Summary: Inspired by an email I got today regarding the sentiment of "it's not whether you win or lose…" I was reminded of David Lee Roth's now famous quote from an awards show sometime in the 1980s: "It's not whether you win or lose, it's how good you look." The reminder sent me down a rabbit hole, starting with the gems produced a Google image search of "david lee roth," coupled with listening to old Van Halen albums in the process. What did I learn? David Lee Roth was a really fun rock star with an inimitable style. In this episode of the podcast, I also discuss the onslaught of comments produced by a piece I wrote about riding a bicycle without a helmet ("<a href="http://georgehahn.com/2013/05/30/so-i-dont-wear-a-helmet-get-off-my-ass/" title="So I Don’t Wear a Helmet. Get Off My Ass." target="_blank">So I Don't Wear a Helmet. Get Off My Ass</a>," May 30, 2013). Along with some great comments on the piece, both agreeing and disagreeing with my point of view, my approach to this hot-button issue apparently inspires some really low-grade, badly-spelled and poorly punctuated vitriol. I'm fine with all opinions that differ from my own or those of my readers. But I draw the line when commenters use internet anonymity as a license to be an asshole. Disrespectful, lack of civility and simple bad manners goes unrewarded in my house. While the internet at large is a wonderful and democratic medium, georgehahn.com is not a democracy: any disrespect or simple bad manners aimed at me or, most importantly, my readers goes unpublished and deleted. Aside from that… I'm loving the summer season so far, and I hope you all are, too. G
