For anyone who doesn't know, Critical Mass is regularly scheduled bike ride through the streets of cities across the country as a way for cyclists to assert their rights on the road. Apparently a 22 year-old rookie NYPD officer was none too happy with CM on July 25th and decided to take out his frustrations on an unsuspecting cyclist riding by. Being cross-checked by an ex high school offensive lineman turned third generation cop with a potential sense of entitlement while riding a bike has got to put a damper on your day. Enjoy your termination piggy! (h/t with leather) glc

In court documents, Pogan (the officer) said he saw Long (the cyclist) weaving in and out of lanes and obstructing traffic before he ordered the cyclist to stop.

The cop claimed Long deliberately drove his bike into him, sending both of them falling to the ground. Pogan claimed to have suffered cuts from the impact.

The video clearly shows Long trying to dodge Pogan, who appears to have remained upright the entire time.

A law enforcement source said the charges against Long would likely "go away" and another source predicted Pogan would be fired.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said the incident is being investigated.

Pogan's father, a retired NYPD detective who worked on the Joint Terrorism Task Force, defended his son's actions last night. "You gotta do what you gotta do to make an arrest," said Patrick Pogan Sr., 51, who retired in 2002.

He said his son is the third generation of NYPD in the family. "I'm proud of my son. He's a good kid."

NPR's Skye Rohde explains how three artists from Los Angeles, a city criticized for its lack of community, are using Craigslist to foster one. jmj

I'm not terribly into NASCAR but this article about the origins of drafting is pretty interesting. Drafting's wiki entry for stock cars, aka NASCAR, also briefly explains how drafting not only makes the second car faster but the lead car as well. glc

According to a recent survey, 41 percent of employers more often promote people based on their attire. jmj

Philadelphia Magazine's August issue profiled Philadelphia Phillies Second Basemen Chase Utley and his wife Jen. Their devotion to Philly and public activism is something rarely seen in these parts and something that makes Chase all the more loved by his fans. My favorite part of the article though, came at the end as Chase, his wife and their friends Larry and Mickey Magid were discussing an upcoming safari the Utley's were planning. It was nice to read an athlete carefree enough to casually mention 'the money'. (side note - the article refers to Larry Magid as someone who invented cool. Who the hell is Larry Magid?) glc

"I don't know if we can talk about our safari," he says.

"Why not?"

"The contract," he stage-whispers. "I don't know if safari is allowed."

"What?" Jen says. "If you get eaten by a lion, that might be a contract thing. But we're not going to do that."

"If I get eaten by a lion, the money will be gone," Chase points out.

"But you won't need it then -- you'll have been eaten by a lion!"

They laugh. "Yeah, I guess you're right," Chase says. "It's just that there's a lot of things you're not allowed to do."

Which makes it particularly challenging to be so committed to living a real life, instead of being held hostage by baseball.

"Look, we're not going skydiving or motorcycle-riding," Jen says. "We're not pitching a tent in the middle of the frickin' Sahara. We're in a fancy camp."

They pause, smiling at each other. Then Chase leans into the tape recorder on the table. "We're going to Africa. On safari."

I do my best to remain open-minded about the upcoming election. Really, I do. But everything John McCain and/or his campaign does just makes my skin crawl. Below is his latest ad attacking Barack Obama, and here is an analysis by Associated Press Writer Jim Kuhnhenn. jmj

WIth Tuesday's acquisition of 1B Mark Teixeira, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, already the best team in baseball, just got even better. This team is scary. jmj