'm not sure what exactly my motive was there, but I just know I like it. Hope you don't mind my imitation of bell hooks.


Now for the more interesting reflections on my own list of 100 things about me-

I just wanted to note that I found it interesting how often I remarked in some way that I am an introvert.

I am also realizing that even though I am now assuming the label of an anarchist basically and trying to push away the hippie label, I've probably never been as much of a hippie in my actions and beliefs than I am now. As soon as I stopped trying to fulfill that label in name, I think I started to fulfill it in deed. I still don't like that label, though. Now, to me, when someone is labelled a hippie, it brings up stereotypes of drugs and a general laidback nature where one is apt to say, "Hey dude, it's all cool. Just chill," even though it's not all cool and chilling is not going to help. Now what I need to do is move past the label of anarchist so I can start acting like that, too!

I was also surprised to hear me comment at a couple points that I am "funny to look at." Seems like there is still some latent self-image problems there. That said, I do believe that I clean up pretty well; I just don't have the motive to do so all that often.

I have begun to knit my first scarf. Yay for being artsy and productive and challenging gender roles all at the same time!

I noticed that I didn't feel compelled nor even think to include anyone from college on the list of favorite teachers.

The thumb I broke was on my left hand (that's not so much a reflection as an edit...oops).

On the potential dangers of activities I am engaging in... I was in my first bicycle/car collision thursday night. It had been raining off and on all day (but not at the time of the accident), so my wheels were slightly wet, and therefore my brakes took longer than usual to stop the bike. I'm heading down a slight incline and have the right of way (of course) when a car starts to turn left to go onto a highway onramp, coming right into my pathway. He did not see me, with my headlight on and my fucking fluorescent yellow jacket on, so he does not stop. I instinctively try to brake, which slows me down just enough (I might have been able to narrowly miss getting hit had I not braked) for him to clip my back tire with the front left corner of his car. My bike is knocked out from under me and I go skidding for a couple feet. As soon as I hit the ground, I look back at him, and he's looking at me. The look in his eye is as if the collision was my fault. The reality of the situation must have hit him by time he got a few meters further up the onramp because he then pulled over and got out to ask if I was okay. I was still picking myself up, but said yeah before I even really checked my bike. He took hold of my initial response and ran with it- getting out of there pretty quickly. My bike was fine, though. And I just got some roadburn on my left hip, ankle and elbow. My left knee also hurt that night as well. I was pretty shaken up, but I was able to continue on to my intended destination successfully (cooking for food not bombs). Today, the knee is feeling fine, I've got a bandage on my hip (with a scrape about three inches in diameter that I incurred through my jeans (oh, and none of my clothing got damaged either, not even the thin fluorescent jacket I was wearing. I was impressed)), but muscles in my right leg are aching. That quad must have slammed into the frame or something. Overall, though, it was a good first accident to have, with very little harm actually being done. My respect (and hatred, of course) for cars has been raised again, now backed by personal experience of their dangerousness. I still hold that it is much more dangerous to ride in a car than to ride a bike, and most of the reason that there is danger in riding a bike comes from the fact that cyclists have to share the road with the huge chunks of aluminum speeding along like there's no tomorrow (but, ironically enough, with peak oil at our doorstep, there isn't a tomorrow for cars. haha!). But accidents are simply a part of life when commuting by bicycle, and I'm just happy that I am keenly aware of that, no longer in theory but in practice.

Tags:

• meta
• bicycle