Moving Forward

It's not like I love paying taxes, but my income is a result of the society in which I live. I do better when people have good roads to get to work and a good education to perform the intricate work required to keep us moving forward. If I make more money, then I want to pay my fair share in order to keep health care options reasonable and not discriminate against women; they are a big part of my success. I feel a responsibility to the society that has created the conditions that have allowed my success. I didn't get where I am solely on my own. I had good police and fire protection, I relied on an education system that produced enough other people that were articulate, well enough informed to think critically, and people who enjoyed the fruits of their civil rights not because they had the same perspective and made the same choices as me, but because they were free to live without fear of reprisal for who they are.

Yes my life is richer for all these things and I am voting for Obama in the hope that we won't head in the direction of tax breaks for those least needing them, cutting off support for the true 'fair and balanced' reporting ONLY found on public radio and television. Big Bird as a talking point? Please. I also can't imagine a world where women's health care would be under attack; I don't care much for abortion, but I believe that it is the result of ignorance on how not to get pregnant or the capability to prevent it. Doesn't it make sense to work on educating and supporting women on how to care for and manage their own bodies, the core mission of Planned Parenthood? I am dedicated to moving forward into a sustainable future, not back into an idealized, and largely fictional, past.

Please join me and vote for Obama so we can realize our potential.

Cars - Dramatically more deadly than war

From an interview by NPR's Scott Simon of Mike Hawley, formerly of MIT's Media Lab and Principal Engineer on the NeXT computer with Steve Jobs:

Hawley: Well, let's just put a number on it, a sort of a glib number. The grand total of U.S. automotive fatalities from 1975 to the present, about one and a half million people. Now, the grand total of U.S. fatalities from 1775 to the present in every military conflict we've had is 1.3 million. So in other words, in the last roughly 35 years we've killed more people with cars than we have in more than 300 years of warfare.

Just in case the death toll from automobiles wasn't bad enough, we are at war to keep the things on the road with cheap gas. What are we thinking here?

I'm thinking we could do well to encourage more of these to hit the road and reduce the number of cars.

Gradual School

Walt: Daddy what's gradual school? 
T. S. Garp: What? 
Walt: Gradual school. Mommy say's she teaches at gradual school. 
T. S. Garp: Oh Gradual school is where you go to school and you gradually find out you don't want to go to school anymore. 

I don't Get It

We got a dusting of snow

less than an inch

and as I sit here

I hear the sound

of a snowblower

clearing the top 1/4 inch

followed by the

sound of a shovel

getting the last 1/2 inch.

Petroleum independence might be further away than I think...

Cheerios - Doping at Giro d'Italia

On May 5, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning letter to General Mills indicating they are marketing Cheerios as a drug.

Based on claims made on your product's label, we have determined that your Cheerios® Toasted Whole Grain Oat Cereal is promoted for conditions that cause it to be a drug because the product is intended for use in the prevention, mitigation, and treatment of disease...

In other news, Lance Armstrong tested positive for whole grain oats and is out of the Giro d'Italia tour and will be suspended by Team Astana. Armstrong protested and in an interview with Veloats News commented "It's not like I had Boonen putting the sugar on them, it was just straight Cheerios. It seems as though the Italians are taking lessons from the French on this one."

Recovery Granola

I've been getting in a lot of riding lately. Last week I got in 240 miles, up from the 200 the week before. I've tried various recovery drinks, fancy powdered drinks with fancy price tags and they may or may not work but this is turning out to be a pretty reliable option that is very tasty, doesn't come in a mysterious powder and has great nutritional balance. Seems to me we might be missing the simplicity of real food with our fancy store-bought options. 

Wash it down with a glass of milk and you're good to go!

Mix together:

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

Variation Ingredients (at least one cup, our favorite shown)

1/2 cup of sunflower seeds

1/4 cup of sesame seeds

1 cup slivered or chopped almonds

1 cup broken or chopped pecans

Preheat oven:

275 degrees

Update:

Coat two 9 x 13 pans with cooking spray (because it's a double recipe...)

Heat to a slow boil in microwave:

1/2 cup maple syrup

-1/3 cup (just a little less than 1/3 cup) flavorless oil, such as vegetable or canola

2 Tbs. water

Flavorings (optional)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Drizzle liquid into dry ingredients:

Make sure it's all mixed together by adding the liquid slowly while stirring the dry stuff.

If you have too much time on your hands:

Squeeze cereal together into clumps with your hands.

Otherwise:

Put prepared cereal into the 9 x 13 pan

Level it out so it bakes evenly

Bake at 275 for 30 minutes

If you are adding dried fruit:

Add it to the mixture at this point

Finally:

Stir the mixture mostly to make sure it's not stuck to the pan.

Level it out again

Bake for another 15 minutes or so until golden brown

Variations:

Nuts you might use; not all together but 1-3 cups total:

• almonds
• pecans
• peanuts -unsalted
• walnuts
• cashews -unsalted
• roasted pistachios
• chopped hazelnuts

Fruits you might use; not all together but 1/2 - 1 cup total:

• sweetened flake coconut
• chopped dried pineapple
• dried cherries
• dark or golden raisins
• dried cranberries
• dried blueberries
• chopped dried pears
• chopped dates
• chopped mangos

Keeps in a sealed container for a couple weeks!

Based on Great Granola by Pam Anderson

Spring Classic

First hot day

Classic April headwind

Pushing the paceline back

Grinding forward anyway

Post rush-hour light traffic

Bike lane stripe

Winter sand swept away

Safety illusion

Half dozen lycra spinners

Bright colors half a block long

Happily pedaling in the

Safety zone

Silent without warning

Steel on my left

Enters the safety zone

Terminates my safety

Rolling at a good clip

Nearly through the intersection

I'm meeting a right hook

Unwelcome spring classic

Turning, leaning on Detroit steel

Hoping I don't join Erik

Steel and lycra shouldn't touch

By surprise at 20 mph

I should have

Chased him down

Educated him on how

He nearly took a life

Group Riding, Group Safety

Belgium Knee Warmers has this great post called A Group Effort about group riding etiquette and approach. If you do any group riding, you owe it to yourself, no actually you owe it to the  group to get up to speed on this:

Be a good wheel - This is a broad statement, but apply it as you will. To me, this means, keep a steady flow when riding with others, no herky-jerky, yo-yo moves. Keep the power distribution smooth, and soft pedal to control your speed and time yourself so you don't have to use your brakes unless it's absolutely necessary. Avoid bumps and holes in the road by giving the riders behind you fair warning. In some cases this means a subtle point or a verbal cue "hole," but try to reduce the amount of shouting, it creates confusion and no-one likes the startle effect it can produce. When you're at the front and responsible for the group behind you, look ahead, and when an obstacle approaches, give the group the benefit of a smooth lateral movement that begins 10 seconds in advance. This way there is a smooth avoidance. As a rider behind, watch the riders in front of you and mimic their line if you trust the wheel in front of you. A trusted wheel is sure to avoid obstacles.

Read the rest here at BKW...

Coming relatively recently to group riding with a racer's insight, this is something that I have worked very hard on and still welcome advice on how to improve. So many of my miles are solo for my commute that I don't always shift gears into group riding as effectively as I should. When riding with others, I hope to be that dependable wheel that will keep them safe as they catch my wheel and I hope to find other dependable wheels in the group as well.

Now that more riders are taking their bikes off the winter hooks, I hope we can all keep improving our skills both for our increased enjoyment but even more so for the safety of the group. Fact is I might do more club rides if I felt safer on them and the BKW post sets a great foundation. I am hoping that this year can be the safest year.

Riding skills need focused effort just like fitness so let's think skills as well as fitness as we begin another great season. Be a good wheel and we'll all be safe out there!

AIG - Definition of Bullshit

This is the very definition of bullshit: $165 Million in Bonuses

How in the hell can anyone think the folks responsible for the AIG debacle deserve a bonus for their efforts? They screw up so badly our government has to step in and give them our money, $170 Billion Dollars of our goddamn money, to bail them out. The argument is that the bonuses were promised before the crisis so they have to be paid. They continue saying they can't attract the best and brightest talent to lead the company out of the crisis if their compensation is subject to "continued and arbitrary adjustment" by the U.S. Treasury. 

IT'S NOT ARBITRARY, THEY SCREWED UP! When did accountability become synonymous with arbitrary? How can they be thought of as the "best and brightest" when the crisis is the result of their efforts? If this is what the best and brightest deliver, perhaps we should just put some average folks in charge. You know, the kind of folks who know how to balance a check book and actually kick the tires before they buy something so they know they aren't getting a pig in a poke.

At what point would these dip shits decide that criminal actions need to be sanctioned not bonused? If these executives had murdered someone would that be grounds to cancel? There are folks who have lost their futures over this and no doubt there will be suicides as a result. I would argue that the actions that brought on this crises, and AIG is dead center in the whole mess, will cause deaths.

How can the people making these decisions sleep or look themselves in the mirror?

How about jail time? How about we offer them a long stay in our jails instead of our money? Or maybe I should apply for a job that I can screw up beyond comprehension and still not only get to keep the job but get some obscene bonus for my incompetent efforts. Except that, unlike these sorry excuses for human beings, I couldn't live with myself.

Is anyone paying attention out there? It's time for people in positions of power to take some responsibility for crying out loud. 

Elusive State of Normal

Normal isn’t typically hard to find. It’s just how things are. The way they have been for the largest periods of life. Yes there are the peaks and valleys where normal flits away on an unexpected gust of life. When the gust subsides, normal creeps back in like a puddle in the low spot of a parking lot. It’s never quite the same but it becomes the new normal.

Normal includes the redefinition of Normal spinning from where it came to where it now is. But it’s still Normal. Accepting the new Normal sometimes takes time. Perhaps it requires an acceptance, even grieving for what’s been lost, what’s being replaced. It’s true that some states of Normal are more difficult to accept than others. Sometimes it’s difficult to detect when the new Normal has finally settled in and the transition is complete.

For me, reconstructing Normal has been a long and varied effort. I’ve known folks who declare how their lives will go, perhaps “I’m going to be a Doctor” and then one day they are. It still takes time but their path is pretty straight between that day in third grade when they declared their intent and their current Normal. I’m not one of those and can’t pretend I am. Don’t want to either which is not to cast any shadows on their path but it just hasn’t been that way for me.

I started this post a few months back when the house was torn apart for our remodeling project. Being unemployed through it all, I was here living every dusty, noisy moment. Sometimes leaving for interview calls since I didn’t want it to sound like I was calling from a park bench in downtown. Sometimes I would head out just to head out and that was fine and all but Normal demands a home into which you can retreat.

Normal has the comforts we surround ourselves with. It’s soft where we need it to be. Quiet for our thoughts and rich with the dreams of a future yet to be realized. It also has its hard spots from which we can push off into the world we are constructing. We plan, or at least understand that at times we incur disruption and lack of connection to these things just as a broad jump athlete lifts off from the toe board in the quest to soar over the distance.

At that point they are helpless, suspended in air, hurtling towards all that for which their training has prepared them. Even though they are no longer physically connected to the earth, this is Normal and they know they will land according to the trajectory their training, in the long term, and their leap at the instant they took flight, has set for them. But they always land somewhere.

I have carefully crafted the arc of my career, set the trajectory on which I have flown for many years. And, as Normal would have it, I always landed. But what happens when the very laws of physics change between the time your foot launches your flight and the predicted landing? I started this run as a broad jumper and now find myself in the dark, a freefalling parachutist, wondering how to open my chute.

Actually, I’m wondering if I have a chute since I didn’t pack one. If I do have one, I’ll have to figure out how to open it on my way down and assuming I can figure that out, knowing when to pull the chord is likely to be important. Too late and I’ll end up a stain on the tarmac but too early and I’ll suffer the relentless cross winds and miss the target completely.

I don’t know if it’s a good thing but I’m not alone in this free fall. Somewhere along the line our society lost the concept that adding value was the foundation of Normal and that bedrock was replaced by a Normal where adding wealth was all that mattered. Never mind that it was all based on IOU’s written on tissue paper now being used by the Bear to clean up after a grizzly dump.

So now that our game of Financial Let’s Pretend is ending, will we return to a Normal based on actual value or will we just generate so much paper that it looks like a foundation on which our future can be constructed? Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion but while we wait you might want to pick up a few extra rolls, you know just to get in on the ground floor of the next Normal.

Solving The Wrong Problem

The latest jolt from Fat Lad’s cattle prod:

For you is cycling a lifestyle thing or is it a utilitarian tool for getting from A to B?

Thoughts on the back of a £20 pound note to my home address please ;)

I’m not really sure which camp I fall into. Some days I think I’m clearly on the lifestyle of the equation since I commute full time, mountain bike most weekends that I’m not out on a road ride with my pals. I do many utility runs on the bike, groceries, post office etc. as well so I can’t argue with the utilitarian camp either. I can’t decide if I’m being indecisive or if perhaps I fall into a third camp.

Perhaps we are just due for some new thinking about transportation. We’re currently on an unsustainable energy track and seem to think if we aren’t seated on our butts at all times that something’s wrong with us. Our preference to emulate our living rooms for our transportation environment results in excess energy consumption and unnecessary emission loads into the environment.

If the energy consumption and it’s resulting pollution fatal embrace weren’t enough reason to reevaluate our transportation strategy perhaps a quick peak at our declining health could get us to the tipping point. We are an increasingly obese society and more than just a few folks (Fat Lad, Fat Cyclist, fatboybiking, Large Fella On A Bike, etc.) are looking at the bicycle to address our collective girth. Even if your focus isn’t losing weight, increasing exercise improves health. Unlike other machines, using our bodies improves them.

I think about how this triple threat could be so effectively reduced with the lowly bicycle and wonder why there has been so little focus on integrating cycling into our culture. So when my Popular Science magazine arrives the other day, a side bar headline jumps out at me:

It’s a very interesting story that makes the argument that we are trying to solve the wrong problem. Like so many times a fresh insight shows up, it’s a real ‘Duh’ moment for me. The problem isn’t how to get better mileage from our vehicles. It’s how can we transport ourselves from A to B.

At the beginning of the article they highlight a couple interesting facts in a sidebar:

1.    “If every adult in the world rode a stationary bike for eight hours a day to generate electricity, they would crank out 80 gigawatts – still only half of 1 percent of our energy needs.”

2.    “If each American driver cycled to work just one day a week, we could cut our Persian Gulf oil imports in half.”

The first one is the kind of statistic naysayers like but when juxtaposed with the second, it underscores how little energy is actually needed to move us from A to B. The whole better gas mileage mantra is focused on what it takes to power our rolling living rooms but the living room is the wrong tool for the job.

People find it easy to focus on the symptom and forget to ask themselves “Just what was the problem this now broken solution was intended to resolve?” The original problem was “How can we get around more quickly and easily than walking? We need to get back to this original question!

I still use my car for longer trips and larger loads and don’t feel even a twinge of guilt. Sometimes it’s the right tool for the job and yes, better mileage would be great. If you only have a hammer, all your problems tend to look like nails. It follows then, that if you only have a car for getting from A to B, you are not likely to consider a bicycle to be the proper tool for the job.

I am encouraged that the mainstream press like the Wall Street Journal is starting to spread some ink on bicycle commuting and thrilled with the presentation in Popular Science this month that gives very deep coverage and presents an entirely new angle.” Good Magazine has an interesting article about transportation efficiency that I found over at Why Howard Laughed.

I still don’t know if I’m a lifestyle or utilitarian cyclist but then once I leave the grocery store, I don’t really care that much about labels.

PS – I’m a bit confused about Fat Lad’s request for a copy of this post being sent to him by post on 20 pound note stock but I will put it in the mail and hope that it’s not a case of mis-communication across the pond... J

A Moment of Silence

"Let us have a moment of silence for all Americans who are now stuck in traffic on their way to a health club to ride a stationary bicycle." Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon)

Shamelessly stolen from the quote line at A Midway Bike Blog who is setting a great example this morning.