On this day in 1980, President Jimmy Carter signed the Chrysler Corporation Loan Guarantee Act into law, giving Chrysler $1.5 billion in loans. The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, claims the popular version of the bailout as a success is simply a fairy tale. The bailout is a bust.

I own a handful of balaclavas for cold weather outdoor activities. Most of them are the basic fleece balaclavas that turn into a snotty mess whenever you exert yourself for any period of time. Constant exhalation into the fabric means mucous and moisture is trapped in the fabric.

I really like my Seirus Combo Clava as shown here. This balaclava has a neoprene facemask covering the nose and mouth with breathing holes that works well to keep your face dry and warm. When I lived in Colorado I used it for all of my winter activities — including cycling — when the temps dropped below about 20° F. Unlike other balaclavas, my breathing doesn’t feel muffled or hindered by a ball of fabric.

A much warmer alternative is this Seirus Ultra Clava. I prefer something more breathable than the waterproof and windproof lining on the Ultra Clava, but I imagine this works well for extreme cold and wind.

Lake Worth, Florida cyclists are asked to participate in a design workshop for the city’s bicycle plan.

Bicycle riders, business owners and residents are being asked to attend a design workshop Friday for a citywide bicycle network plan.

The “design studio” workshop is being held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at city hall, followed by the presentation of a draft plan from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Participants will be asked to share ideas on bicycle routes, the need for facilities and destinations.

If you don’t show up, you can’t complain. Read more.

There’s something pretty amazing about this cycling photo Carson Blume took today. You may need to click on it to see it large and in detail.

It’s not the fact that Carson Blume — a talented professional photographer — is using a craptastic phone camera on his rides. Even pros don’t like to carry their heavy, bulky SLRs with them on rides. Carson was riding his bike when he ran over a nail and it pierced straight through his rim.

I’ve seen some interesting things in tires, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anything like this. Have you pierced a wheel with a nail?

et cetera and cycling news…

Model Gisele Bundchen, who says she’s one of those daily bike commuting nerds, was seen over the holiday season riding this bicycle snowmobile with her family and other Times Square revelers to generate enough power to illuminate a 2009 sign at the New Year.

Top Secret Insider News: Streetsblog SF will launch THIS MONTH. I’m told they’re in the final stages of tweaking the design now. In the meantime, go check out Streetsblog Network, of which Cyclelicious is a member.

January is Alternative Transportation Month at Wend Magazine. There’s a contest where you can win a Timbuk2 bag.

RockShox Domain 302 and 318 bicycle fork steerer tube can crack, causing the fork to detach from the bicycle frame. “This can cause the rider to lose control and crash,” say the experts at SRAM. SRAM recall notice here [PDF].

Mother Jones: Go green on a dime. Related: Living on $5000 a year. Props to Pat O’Grady for both of those.

I’ve always thought these noodle soup deliver scooters were cool, but why is it news?

A free range kids horror story. Grrrr…. My son (age 13 and perfectly capable of riding public transit) has told me bus drivers zoom right past him at the bus stop if there are no adults at the stop.

Bike Co-Ops in LA and beyond.

Bike commuting is not base jumping! 🙂

Warrent T discovers the happiness of wool socks.

Carlton has a wondeful job.

Not quite a bicycle job, but still noteworthy: Property management internship in Berkeley lists “Valid driver’s license and/or bicycle is required.”

Today’s giveaway is a package of Action Wipes wet wipes for adults from Life Elements.

Action Wipes are sturdier and larger than your standard disposable wet wipes, and the cloth wipes are strong enough to withstand washing for reuse. The thick cloth wipes easily hold up to vigorous scrubbing of my rough, masculine body instead of disintegrating into nothing like most wipes do.

The product is manufactured and packaged entirely in California. I usually use gasoline to clean my skin, but the all natural ingredients in Action Wipes work great cleaning post-workout sweat and grime from my body, and the tea tree oil and eucalyptus smell much nicer than petroleum distillates without being unmanly. My bodacious wife says the scent smells good to her, also.

Update: We have a winner already. Bike Jax in Jacksonville, Florida won a package of Action Wipes. Look for the next giveaway to occur this Friday. To win: Be the first person to click this link with the text “Actions Wipes Giveaway http://www.cyclelicio.us/ #actionwipes” to Twitter.

Good luck! This entry is posted Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM U.S. Pacific Time. See contest rules for limitations and other details.