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Holistic Products
SwissBike
Although I am no expert when it comes to the latest trends and fads in cycling, I do appreciate a good mountain bike when I see one (must be from the years I spent cycling through the potholes of New Orleans when I was too poor to afford a car). A smooth ride, lightweight frame, durability and portability are all key for me, especially in those times in my life when I decide to go completely car-less and tooling a bike on and off the public transit system becomes part of my normal routine. When it comes to the things that make life just a little bit easier when traveling on two-wheels, the Swiss Bike is a unique alternative.
What makes the SwissBike stand out from the crowd? This is a bike that shines in all its glory when standing on two wheels. And when the cycling day is over, it can fold up small enough to fit in the trunk of your car or the back of an apartment closet. According to a good friend of mine who is also a former organizer for cycle tours across the Pacific Northwest, the design carries the stamp of approval of a professional. “It is the most geometrically pleasing style of folding bike that I have seen,” says my friend. “And it is the first one that I have seen that hasn’t compromised the strength of the frame to make it folding.” There are three models of SwissBike. The XO is the flagship model, a tough and durable mountain bike made in Switzerland. The XO is a bit pricey at around $2,000 There are other options, however, for those of us on a budget. The LX and TX run at around $800 and $600 respectively and offer the same Swiss knife-like folding action and “Shimano’s 24-speed and 21-speed drive trains as well as Montague’s patent pending CLIX™ Wheel Release System.” A mountain bike that looks cool, is tough as nails and fits in the corner of my closet-sized studio apartment. Technical jargon aside, its obvious that the SwissBike is one cool ride on two wheels. www.swissbike.com
Stop Wars by Clothing of The American Mind
I don’t wear a lot of slogan T-shirts anymore, but the ones I wear have often come from Clothing of the American Mind (COTAM). Their message is simple and clear and their shirts wear and feel great. Made from organic cotton, they are soft and supple. Lately, I love wearing my Stop Wars T-shirt because it gets a lot of feedback from many different kinds of people. Fashioned after the Star Wars logo, I can see the “Ah-Ha” on people’s faces as they first view me as a Trekkie and then a peacenik—the latter of which I most definitely am. On the back it says, “Because the Force is With Us.” Which I believe it is. Clothing of the American Mind is a great source for political T-shirts and other clever protest wear. They are a grassroots apparel company dedicated to stylishly promoting, supporting and articulating progressive values through fashion.
When you purchase political attire from Clothing of the American Mind, a portion of the sale goes directly to progressive organizations such as MoveOn.org, Progressive Democrats of America, Human Rights Watch, the Iraq Veterans Against the War and other like-minded groups. Since Clothing of the American Mind’s launch in March of 2004, they have donated nearly $35,000 to such organizations. Clothing of the American Mind (COTAM) affiliates with causes, organizations and candidates that promote, support and articulate progressive values. They work with the most active and reputable organizations in the progressive movement. COTAM supports groups that are pro-choice, pro-human rights, pro-peace, pro-democratic and pro-environment. Not that it really matters, but names like Natalie Portman, Chris Robinson, Fred Armisen, Maroon 5, Daphne Zuniga, Arianna Huffington, John C Reilly and Amber Valetta have all been spotted sporting their clothing. COTAM’s T-shirts are all Fair Trade and American-made. Workers involved in manufacturing the T-shirts are all paid living wages. Now more than ever, I believe we must walk the walk that we talk. And if you can wear this message, then it is all the better for the discourse it creates. I can tell you from experience there is no better place to find these vocal fashions than at Clothing of the American Mind; they are a company made up of people with big hearts and great minds.
www.cotam.org. Clothing of the American Mind wants to hear from you. If you have ideas for new gear, or other progressive organizations we should be talking or linking to call 213.481.2004.