So, I know from talking to a lot of people that I wasn't the only one who felt that Heroes really had taken a wrong turn this season. It's only season 2, guys, come on! Well, it seems like there has been far too many episodes lately that instead of focusing on 4-5 storylines that connect, have focused on what seems like 8-10 different stories, some which relate to one another, some that seem just thrown in to add new characters to the dwindling lineup to replace the murdered cast members. I was really getting down about how the episodes were turning out. I felt like their writers went on strike long before any talks of writers striking even began. My friend April, who was really into the show, even decided to stop watching and I had to make a plea and justify why watching Heroes was still going to be worth it, or at the least, tolerable.
Well, I feel like they really turned a corner this week, on what was supposed to be the first of the final 3 episodes this year. Things really seemed to fall back into place. The stories became more interesting. The stories didn't change back and forth so spastically that I felt like each episode was the first time I'd seen Heroes. They just brought the feeling back. I felt like I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of it and excited to see what was in store after the commercial break! It was really fantastic to get that feeling back! I hope that the final two episodes are going to hold up to this higher standard than a lot of the beginning of this second season! They need it to keep people watching for the third! I'll still watch, but just because I'm hooked deep.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
I just hope that this really accomplishes what I wanted. To illustrate the true meaning of Thanksgiving!Resident Evil: Extinction
Ok, another late review and for another action/horror movie I didn't care for...
I don't think this was anywhere near as bad as Saw 4. Let me just get that out of the way right now. Now, this had a lot of potential and thus far, I'd loved the prior movies. I was really excited about this one to come out! It had all the buzz it needed and deserved, but I feel like it kind of fell flat after that.
The plot isn't something that's going to be too in-depth. It's a Resident Evil movie. Its storyline loosely follows the Resident Evil video games that first appeared on Sony's Playstation game system. I had 3 issues that I really felt just didn't work in the movie.
1. The scene with the crows: If you've got like a million crows flying just overhead and threatening to tear you to ribbons, are you really going to take the time to sit and fire a handgun into the massive cloud of crows swarming around? It's like seeing a tidal wave coming towards you and taking a teacup and starting to scoop the water up. You run! You don't stop and shoot 2 birds while their 5,304,394 brothers and sisters get ready to attack.
2. The scene where zombies start piling out of the 30-foot container. Ok, granted they are zombies and you can probably smash 'em in pretty tight and not care too much about their complaining, but come on... What was it?!?! Was it the storage container version of a circus clown car??? SO many kept coming out of the container there was no way more could be inside. Yet they kept coming. If there were some sort of dimensional portal in the container, I could suspend my beliefs and accept it. IF they mentioned it. Now when they just keep coming, it's a little tougher without explanation.
3. The "big finale" of a fight was really the most anticlimactic part of all. It just wasn't much of a challenge. I thought it was a pretty cool fight scene, granted, but it felt nothing like the end of the movie. I was really in a state of disbelief when the credits started rolling! I knew that couldn't have been the end of the movie. It didn't even feel close to finished. The ending was so lackluster I couldn't believe it! I really felt like that final fight scene was just working into another situation where they'd really have their go at it. No such luck.
Kind of a disappointment, but there was some cool action in it, for what action there was. Not really up to par with the prior RE movies.
I don't think this was anywhere near as bad as Saw 4. Let me just get that out of the way right now. Now, this had a lot of potential and thus far, I'd loved the prior movies. I was really excited about this one to come out! It had all the buzz it needed and deserved, but I feel like it kind of fell flat after that.
The plot isn't something that's going to be too in-depth. It's a Resident Evil movie. Its storyline loosely follows the Resident Evil video games that first appeared on Sony's Playstation game system. I had 3 issues that I really felt just didn't work in the movie.
1. The scene with the crows: If you've got like a million crows flying just overhead and threatening to tear you to ribbons, are you really going to take the time to sit and fire a handgun into the massive cloud of crows swarming around? It's like seeing a tidal wave coming towards you and taking a teacup and starting to scoop the water up. You run! You don't stop and shoot 2 birds while their 5,304,394 brothers and sisters get ready to attack.
2. The scene where zombies start piling out of the 30-foot container. Ok, granted they are zombies and you can probably smash 'em in pretty tight and not care too much about their complaining, but come on... What was it?!?! Was it the storage container version of a circus clown car??? SO many kept coming out of the container there was no way more could be inside. Yet they kept coming. If there were some sort of dimensional portal in the container, I could suspend my beliefs and accept it. IF they mentioned it. Now when they just keep coming, it's a little tougher without explanation.
3. The "big finale" of a fight was really the most anticlimactic part of all. It just wasn't much of a challenge. I thought it was a pretty cool fight scene, granted, but it felt nothing like the end of the movie. I was really in a state of disbelief when the credits started rolling! I knew that couldn't have been the end of the movie. It didn't even feel close to finished. The ending was so lackluster I couldn't believe it! I really felt like that final fight scene was just working into another situation where they'd really have their go at it. No such luck.
Kind of a disappointment, but there was some cool action in it, for what action there was. Not really up to par with the prior RE movies.
Saw IV
This is a late blog about this film. For one thing, I just was unable to write a new blog for quite some time. For a second thing, it was just a terrible movie. I can't believe it's made it this far! I was just shocked that the movie seemed to be so lame. I did go with a bunch of people who had seen all of the other 3 and were quite big fans. They all talked about how this one really tied things together a lot and how it answered a lot of things from the prior movies. It answered my questions about the worst movie of the year.
Don't get me wrong... I know it's a slasher/horror flick, but it just didn't seem up to par for what it was. There was maybe one scene that made me almost jump. The suspense really wasn't there and it seemed to just try to gross you out and shock you. It succeeded with a couple people I was there with. It succeeded in making me a little bit angrier inside...
Don't get me wrong... I know it's a slasher/horror flick, but it just didn't seem up to par for what it was. There was maybe one scene that made me almost jump. The suspense really wasn't there and it seemed to just try to gross you out and shock you. It succeeded with a couple people I was there with. It succeeded in making me a little bit angrier inside...
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Heroes: The Powers That Be...
Well, it's that exciting time of year when the new season starts for television and new episodes finally start coming on after a long hiatus. It's two episodes into the second season of Heroes, one of the biggest new hit shows of last season for NBC. It seems like there's a lot more in store for us this season!
At the conclusion of season one, Nathan and Peter Petrelli flew into the sky moments before Peter was due to explode taking half of Manhattan with him. Was Sylar finished? What's the plight of the cheerleader now? What is Hiro doing hundreds of years in the past? There's a lot to wrap up for season two. With so many characters, you'd think it was hard to follow the storyline(s), but it's a pretty seamless transition from one character to the next, once you get into the show.
So, for the start of season two, the previews have already showed Sylar in the picture. Nathan is alive and in New York and has fallen from politician to drunk, remorseful over the plight of his brother. Peter is alive, too, although it's hard to know yet if Nathan knows this. He is discovered somewhere around Ireland in a storage container with no idea who he is or the powers he holds. The cheerleader, Claire, and her family are in a new neighborhood somewhere in California (I think) and she's starting a new school and her father is starting a new job dealing with paper. They are working on laying low. Hiro is in the past, in Japan, and faced with the idea that his childhood hero is actually a white guy and seemingly not the hero he thought (although not if Hiro can do anything about it). There's a couple of new characters already, Maya and her twin brother, somewhere near the Mexican border. Her power is hard to understand so far. She starts to look like a weeping Virgin Mary statue with blood tears, then apparently all the people who look at her suffer death. Apparently, her brother is immune to this and can even bring back the people killed by her or something like that. They're on the run for America to find a doctor to cure her. There's more stories going on at the same time in the same timeline and sure to be more.
This season has seemed to start off great! I'm not so into Hiro's story, right now, but I'm still interested and he's a fascinating and loveable character. Hiro's father, back in the present, has been killed in front of Hiro's best friend Ando. The mind-reading cop and Mohinder are together and taking care of the young girl who can find others who have "powers". Mohinder is quietly working with Claire's father and has rescued the Haitian from a possible fatal virus in Haiti. There's still a lot more characters waiting for their season two appearances and if you watch the show, it won't seem nearly as segmented and disconnected as I've made it seem. There's a lot in store!
At the conclusion of season one, Nathan and Peter Petrelli flew into the sky moments before Peter was due to explode taking half of Manhattan with him. Was Sylar finished? What's the plight of the cheerleader now? What is Hiro doing hundreds of years in the past? There's a lot to wrap up for season two. With so many characters, you'd think it was hard to follow the storyline(s), but it's a pretty seamless transition from one character to the next, once you get into the show.
So, for the start of season two, the previews have already showed Sylar in the picture. Nathan is alive and in New York and has fallen from politician to drunk, remorseful over the plight of his brother. Peter is alive, too, although it's hard to know yet if Nathan knows this. He is discovered somewhere around Ireland in a storage container with no idea who he is or the powers he holds. The cheerleader, Claire, and her family are in a new neighborhood somewhere in California (I think) and she's starting a new school and her father is starting a new job dealing with paper. They are working on laying low. Hiro is in the past, in Japan, and faced with the idea that his childhood hero is actually a white guy and seemingly not the hero he thought (although not if Hiro can do anything about it). There's a couple of new characters already, Maya and her twin brother, somewhere near the Mexican border. Her power is hard to understand so far. She starts to look like a weeping Virgin Mary statue with blood tears, then apparently all the people who look at her suffer death. Apparently, her brother is immune to this and can even bring back the people killed by her or something like that. They're on the run for America to find a doctor to cure her. There's more stories going on at the same time in the same timeline and sure to be more.
This season has seemed to start off great! I'm not so into Hiro's story, right now, but I'm still interested and he's a fascinating and loveable character. Hiro's father, back in the present, has been killed in front of Hiro's best friend Ando. The mind-reading cop and Mohinder are together and taking care of the young girl who can find others who have "powers". Mohinder is quietly working with Claire's father and has rescued the Haitian from a possible fatal virus in Haiti. There's still a lot more characters waiting for their season two appearances and if you watch the show, it won't seem nearly as segmented and disconnected as I've made it seem. There's a lot in store!
Flight of the Conchords is coming back for seconds!
After a long hiatus away from the computer, I at least have a bit of good news, at least regarding the Flight of the Conchords. They were signed for a second season with HBO so expect this comedic musical duo to be back again for more! The first season was full of many of their hilarious songs as well as some new ones that I'd never heard. I'm very excited to see what's in store for this pair in season two!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Transformers
Anticipation for this film was building up so much in so many of us who grew up with Optimus, Soundwave, and all the rest of the Autobots and Decepticons that built our youth. It was such an exciting thing to hear, that this movie was even being made! Well, I've got to say that Michael Bay delivers a visually stunning fast-paced film that lived up to the legacy! He really delivers, right down to the transforming which actually seems almost plausible as you watch it somehow happening right before your eyes! Seeing the old heroes and villians "live" on the big screen was also a real treat!
One problem I felt this movie had, though, was it just seemed a little to "heavy" on people. I went to this movie and I was so pumped up about seeing the Transformers transforming and doing their thing. It felt like forever until we actually got to see some of them and see them doing something. There was just so much with all of the human characters that felt a little bit unnecessary, considering how impressive the Transformers look, even if they're just standing around. Don't get me wrong, though, as the Transformers definitely make their presence known on screen and there was never any doubt that Bay would deliver some amazing on-screen battles for us, but it just felt like we had to wait around until things finally got moving. Once the movie picks up, things really start to flow and it really draws you into the movie more.
The only other problem I had, which was a very minute issue, was that the movie surely seems like a commercial for GM. The cars were definitely nice and I'm sure many people will not have necessarily noticed, but I couldn't help but see that it was one after another GM auto rolling on-screen. Of the GM cars, though, that new Camaro, which I'm hoping will be the talked-about rebound of the Camaro, is a beautiful piece of machinery.
The big positive is definitely the graphical art that is on-screen. The Transformers look so real and transforming isn't a matter of some obvious CGI work, but a more organic-looking sort of show that is really impressive. The story is good enough, albeit a bit corny at times, to keep you there anticipating the next big action scene, that is surely right around the corner.
This is one film I'd definitely recommend to every person who remembers Transformers from back in the day and for those that don't, the storyline and the human aspect in the film is enough to keep you in the movie. I guess I'd imagine that's a big part of that aspect of the movie, is for those that weren't already pumped up by just hearing, "Transformers".
One problem I felt this movie had, though, was it just seemed a little to "heavy" on people. I went to this movie and I was so pumped up about seeing the Transformers transforming and doing their thing. It felt like forever until we actually got to see some of them and see them doing something. There was just so much with all of the human characters that felt a little bit unnecessary, considering how impressive the Transformers look, even if they're just standing around. Don't get me wrong, though, as the Transformers definitely make their presence known on screen and there was never any doubt that Bay would deliver some amazing on-screen battles for us, but it just felt like we had to wait around until things finally got moving. Once the movie picks up, things really start to flow and it really draws you into the movie more.
The only other problem I had, which was a very minute issue, was that the movie surely seems like a commercial for GM. The cars were definitely nice and I'm sure many people will not have necessarily noticed, but I couldn't help but see that it was one after another GM auto rolling on-screen. Of the GM cars, though, that new Camaro, which I'm hoping will be the talked-about rebound of the Camaro, is a beautiful piece of machinery.
The big positive is definitely the graphical art that is on-screen. The Transformers look so real and transforming isn't a matter of some obvious CGI work, but a more organic-looking sort of show that is really impressive. The story is good enough, albeit a bit corny at times, to keep you there anticipating the next big action scene, that is surely right around the corner.
This is one film I'd definitely recommend to every person who remembers Transformers from back in the day and for those that don't, the storyline and the human aspect in the film is enough to keep you in the movie. I guess I'd imagine that's a big part of that aspect of the movie, is for those that weren't already pumped up by just hearing, "Transformers".
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Eagle vs. Shark (Part II)
So, I saw Eagle vs. Shark last night... This was a great coming-of-age comedy directed by Taika Waititi that I already talked about in the blog just prior to this. This starred Loren Horsley and Jemaine Clement as a pair of not-so-lovable social misfits, Lily and Jarrod. Lily works the counter at a local fast-food restaurant and Jarrod works at a video game store. Not exactly the glamorous life to begin with... Well, it gets better as their personalities seem as dull as their jobs, yet there's passion behind these apparent personality woes. Well, Lily likes Jarrod and pursues him and therein develops a relationship as they go through the relationship problems that we all suffer yet never see on the big screen. Horsley and Clement really play their roles well and you can really feel their awkwardness at each turn.
This movie had a few moments when the pace started to slow (which seems weird, considering the pace of the movie) and the animated bits felt somewhat unnecessary, but all in all, I'd say it's a very watchable hilarious romantic comedy! I've already recommended it to friends, but the humor can feel a little subdued, so I thought about who I was recommending it to. David Fane has a great small role in the movie and really delivers in it. I like how this movie doesn't try to "cash in" on the beauty and environment of NZ, rather focusing mostly on drab scenes and smaller towns that aren't so aesthetically appealing. I think Taika Waititi really delivered in this film and you may have to search to see if it's playing in your town, as it was only playing in one theatre in Seattle, but it's worth the hunt!
This movie had a few moments when the pace started to slow (which seems weird, considering the pace of the movie) and the animated bits felt somewhat unnecessary, but all in all, I'd say it's a very watchable hilarious romantic comedy! I've already recommended it to friends, but the humor can feel a little subdued, so I thought about who I was recommending it to. David Fane has a great small role in the movie and really delivers in it. I like how this movie doesn't try to "cash in" on the beauty and environment of NZ, rather focusing mostly on drab scenes and smaller towns that aren't so aesthetically appealing. I think Taika Waititi really delivered in this film and you may have to search to see if it's playing in your town, as it was only playing in one theatre in Seattle, but it's worth the hunt!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Eagle vs. Shark
One more post that has a relation to Jemaine Clement... Eagle vs. Shark is a new movie directed by Taika Waititi. He is a New Zealand native and as a real piece of random trivia, he was actually in the movie Tongan Ninja, playing one of the dancers in the kitchen dance scene as one of the chefs with the big pot. Weird, aye? Well, Eagle vs. Shark is a comedy about a couple of social misfits (Jemaine Clement and Loren Horsley) who awkwardly move towards love while dealing with all of the same problems facing everybody in love, such as its interference in plotting revenge on old high school bullies. This film has already been nominated for and won some number of awards including Best Comedy at the Newport Beach Film Festival and has been compared to Napoleon Dynamite in comedy style. It is currently playing in the states in select locations and is supposed to open in NZ sometime in August. I'll be trying to view this in Seattle later this week and give my own review of it, but I'm excited to see it!
Friday, July 06, 2007
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Flight of the Conchords
Although I didn't get a chance to see these two when they were in Seattle last weekend (tickets were sold out when I even first heard of the show), I am a big fan of the Flight of the Conchords. Flight of the Conchords is Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie, a comedic folk duo from New Zealand. I first heard of these guys because I knew of Jemaine Clement because he had the one of the leading roles in one of my favorite movies, Tongan Ninja. When I heard he was in a comedy folk band, I was already interested. When I heard a few of their songs, I was laughing like crazy and couldn't wait to play them for my friends, especially those who had enjoyed Tongan Ninja (for the instant recognition and similar humor styles). They are really on the move up becoming more recognized and have even gotten their own show on HBO now, just called The Flight of the Conchords, that just started about a month ago. They are definitely worth listening to and their show is good for some laughs.
A gorgeous start to Seattle's summer!
Wow, how about an amazing "start" to summer yesterday, with the 4th of July in Seattle seeing no clouds and temperatures in the mid-80's! What a beautiful day! I rode from Edmonds to Kirkland and encountered many others enthused about utilizing the trails on such a beautiful day! It was great to see so many people out enjoying the weather and great to see the weather finally giving in and allowing us a rain-free 4th of July for once! It looks like things are remaining the same for a while now, so summer seems to definitely have bloomed for us here! Usually on the 4th, I like to rationalize that the rain decreases the likelihood of fireworks-related fires, but no need this year! It looks like Seattle might be having one of the best summers right now, compared to a lot of the country. All over Southern Cal are high temperatures, Vegas at 116 degrees (!), Texas is still suffering from heavy rains and flooding, Montana and Colorado with bad heat waves... I think we've got things all right...
Monday, June 25, 2007
Fuel Savings Update!
I'm up to having saved 57.5 gallons of gasoline now! That's a serious savings now, if you think about just the volume of 57 gallons! I think I haven't been keeping track carefully enough, as I would have spent a lot more than that on gas by now, but it only takes into account the gas saved on my commute to and from work. Still, that's about 4 tanks of gas! Considering the amount of gas that is, the monetary cost (around $180ish, but I just kind of estimated from the time that gas was near $4 and now when it's back around $3 and used $3.15/gallon), and how much pollution would have been put out by my burning that much fuel, it really shows the difference that one person can make (which really negates my "...But I'm only one man!" argument). You won't step outside and smell cleaner air, but the difference is being made little by little. Considering all of the other people that I ride alongside on the trails, it all adds up and that little by little becomes more and more consequential.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Riding the bus...
I have to admit, I've been loving it! I've only ridden the bus a few times from my home to work now, preferring to ride my bike, but it's been fantastic! The first time, I felt like it was the biggest hassle in the world, transferring not once, not twice, but three times for a total of four bus rides! I couldn't believe it and I was worried about making my transitions and such. By now, it's only the 3rd or 4th time, but it's totally comfortable and while I still carry a paper documenting my travel plans that I scrawled down, I don't really need it now. Seriously, it's been good times! Yesterday, I spent $1.25 on the trip to and $1.50 on the trip from work. That's a grand total of $2.75!! Way less than a gallon of gas (and I found a $1 in my work parking lot technically bringing my spending down to $1.75, though I wouldn't expect this as a daily occurrance)!
As much as I do love to bike, now that I've gotten into the "whole biking scene", it has been such a joy to not have to on these occasions that I haven't felt like it or when my legs were feeling a little stiff because I didn't stretch when I got home. On top of that was the greatest thing yesterday! When I got onto the Community Transit #441, they had free Wi-Fi on the bus! Unfortunately, I couldn't get my Nintendo DS to link up to it properly, but I was able to find the bus' network and that means I can bring my laptop or Compaq Ipaq and surf the web and take care of email and such on the way home! That's a more reliable internet source than I have in my own home (I search around for unlocked wireless networks that I can get a signal from)! For the price of the bus ride, there's free internet, comfy seats and I still don't have to deal with the traffic, just like on the bike! I'm definitely going to be taking the bus at least once or twice a week now!
As much as I do love to bike, now that I've gotten into the "whole biking scene", it has been such a joy to not have to on these occasions that I haven't felt like it or when my legs were feeling a little stiff because I didn't stretch when I got home. On top of that was the greatest thing yesterday! When I got onto the Community Transit #441, they had free Wi-Fi on the bus! Unfortunately, I couldn't get my Nintendo DS to link up to it properly, but I was able to find the bus' network and that means I can bring my laptop or Compaq Ipaq and surf the web and take care of email and such on the way home! That's a more reliable internet source than I have in my own home (I search around for unlocked wireless networks that I can get a signal from)! For the price of the bus ride, there's free internet, comfy seats and I still don't have to deal with the traffic, just like on the bike! I'm definitely going to be taking the bus at least once or twice a week now!
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Fuel Savings Update
I don't know if I've been keeping track so accurately as I just try to remember to write it up on the whiteboard at work, but so far, I've added up at least 25 gallons of gas that hasn't been burned or purchased! According to AAA's average gas price estimates for the area of $3.38 per gallon today, it would cost $84.50! That's a pretty good chunk of change! I'm sure I've spent that on "biking parts" and such, but I'd rather it go there than into burning more fuel!
Transportation Woes...
There's a lot of things that I've been pretty lucky with; randomly jumping into things that I have no prior knowledge of and succeeding (or at the least, not failing miserably), obtaining and maintaining enough work to support my self, and basically just always being able to sate my various appetites for nourishment and things to maintain my amusement, but one thing that hasn't been at the top of my "lucky list" lately has been transportation. It really seems like it's just been one thing after another...
Cars
As of late, I've been severely reducing the numbers of cars I've had. It's been a bit of a part of my plan to simplify, a bit financial, and a bit of some of my other reasons.
Well, I sold my Mercedes for a song and a handshake, thinking there was something pretty wrong with it. The new owner spent about 30 minutes in my condo parking lot and drove it out happy as a clam. Oh well... I didn't need one more car. Heck, I'm not a Mercedes mechanic (and I say this because I'm obviously a great VW mechanic).
Well, I had such good luck with this and decided that it was time to get rid of the VW Westfalia (a camper Bus). It was a beautiful van, but it didn't get great gas mileage and the last thing I needed was another vehicle. So, right after making this decision, my Jetta starts faltering and decides to stop being my trusty steed. No big deal, right? I've still got the van. Then, I decide I'm selling the van anyways. I post an ad on Craigslist and almost immediately after I do, it develops this weird trait where it decides not to start all the time. Not that it won't start, but the starter doesn't want to do its part. I figure I've got a good back and keep compression starting it (push-starting) and hoping I can always keep it on top of a hill or at the very least, not at the bottom of a lot of hills. Then, I realize that no one is going to buy it at any price that I'll be happy with if it doesn't start. That's how I've gotten a lot of cars, by buying them cheap because of some "small" problem that made them seem pretty worthless that I then later fixed. Well, I took it to Buttera Motors and they couldn't figure out the problem. They kept it overnight and the next day, told me they had figured out the problem. The ground wire had been loose and the connection hadn't been solid enough. It was fairly cheap and so I also had a new shift coupler installed as I didn't want to to it, but it would really make for a better sale if the car went into the gears buyers expected. I was happy and on my way and it was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon! By Monday, the problem was back and I'd had trouble getting it started and had to push it out of the parking lot. I leave for work at 6 AM if I'm driving, and by this time, it was getting light at 6 in the morning, so I couldn't slink off in the night while I was pushing my van. Now, everybody could see plain as day, old Sione pushing his beat-up junker of a van... Embarassing. Well, I call them up and take it back to Buttera once more on Tuesday. They once again have a hard time figuring out the problem, but this time they say that the ground cable is not sufficient (I guess it had been before), replace that and "tighten some wires". They keep it for 2 days again, so I had to find a way home and to the shop. They also see it as acceptable to charge me again and send me on my way. I pick it up midday, head back to work and it starts up fine at the end of the day! Woo hoo!! I've been making up stories to potential buyers about being out of town for work and this and that, rather then say that the van's been on the fritz, so I'm happy! I stop off at the 99 Ranch Market (no reason to provide a link, but I do love shopping here!) and pick up some groceries. I load up my van and hop in. I turn the key. Nothing. Again. Nothing. I am parked right in front of the grocery and it's about 5PM so it's pretty busy. I don't want to try to push-start it right now. It's embarassing and I don't want to push it, not get it started, then roll somewhere and have to get out of the way. I get back out, grab my groceries, and start walking home. It's only about a mile or two... I ride my bike to my friend's house and he and I later go and get the van started and I take it home. I call Buttera Motors the next day, explaining the situation and how it's happened again. They ask me if I can bring it in. I explain that I've ridden my bike to work and I'm 17 miles away from the vehicle. They offer to tow it and tell me I just need to get the keys to the car. I explain again... "I'm SEVENTEEN MILES AWAY. I RODE MY BIKE TO WORK. I'M AT WORK. I can't just be at the van with the keys. It's getting really embarassing breaking down everywhere..." He says he understands, blah blah blah, and I hang up. I bring the car in one more time a few days later when I can and they keep it and say that they can find nothing wrong with it. I explain that I've been trying to sell the car and he says that it should be cool and I should go ahead and show the car. I explain that it's been really embarassing breaking down everywhere, but that it happening while I'm showing the car is really going to be embarassing. He agrees and says that this time, no charge. NO CHARGE??? I got charged twice for the same problem, they can't find the problem, I've broken down on the road numerous times after they gave me my car back assuring me it was good to go, but this third time he figures there shouldn't be a charge?!?!?!? Sons of a guns.... I show the car to a guy and his girlfriend later that day. He had been calling and emailing me like crazy while I was "out of town" and I know he'll buy it if it starts. Well, it starts at least the 3 times that he tried it, up until the third when he drove away so I got the price I asked and it's gone. One less problem, although I still haven't even tried to fix my Jetta. It's still biking time!
The most random of all car problems I've had lately is an old Beetle that was in my name for an ex-girlfriend from years ago because she wasn't 18 at the time. I hadn't even seen nor heard of the car in probably at least 6 years until I started seeing some paperwork at my parents' house from a towing company. Apparently, it had been towed and impounded. It was a $400 impound charge and around $55 per day in "storage fees". It's nice that they stored it for me, but I wish I had found out sooner than I had as the fees were already pretty substantial by the time I opened the notices. By the time I paid them... priceless? Maybe I don't understand those commercials...
Bikes
Well, I've written about my trike crash and I still haven't gotten the parts I need to repair that so it's been sitting idle for the time being. It's kind of a bummer and it does take up a lot of room for something I'm not riding...
Well, I have been riding my mountain bike, once I repaired the tire on it. It's been my main mode of transportation, aside from my feet. Well, last Thursday, I'm on my way home and I realize that my left pedal is coming loose. I look at it and the nut that holds it on has been loosening. I try to tighten it but I don't have a socket or ratchet handy so I can only do so much. I get a few more miles and get tired of riding, kicking the pedal further on, and continuing. I start walking and catch a bus. I get home and put a wrench to it and don't even pay it any more mind or wonder why it happened in the first place. I get up the next morning and hop on to ride to work. I bring a pair of needle-nose pliers (I don't know why I didn't just bring a 14mm socket and ratchet, but apparently that would have weighed me down too much) just in case. Well, I get about 2 miles out before it loosens up. I use the pliers to tighten it as much as I can and continue on. I can go about 1/4 mile, kicking the pedal back on while I'm pedaling before I have to stop and tighten it again. Being a 17.5 mile ride, that's a lot of stopping. Well, needless to say, that soon ceases to be an issue. Once I get to the Burke-Gilman trail, I am on my way and it's a smooth level ride the rest of the way. I get to about 10 miles from work before the nut falls completely off (and I can narrow it down to about a 1/2 mile area). I look for it for a bit, then give up. I try riding without the nut, which requires my constantly kicking the pedal back on about every 2-3 revolutions. I realize the pedal is worn and doesn't fit snugly which is why it was loosening the nut in the first place and now it is only getting worse. Much worse. After having to turn around and go back to pick up my pedal a couple of times, I can't go on. I don't mean "go on" as continuing on to work, because I'm not going to miss work (and all the bike shops are closed this early anyways), but I can't go on riding. I'm only 8-9 miles away from work now. I'm around Kenmore and I just need to get through Kenmore, head through Woodinville, and into Redmond where I work. Well, I start jogging with my bike for as long as I can, but I'm no jogger. I walk at a very brisk pace and some people stop to check up on me and see if they can help. I really appreciate that and it feels good although there's nothing they can do at this point. Well, I make it to work only 1 hour late and my legs are really on fire. My feet are surely broken, my thigh muscles are so overworked I'm sure I'll never bike again, and I limp to the showers. Well, I hit the bike shops the next day and apparently, they don't like to sell just left pedals, but only the whole crankset with both pedals and the front gears. Bum deal as I'm not trying to invest that much right now. Fortuitously, there has been this bike sitting out by the dumpsters at my condos for days. What are the odds, seriously? Thank God that bike was there and it even had pedals that are "bolted on" and not just parts of the whole crank! I take it upstairs to my condo and pull the pedal. I brought that pedal to work yesterday, attached it and it fit like a glove, the nut fit the threads the same, and it seemed good to go! As far as I can tell, it is! Woo hoo! I'm back on the road for now and the parts for my trike should be here any day (if they ever ship them, seeing as they're in Washington and it only takes 1 day to ship)!!
I guess everything always works out in the end! Good times...
Cars
As of late, I've been severely reducing the numbers of cars I've had. It's been a bit of a part of my plan to simplify, a bit financial, and a bit of some of my other reasons.
Well, I sold my Mercedes for a song and a handshake, thinking there was something pretty wrong with it. The new owner spent about 30 minutes in my condo parking lot and drove it out happy as a clam. Oh well... I didn't need one more car. Heck, I'm not a Mercedes mechanic (and I say this because I'm obviously a great VW mechanic).
Well, I had such good luck with this and decided that it was time to get rid of the VW Westfalia (a camper Bus). It was a beautiful van, but it didn't get great gas mileage and the last thing I needed was another vehicle. So, right after making this decision, my Jetta starts faltering and decides to stop being my trusty steed. No big deal, right? I've still got the van. Then, I decide I'm selling the van anyways. I post an ad on Craigslist and almost immediately after I do, it develops this weird trait where it decides not to start all the time. Not that it won't start, but the starter doesn't want to do its part. I figure I've got a good back and keep compression starting it (push-starting) and hoping I can always keep it on top of a hill or at the very least, not at the bottom of a lot of hills. Then, I realize that no one is going to buy it at any price that I'll be happy with if it doesn't start. That's how I've gotten a lot of cars, by buying them cheap because of some "small" problem that made them seem pretty worthless that I then later fixed. Well, I took it to Buttera Motors and they couldn't figure out the problem. They kept it overnight and the next day, told me they had figured out the problem. The ground wire had been loose and the connection hadn't been solid enough. It was fairly cheap and so I also had a new shift coupler installed as I didn't want to to it, but it would really make for a better sale if the car went into the gears buyers expected. I was happy and on my way and it was a bright and sunny Friday afternoon! By Monday, the problem was back and I'd had trouble getting it started and had to push it out of the parking lot. I leave for work at 6 AM if I'm driving, and by this time, it was getting light at 6 in the morning, so I couldn't slink off in the night while I was pushing my van. Now, everybody could see plain as day, old Sione pushing his beat-up junker of a van... Embarassing. Well, I call them up and take it back to Buttera once more on Tuesday. They once again have a hard time figuring out the problem, but this time they say that the ground cable is not sufficient (I guess it had been before), replace that and "tighten some wires". They keep it for 2 days again, so I had to find a way home and to the shop. They also see it as acceptable to charge me again and send me on my way. I pick it up midday, head back to work and it starts up fine at the end of the day! Woo hoo!! I've been making up stories to potential buyers about being out of town for work and this and that, rather then say that the van's been on the fritz, so I'm happy! I stop off at the 99 Ranch Market (no reason to provide a link, but I do love shopping here!) and pick up some groceries. I load up my van and hop in. I turn the key. Nothing. Again. Nothing. I am parked right in front of the grocery and it's about 5PM so it's pretty busy. I don't want to try to push-start it right now. It's embarassing and I don't want to push it, not get it started, then roll somewhere and have to get out of the way. I get back out, grab my groceries, and start walking home. It's only about a mile or two... I ride my bike to my friend's house and he and I later go and get the van started and I take it home. I call Buttera Motors the next day, explaining the situation and how it's happened again. They ask me if I can bring it in. I explain that I've ridden my bike to work and I'm 17 miles away from the vehicle. They offer to tow it and tell me I just need to get the keys to the car. I explain again... "I'm SEVENTEEN MILES AWAY. I RODE MY BIKE TO WORK. I'M AT WORK. I can't just be at the van with the keys. It's getting really embarassing breaking down everywhere..." He says he understands, blah blah blah, and I hang up. I bring the car in one more time a few days later when I can and they keep it and say that they can find nothing wrong with it. I explain that I've been trying to sell the car and he says that it should be cool and I should go ahead and show the car. I explain that it's been really embarassing breaking down everywhere, but that it happening while I'm showing the car is really going to be embarassing. He agrees and says that this time, no charge. NO CHARGE??? I got charged twice for the same problem, they can't find the problem, I've broken down on the road numerous times after they gave me my car back assuring me it was good to go, but this third time he figures there shouldn't be a charge?!?!?!? Sons of a guns.... I show the car to a guy and his girlfriend later that day. He had been calling and emailing me like crazy while I was "out of town" and I know he'll buy it if it starts. Well, it starts at least the 3 times that he tried it, up until the third when he drove away so I got the price I asked and it's gone. One less problem, although I still haven't even tried to fix my Jetta. It's still biking time!
The most random of all car problems I've had lately is an old Beetle that was in my name for an ex-girlfriend from years ago because she wasn't 18 at the time. I hadn't even seen nor heard of the car in probably at least 6 years until I started seeing some paperwork at my parents' house from a towing company. Apparently, it had been towed and impounded. It was a $400 impound charge and around $55 per day in "storage fees". It's nice that they stored it for me, but I wish I had found out sooner than I had as the fees were already pretty substantial by the time I opened the notices. By the time I paid them... priceless? Maybe I don't understand those commercials...
Bikes
Well, I've written about my trike crash and I still haven't gotten the parts I need to repair that so it's been sitting idle for the time being. It's kind of a bummer and it does take up a lot of room for something I'm not riding...
Well, I have been riding my mountain bike, once I repaired the tire on it. It's been my main mode of transportation, aside from my feet. Well, last Thursday, I'm on my way home and I realize that my left pedal is coming loose. I look at it and the nut that holds it on has been loosening. I try to tighten it but I don't have a socket or ratchet handy so I can only do so much. I get a few more miles and get tired of riding, kicking the pedal further on, and continuing. I start walking and catch a bus. I get home and put a wrench to it and don't even pay it any more mind or wonder why it happened in the first place. I get up the next morning and hop on to ride to work. I bring a pair of needle-nose pliers (I don't know why I didn't just bring a 14mm socket and ratchet, but apparently that would have weighed me down too much) just in case. Well, I get about 2 miles out before it loosens up. I use the pliers to tighten it as much as I can and continue on. I can go about 1/4 mile, kicking the pedal back on while I'm pedaling before I have to stop and tighten it again. Being a 17.5 mile ride, that's a lot of stopping. Well, needless to say, that soon ceases to be an issue. Once I get to the Burke-Gilman trail, I am on my way and it's a smooth level ride the rest of the way. I get to about 10 miles from work before the nut falls completely off (and I can narrow it down to about a 1/2 mile area). I look for it for a bit, then give up. I try riding without the nut, which requires my constantly kicking the pedal back on about every 2-3 revolutions. I realize the pedal is worn and doesn't fit snugly which is why it was loosening the nut in the first place and now it is only getting worse. Much worse. After having to turn around and go back to pick up my pedal a couple of times, I can't go on. I don't mean "go on" as continuing on to work, because I'm not going to miss work (and all the bike shops are closed this early anyways), but I can't go on riding. I'm only 8-9 miles away from work now. I'm around Kenmore and I just need to get through Kenmore, head through Woodinville, and into Redmond where I work. Well, I start jogging with my bike for as long as I can, but I'm no jogger. I walk at a very brisk pace and some people stop to check up on me and see if they can help. I really appreciate that and it feels good although there's nothing they can do at this point. Well, I make it to work only 1 hour late and my legs are really on fire. My feet are surely broken, my thigh muscles are so overworked I'm sure I'll never bike again, and I limp to the showers. Well, I hit the bike shops the next day and apparently, they don't like to sell just left pedals, but only the whole crankset with both pedals and the front gears. Bum deal as I'm not trying to invest that much right now. Fortuitously, there has been this bike sitting out by the dumpsters at my condos for days. What are the odds, seriously? Thank God that bike was there and it even had pedals that are "bolted on" and not just parts of the whole crank! I take it upstairs to my condo and pull the pedal. I brought that pedal to work yesterday, attached it and it fit like a glove, the nut fit the threads the same, and it seemed good to go! As far as I can tell, it is! Woo hoo! I'm back on the road for now and the parts for my trike should be here any day (if they ever ship them, seeing as they're in Washington and it only takes 1 day to ship)!!
I guess everything always works out in the end! Good times...
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Yahoo Answers!
Wow, if there is one thing that I have found addicting lately, it has been Yahoo Answers! It is a site that allows you to ask and answer just about any question imaginable. It also has a point-based system where you get points for answering questions, get more points for the person asking the question deeming your answer the best, and for other various things. The points allow you to move up in "the ranks" to become a "better" more active user in the Yahoo Answers environment. It almost seems like a prestigious thing to have more Best Answers and it is arranged that way to show how many that each person has. You can find questions on most anything and there are people who either just know a lot about everything or are great/quick/do not mind researching everything under the sun to get the best answers. Anyways, this has just become such a fun time-consuming diversion for me! Give it a try! If you already have a Yahoo account, you're already set to go!
Friday, May 18, 2007
A Sad 'Bike To Work Day'
This is a tough Ride Your Bike To Work Day for me... I've been telling people for a few weeks about it and how they should all ride their bikes into work on the 18th of May and on and on. Well, needless to say, I was excited about the ride in on the 18th as well! Although I was thinking about the congestion, the fact that so many people were going to be riding was a good thought!
Well, my luck with transportation has really soured lately. From cars that won't go to brakes that won't stop, things have not been going exactly as I've been planning. Well, yesterday's ride home fell right into the pattern, although I know that it was really my own carelessness that caused it all. I had gone from Redmond to Lake Forest Park via the Snohomish River/Burke Gilman trail and then had gotten off the trail to cut over towards Edmonds. I was cruising down a hill at a pace of about 25 mph on the left side of the road as it had a large shoulder to ride on, unlike the right side. When I finally decided that it was time to cut over to my side of the road, I looked in my helmet mirror to check the road and then for some reason, I turned my head all the way around (while still cruising on down the hill at around 25-30 mph) to check the traffic. When I turned my head back, I was literally 1/2 a second away from riding up this rock wall/hill on the left side and as I turned back to face forward, my trike started riding up on it. It was already way too late to turn out of it. I flew up on what became like a hard-banking ramp on the side and my trike started flipping clockwise while still continuing on down the hill. Man, if I could have landed that, that would have looked like the most amazing stunt ever! I couldn't. I couldn't even come close. It came up so fast after turning around that I just got a glimpse into the future, but before I could really process it very well, the future was here. Apparently, I landed pretty awkwardly on the right front wheel on the way over and then at some point, also onto the front gearing between the pedals. I got up, flipped over, started laughing and walking around. I made a call to get a ride and felt very defeated as the trike was not rideable.
So, fast-forward to this morning. I get up and shower and all at 4 am, gear up and carry my mountain bike downstairs. I wasn't planning on riding it, but what can you do? So, I'm downstairs about to mount up when I notice the back tire is flat. I don't have a spare. ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?! I already had to limp downstairs, both legs feel like I was flogged all evening, and my hip would be broken if I was any older... Now, I start pumping up quickly until I notice that the stem core of the tube has been rubbing enough on the rim of the wheel that there's a hole in it. I carry the bike upstairs very defeated. I consider swapping out rear wheel from my trike with my mountain bike. I look at the clock and realize it's just not happening. This is not the 'Bike To Work Day' I had envisioned. Well, not exactly...
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Gas Savings Update
So, now I've saved approximately 15 gallons of gasoline from being purchased and from being burned! Now that's getting to be a decent amount, as that's a full tank for my van (which I sold last weekend, forcing me to bike around and seek out alternative transportation)! This is Bike To Work Week anyways, so it's really pushed me into it even when I wake up and my legs have been tired. Knowing there's no car outside my house has been a good incentive to rise up to the challenge! Transportation is the largest source of pollution in the US. The US creates an absurd amount of pollution via automobiles and the convenience of sitting in my car, stuck in traffic, has been far outweighed by the reduced stress of not dealing with traffic jams.
Still, I'm going to get my Jetta fixed and back to the ready in a few weeks for the occasional necessary trip. I really need to get bike racks on my trike and mountain bike so I can carry more than a backpack and use them for more labor-intensive tasks than carrying me around (i.e. shopping & bringing work clothes to/from work).
Still, I'm going to get my Jetta fixed and back to the ready in a few weeks for the occasional necessary trip. I really need to get bike racks on my trike and mountain bike so I can carry more than a backpack and use them for more labor-intensive tasks than carrying me around (i.e. shopping & bringing work clothes to/from work).
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
The Great Fuel Boycott of 2007
I know that I wrote about this before in another blog, but it just astounded me how far-stretching this "boycott" went. What I'm talking about is the so-called gas boycotts that were proposed for May 16th and were distributed through all sorts of Myspace bulletins, posts in all manner of forums, and email forwards and such.
There has been a number of gas boycotting bulletins/emails that I've seen in the past few years. Some of them have been aimed at taking away revenues from specific vendors like Exxon or Chevron, while others have aimed to just lower gas prices by taking a 1-day stance against purchasing fuel. None of these "boycotts" have proposed taking a steady amount of fuel profits out of the oil companies' pockets, such as by a continual decrease in fuel usage, yet that's what it would take. If everyone decreased their fuel usage so that the demand was lessened, we'd get a decreased gas price. Oil companies know that one day of bad sales aren't going to ruin them and there's going to be increased sales the day(s) before and after the "boycott" as people find themselves needing to fill up after their day away. Most people don't fill up their gas tanks every day so the profits lost aren't going to be those that would have come from every driver anyways.
What I was really surprised about was the amount of mention that was given to this last proposed "boycott". It was supposed to be yesterday. I first heard it mentioned on KUBE 93.3's T-Man Show. Later, the Q13 morning news weatherwoman, M.J. McDermott also mentioned the boycott, although she said that boycotts such as these 1-day gas protests didn't work to lower gas prices. This call for a gas protest really was a widespread phenomenon this time, unlike past efforts. People were actually talking about it and hearing about it from all different sources and I think people were really expecting a difference to have been made.
While I sold my cars and haven't really been driving, I did put some gas in my sister's car yesterday, after using it in the morning to run an errand.
There has been a number of gas boycotting bulletins/emails that I've seen in the past few years. Some of them have been aimed at taking away revenues from specific vendors like Exxon or Chevron, while others have aimed to just lower gas prices by taking a 1-day stance against purchasing fuel. None of these "boycotts" have proposed taking a steady amount of fuel profits out of the oil companies' pockets, such as by a continual decrease in fuel usage, yet that's what it would take. If everyone decreased their fuel usage so that the demand was lessened, we'd get a decreased gas price. Oil companies know that one day of bad sales aren't going to ruin them and there's going to be increased sales the day(s) before and after the "boycott" as people find themselves needing to fill up after their day away. Most people don't fill up their gas tanks every day so the profits lost aren't going to be those that would have come from every driver anyways.
What I was really surprised about was the amount of mention that was given to this last proposed "boycott". It was supposed to be yesterday. I first heard it mentioned on KUBE 93.3's T-Man Show. Later, the Q13 morning news weatherwoman, M.J. McDermott also mentioned the boycott, although she said that boycotts such as these 1-day gas protests didn't work to lower gas prices. This call for a gas protest really was a widespread phenomenon this time, unlike past efforts. People were actually talking about it and hearing about it from all different sources and I think people were really expecting a difference to have been made.
While I sold my cars and haven't really been driving, I did put some gas in my sister's car yesterday, after using it in the morning to run an errand.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Short note...
So, I've saved approximately 7.5 gallons of gas so far. It's not an incredible amount, but thinking about it, it's about $25.87 at average local gas prices. Also, there's all of the noxious tailpipe emissions that weren't released into the atmosphere, so it's a start. I'm shooting for selling my van by the week's end and that's my least efficient car, so that's another step forcing me towards cycling as my main source of transportation. It's a start! Sure, someone else is driving and using up their fuel, but they'd be doing it regardless of what I did, so the air is just a little bit cleaner... Now, hopefully, as many people as I've told about May 18th, Bike To Work Day, will ride and keep the air even cleaner!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Commutin'...
And so the commuting via trike has begun! Today was the first day that I did commute from Edmonds to Redmond via my trike. I had already decided that Friday was the start of riding in the beginning of the week and I stuck to that decision although it wasn't seemingly the best day to start. It was raining pretty good this morning and by the time I turned out onto the street, I was pretty well soaked. There were large portions of the trip that I was unable to keep my eyes open during (Note to self: Get Goggles), due to heavy rains. I really would have appreciated fenders/splashguards as my arms and the back of my head were really wet and muddy by my arrival, but I had a change of clothes so no problem. The thought of turning back and driving came to me pretty early in the ride because it was cold enough to see my breath and rainy enough to make it hard to see that same breath. But no, I was setting a precedent and turning back would just be like admitting defeat on the first attempt, so I trekked on. I made my way with a planned route in mind, but as you can see from my actual route that I rode, I missed a little bit of the original plan's direction. I lost my way when I was getting on the Interurban Trail and as it was dark and I'd forgotten my headlight at my friend's house last night, I made a detour and rerouted my path. Oh well, it was raining, dark, and I arrived at my destination of work 45 minutes early so it wasn't too bad of an error. All in all, at least for my wet clothes I saved over 2 gallons of gas today! Maybe I can keep a running tally of the gasoline I "saved" by not driving!
Thursday, May 03, 2007
May is "Bike To Work Month"!
Coinciding with my starting to commute to work via bike (trike), I've found out that May is Bike To Work Month! What a cool coincidence! The way May is starting out, the weather is already getting ready for it! Going along with this fact, REI is offering a whole host of options to help make biking to work a little bit easier for you. They are offering free bike maintenance classes at their Alderwood, Redmond, and Seattle stores to teach the essentials of bike maintenance to get you ready for riding. Friday, May 18th is also Starbucks Bike To Work Day and there will be 37 commute stations set up at various locations throughout the region to stop and pick up some free goodies like water bottles, snacks, and maps! This would be a great thing to let your coworkers know about and get everybody to ride into work on the 18th, or all month for that matter! Join in the fun and make a difference by getting your car off the road, if for only a day or a month, as every little bit helps!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Commuting Via Bike...
So, I'm progressing on my way to becoming a bike commuter (well, technically, a trike commuter, as I got my recumbent trike, but you get the idea)! I rode from Kirkland to Edmonds on Saturday afternoon, a 21 mile ride, to test out the trike for going the distance. It was a great first experience and I couldn't believe what an asset having a trike on hills was. On great steep hills where one might tire out, I could easily stop midway by just locking the pedals with my feet or just using the disc brakes, which hold remarkably well, and take a quick breather before continuing on. I found the ride to be manageable, which was great news as I wasn't sure I'd make it the first time out! I'll try my first time actually going to work sometime this week, but I'll have to plan out how early to leave.
In the search for different ways to travel, I found a plethora of online information. Bikely had all sorts of different routes that have been recommended by other cyclists. I've already taken down a route from my house to the Burke-Gilman Trail, so hopefully, I find it to be handy! It has trails and routes that people have told about in all different countries and just looking through the Seattle area, I found heaps of different routes from one destination to another, including just the route I was looking for! This can be extremely useful to find good routes, as it can be very intimidating getting stuck on roads that just aren't well suited to cyclists. Also, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington offers all sorts of information from pertinent bicycle links (like to Bikely!), community cycling events, lots of bike maps, and safety information. This group is a great resource.
With spring here and summer right around the corner, biking to work seems like a great idea! Many employers offer benefits to employees who do use bikes (as well as carpooling/public transit) to commute. Also, the health benefits are outstanding as well! It can be a big benefit to pull that bike out of the garage, pump up the tires and ride it to work a couple of times a week! Your heart and your pocketbook just might give you their own "thank you's" (not to mention the environment)!
In the search for different ways to travel, I found a plethora of online information. Bikely had all sorts of different routes that have been recommended by other cyclists. I've already taken down a route from my house to the Burke-Gilman Trail, so hopefully, I find it to be handy! It has trails and routes that people have told about in all different countries and just looking through the Seattle area, I found heaps of different routes from one destination to another, including just the route I was looking for! This can be extremely useful to find good routes, as it can be very intimidating getting stuck on roads that just aren't well suited to cyclists. Also, the Bicycle Alliance of Washington offers all sorts of information from pertinent bicycle links (like to Bikely!), community cycling events, lots of bike maps, and safety information. This group is a great resource.
With spring here and summer right around the corner, biking to work seems like a great idea! Many employers offer benefits to employees who do use bikes (as well as carpooling/public transit) to commute. Also, the health benefits are outstanding as well! It can be a big benefit to pull that bike out of the garage, pump up the tires and ride it to work a couple of times a week! Your heart and your pocketbook just might give you their own "thank you's" (not to mention the environment)!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Iraq Supplemental Bill
The Senate approved a bill today for Iraqi funding that included a timeline for pulling our troops out of Iraq, beginning in October of this year (or even sooner, if they fail to meet some guidelines). Unfortunately, this bill was passed 51-46, far below the 2/3 vote needed to overturn the President's promised veto of it. President Bush has already stated that he would veto any bill that included a timeline, or "surrender date" as many Republicans have dubbed it, on Iraq and so the passing of this bill will most likely end up being just symbolic. President Bush has stood strong against any consideration of an Iraqi timeline and this will really show in the form of a veto on this, after passing in the House and Senate.
One thing that has constantly come to mind for me in regards to the occupation in Iraq is "Mission Accomplished", Bush's "bold statement" about the state of affairs in Iraq nearly 4 years ago. I've joked about alternative meanings for "Mission Accomplished", as its meaning definitely didn't seem to mean what one might have thought it meant in this case. Now after so much has occurred since then, it's hard if we can't even begin to conceptualize an end to this situation and must continue to "stay the course" without an end in mind. Will we only be able to consider a withdrawal after the President finishes his term in office?
One thing that has constantly come to mind for me in regards to the occupation in Iraq is "Mission Accomplished", Bush's "bold statement" about the state of affairs in Iraq nearly 4 years ago. I've joked about alternative meanings for "Mission Accomplished", as its meaning definitely didn't seem to mean what one might have thought it meant in this case. Now after so much has occurred since then, it's hard if we can't even begin to conceptualize an end to this situation and must continue to "stay the course" without an end in mind. Will we only be able to consider a withdrawal after the President finishes his term in office?
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
How much is too much?
According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gasoline in the state of Washington is $3.15 right now, up 30 cents from a month ago. That's only 2 cents lower than the highest it's ever been in the area, the second highest average in the nation, and yet gas usage hasn't declined at all. How much is too much, before people start reducing their gas usage?
It's true that the gas prices in the US are far cheaper than in Europe, where most of Europe pays up to and more than twice the price we pay at the pumps, but the outcry is great here each time fuel prices rise to what is still far less than European fuel prices. The difference is the reactions to fuel prices. While prices in the US are very high in terms of what the US has paid at the pump, there hasn't been much move towards decreased driving, carpooling, or taking alternative transportation options. Also, in Europe, there are far more efficient cars and people focus more on purchasing cars that are smaller and more efficient. There is a much greater demand for fuel efficient cars and diesel-fueled engines there. Sure, hybrid vehicles are being produced and have increased in usage somewhat, but not nearly to levels that would seem natural in response to the rising fuel costs. Many foreign cars that are smaller and more efficient never even make it to the US because of little expected interest in them.
Europe pays far greater taxes on fuel which explains the higher fuel costs over there. If the US increased the taxation of fuel here, would it have a greater effect on fuel usage? It seems that a great increase in the tax, and thus the cost of the gas, would push people to think about their fuel usage instead of just complaining about it. It would reduce the number of cars on the road as fuel became unaffordable for some. Hopefully, it would also create a bigger push towards more fuel economic cars hitting the market. Those tax dollars could also be used to pursue more mass transit options to further lessen the use of fuel, at least in personal autos. Unfortunately, it would be an incredibly hard sell to push increased taxes on fuel when they are reaching up close to record highs for the US. It's hard to swallow now, but I believe it would create a better situation overall in the long-run.
It's true that the gas prices in the US are far cheaper than in Europe, where most of Europe pays up to and more than twice the price we pay at the pumps, but the outcry is great here each time fuel prices rise to what is still far less than European fuel prices. The difference is the reactions to fuel prices. While prices in the US are very high in terms of what the US has paid at the pump, there hasn't been much move towards decreased driving, carpooling, or taking alternative transportation options. Also, in Europe, there are far more efficient cars and people focus more on purchasing cars that are smaller and more efficient. There is a much greater demand for fuel efficient cars and diesel-fueled engines there. Sure, hybrid vehicles are being produced and have increased in usage somewhat, but not nearly to levels that would seem natural in response to the rising fuel costs. Many foreign cars that are smaller and more efficient never even make it to the US because of little expected interest in them.
Europe pays far greater taxes on fuel which explains the higher fuel costs over there. If the US increased the taxation of fuel here, would it have a greater effect on fuel usage? It seems that a great increase in the tax, and thus the cost of the gas, would push people to think about their fuel usage instead of just complaining about it. It would reduce the number of cars on the road as fuel became unaffordable for some. Hopefully, it would also create a bigger push towards more fuel economic cars hitting the market. Those tax dollars could also be used to pursue more mass transit options to further lessen the use of fuel, at least in personal autos. Unfortunately, it would be an incredibly hard sell to push increased taxes on fuel when they are reaching up close to record highs for the US. It's hard to swallow now, but I believe it would create a better situation overall in the long-run.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Think Green...
Earth Day is this Sunday and it brings to mind thoughts of how we can perhaps recycle more, reduce our waste, and help the environment. We need to think about more than planting a tree or recycling some extra cans and then moving on until the next Earth Day.
The environment is clearly a fragile thing and we have seemingly affected more change on it in a short period of time than has happened in twice the time. Global warming is rapidly changing environments and things are changing in negative ways. Water levels rising from melting icecaps is going to reduce land and probably just eliminate many island nations that are around today. If the water levels rise as predicted, some countries, such as a number of Polynesian countries in the South Pacific Ocean will just not exist in the future. Are we going to try to stop this?
I think it's a real coincidence that I was earlier talking about recumbent trikes and I had a building interest in these and now, I'm getting one this weekend. I've bid on one in an auction on eBay that actually ends on Earth Day! This is one thing that I figure that I can do to reduce the pollution that I create, as I've been one that's always had a number of cars and many of them have also been older cars that have no emissions restrictions set for them. I've also had quite a few that have definitely put out more than their fair share of pollution as a result of this. Now, I can use this recumbent trike to at least reduce (for now, possibly/hopefully elimintate later?) my usage of fossil fuel-burning automobiles. I'm getting rid of my cars now, one at a time, and I'll probably keep one for some uses, but I'm going to try to eliminate all of the rest. For me, eliminating even all but 1 car is a big step. I've had at least 4 cars at any given point since at least 2000. Now, I'm already down to 3 as of last month! I've donated one and sold one since the beginning of the year! So, this is one step I'm taking in an effort to do a little bit for the environment. I don't have any illusions, though, and I don't think it's nearly enough.
Aside from switching to an alternative method of transport (human-powered vehicles, electric, and alternative [hopefully cleaner-burning] fuels), one thing just about anybody can do is just reduce the usage of your vehicle(s). There are plenty of ways that most people can reduce their driving. Carpooling is one that can split fuel used and driving in half, but is really not "in fashion" in Seattle. I read an article last year and it was right around 10% of people that are carpooling in the Seattle area. One in ten! Look around you as you are stuck in traffic on I-5, parked waiting to get across the 520 floating-bridge, or stuck on I-405 or in the southend. Usually, as far as the eye can see, each car/truck/SUV contains just 1 person. If everybody carpooled with just 1 person, 1/2 the cars now wouldn't be on the road. How about that for a traffic solution? Imagine if 1/2 the cars you're commonly stuck in traffic with weren't there at all. You're commute would surely be shorter, you'd use less gas as you drove instead of sat and let the engine idle, and there would be a stress reduction from reduced traffic worries! That also equates to 1/2 the car emissions, 1/2 the smog in the air that you can see in the summer after a number of rain-free days, not to mention sharing the costs of gas with someone.
Reducing waste can really help out as well. We put out SO MUCH waste each year it is absolutely ridiculous. In the US, we generate on average about 4 1/2 pounds of waste a day per person! Imagine that multiplied by each person by 365 days and try to visualize just how much waste that is! Just try to think about packaging as one simple source of reduction. There is so much packaging in typical products that goes straight from store shelves to our garbage (or hopefully at least the recycling bin) as soon as we get home and open up the package. Try purchasing items that don't use so much packaging. Items that are pre-packaged into individual servings use far more packaging than items in larger quantities that you can separate yourself. Some simply have less packing material in general. Use reusable grocery bags and reduce those wastes. Every little bit we can reduce helps. Fortunately, the Seattle area is pretty good about recycling as well, but we need to stay vigilent.
I can go on and on about other methods of reducing, reusing, and recycling (yeah, I stole it from the recycling slogan), but I probably shouldn't. A few other things to look up, though, are compact florescent lightbulbs which use far less (2/3's less, I believe) electricity, public transit, and Earth-friendly products that cause less harm to the environment. If everybody helps a little, we'll all help a lot in the big scheme of things!
The environment is clearly a fragile thing and we have seemingly affected more change on it in a short period of time than has happened in twice the time. Global warming is rapidly changing environments and things are changing in negative ways. Water levels rising from melting icecaps is going to reduce land and probably just eliminate many island nations that are around today. If the water levels rise as predicted, some countries, such as a number of Polynesian countries in the South Pacific Ocean will just not exist in the future. Are we going to try to stop this?
I think it's a real coincidence that I was earlier talking about recumbent trikes and I had a building interest in these and now, I'm getting one this weekend. I've bid on one in an auction on eBay that actually ends on Earth Day! This is one thing that I figure that I can do to reduce the pollution that I create, as I've been one that's always had a number of cars and many of them have also been older cars that have no emissions restrictions set for them. I've also had quite a few that have definitely put out more than their fair share of pollution as a result of this. Now, I can use this recumbent trike to at least reduce (for now, possibly/hopefully elimintate later?) my usage of fossil fuel-burning automobiles. I'm getting rid of my cars now, one at a time, and I'll probably keep one for some uses, but I'm going to try to eliminate all of the rest. For me, eliminating even all but 1 car is a big step. I've had at least 4 cars at any given point since at least 2000. Now, I'm already down to 3 as of last month! I've donated one and sold one since the beginning of the year! So, this is one step I'm taking in an effort to do a little bit for the environment. I don't have any illusions, though, and I don't think it's nearly enough.
Aside from switching to an alternative method of transport (human-powered vehicles, electric, and alternative [hopefully cleaner-burning] fuels), one thing just about anybody can do is just reduce the usage of your vehicle(s). There are plenty of ways that most people can reduce their driving. Carpooling is one that can split fuel used and driving in half, but is really not "in fashion" in Seattle. I read an article last year and it was right around 10% of people that are carpooling in the Seattle area. One in ten! Look around you as you are stuck in traffic on I-5, parked waiting to get across the 520 floating-bridge, or stuck on I-405 or in the southend. Usually, as far as the eye can see, each car/truck/SUV contains just 1 person. If everybody carpooled with just 1 person, 1/2 the cars now wouldn't be on the road. How about that for a traffic solution? Imagine if 1/2 the cars you're commonly stuck in traffic with weren't there at all. You're commute would surely be shorter, you'd use less gas as you drove instead of sat and let the engine idle, and there would be a stress reduction from reduced traffic worries! That also equates to 1/2 the car emissions, 1/2 the smog in the air that you can see in the summer after a number of rain-free days, not to mention sharing the costs of gas with someone.
Reducing waste can really help out as well. We put out SO MUCH waste each year it is absolutely ridiculous. In the US, we generate on average about 4 1/2 pounds of waste a day per person! Imagine that multiplied by each person by 365 days and try to visualize just how much waste that is! Just try to think about packaging as one simple source of reduction. There is so much packaging in typical products that goes straight from store shelves to our garbage (or hopefully at least the recycling bin) as soon as we get home and open up the package. Try purchasing items that don't use so much packaging. Items that are pre-packaged into individual servings use far more packaging than items in larger quantities that you can separate yourself. Some simply have less packing material in general. Use reusable grocery bags and reduce those wastes. Every little bit we can reduce helps. Fortunately, the Seattle area is pretty good about recycling as well, but we need to stay vigilent.
I can go on and on about other methods of reducing, reusing, and recycling (yeah, I stole it from the recycling slogan), but I probably shouldn't. A few other things to look up, though, are compact florescent lightbulbs which use far less (2/3's less, I believe) electricity, public transit, and Earth-friendly products that cause less harm to the environment. If everybody helps a little, we'll all help a lot in the big scheme of things!
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Virginia Tech...
I don't want to really cover this topic, as it has been covered thoroughly, but I just wanted to take space to think about all of those affected by this, the victims, and this horrible tragedy in general, that occurred last Monday. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by this awful episode in American history.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
The Supreme Court Bans Some Abortions
The Supreme Court decided today in favor of a upholding a ban on intact dilation and extraction abortions, what is commonly referred to as "partial-birth abortion" by its opponents. This new law doesn't even include any exceptions to save the life of the mother. I've read a lot of reports, some on each side, arguing the safety "partial-birth" abortions. Some specialists and doctors have said that there are times when it is the safest option and others have said that there is never a time when it is safer than other methods of abortion. If there is a chance that it is sometimes the safest option, why not allow for it in extreme cases when it's necessary in order to preserve the life of the mother, rather than barring it completely? The penalty for a doctor found to have provided this form of abortion is up to two years in jail. If there is no time that it would be safer than other options, then having that as a "last-ditch option" wouldn't matter because there wouldn't be a time when a partial-birth abortion was necessary. If there is a chance that this is sometimes the safest, why not allow for extreme circumstances? If the doctors who say that there are times when this form of abortion is safest are wrong, then nothing is changed by banning them. Unfortunately, if the Supreme Court's majority (5 to 4) is wrong, then there are times when it would be safest and yet even in those times, it would be illegal to perform such an operation. Is this now going to become a "slippery slope" for states to fight for stricter abortion laws and for banning other types of abortions? Is it time that legislators, rather than doctors, decide what is best and safest in medical procedures?
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Is it time to quit smoking?
I don't know if this only a campaign that has been launched in the Seattle area or if this is a national campaign, but there is a fairly new anti-smoking campaign that seems to almost discourage quitting smoking "cold turkey". These commercials basically say that you can't quit just cold turkey. I think that's a bad message to put out there. Sure, it's easy to say that if someone could just quit cold turkey, they would, but then what about people who could quit cold turkey but haven't gotten to that point in their life or their "smoking career"? That's really discouraging for them.
Th real reason I even thought of this topic was that I'm going to Las Vegas later this afternoon until the middle of next week and I am a "retired" smoker. I officially quit a few years ago, but I still "secretly" smoked when I was out drinking up until the beginning of this year (it wasn't much of a secret to many people I drank with). When I travelled to Las Vegas (and I do so often... last year, I was in Las Vegas for no less than 5 separate trips), I always would smoke at least a little because I just liked the ability and "convenience" of being able to smoke practically everywhere I went. I liked walking through the casinos, where the air filters allowed none of the evidence to remain, puffing away happily. I've been thinking about it for a couple weeks now, and I think I'm really going to miss walking around smoking. I don't miss it here in Seattle when I drink anymore, but just the idea of being in Las Vegas and not smoking seems so foreign. I think that's my last "trigger". It used to be drinking once I'd quit the regular smoking scene and before that it was everything from boredom to meals to driving to idle hands to stress to a work break to... Anyways, I quit cold turkey and didn't have too much of a problem with it. For me, it was the fact that I'd told people far in advance of my intent to quit smoking. This worked because I wanted to save face, not look like I'd failed in my plans, and just had to go through with it because people were already proud of me in advance. There was a bit of thought to health, but it wasn't nearly as much that. After I'd quit, I surely loved not smelling like smoke, though, and that's been a huge bonus ever since, along with the financial savings! The stress and withdrawal symptoms were a nuisance but I just figured I had to tough it out. The first day, I was pacing around at work and looked frantic and highly stressed, but it was pretty cool from there. I started smoking while I drank months later, when I'd decided that my quitting had been successful and that I could smoke while I drank without smoking regularly. It was true for me. I could. Unfortunately, I fell into the trap where I then couldn't drink without smoking and that seemed harder to me to quit than the initial quitting. I think it's because I would be drunk and it's harder to reason with yourself about these things. I did the advance notice and let people know that I was quitting smoking altogether at the end of the year (2006) and so I knew people would know and ask about it so I had that same factor of accountability that helped to keep me clean, but the first few times I went out and had drinks, I was just dying for a smoke. Then, a couple months in, I just noticed one day that I didn't want a smoke while I was drinking. I was impressed that it had happened and surprised! I think that it just kind of sneaked up on me and there it was: I was done!
Ok, that was a lot about my smoking history, but what I really intended to say was that it's definitely possible to quit smoking cold turkey and I don't think that people should be dissuaded from trying.
Th real reason I even thought of this topic was that I'm going to Las Vegas later this afternoon until the middle of next week and I am a "retired" smoker. I officially quit a few years ago, but I still "secretly" smoked when I was out drinking up until the beginning of this year (it wasn't much of a secret to many people I drank with). When I travelled to Las Vegas (and I do so often... last year, I was in Las Vegas for no less than 5 separate trips), I always would smoke at least a little because I just liked the ability and "convenience" of being able to smoke practically everywhere I went. I liked walking through the casinos, where the air filters allowed none of the evidence to remain, puffing away happily. I've been thinking about it for a couple weeks now, and I think I'm really going to miss walking around smoking. I don't miss it here in Seattle when I drink anymore, but just the idea of being in Las Vegas and not smoking seems so foreign. I think that's my last "trigger". It used to be drinking once I'd quit the regular smoking scene and before that it was everything from boredom to meals to driving to idle hands to stress to a work break to... Anyways, I quit cold turkey and didn't have too much of a problem with it. For me, it was the fact that I'd told people far in advance of my intent to quit smoking. This worked because I wanted to save face, not look like I'd failed in my plans, and just had to go through with it because people were already proud of me in advance. There was a bit of thought to health, but it wasn't nearly as much that. After I'd quit, I surely loved not smelling like smoke, though, and that's been a huge bonus ever since, along with the financial savings! The stress and withdrawal symptoms were a nuisance but I just figured I had to tough it out. The first day, I was pacing around at work and looked frantic and highly stressed, but it was pretty cool from there. I started smoking while I drank months later, when I'd decided that my quitting had been successful and that I could smoke while I drank without smoking regularly. It was true for me. I could. Unfortunately, I fell into the trap where I then couldn't drink without smoking and that seemed harder to me to quit than the initial quitting. I think it's because I would be drunk and it's harder to reason with yourself about these things. I did the advance notice and let people know that I was quitting smoking altogether at the end of the year (2006) and so I knew people would know and ask about it so I had that same factor of accountability that helped to keep me clean, but the first few times I went out and had drinks, I was just dying for a smoke. Then, a couple months in, I just noticed one day that I didn't want a smoke while I was drinking. I was impressed that it had happened and surprised! I think that it just kind of sneaked up on me and there it was: I was done!
Ok, that was a lot about my smoking history, but what I really intended to say was that it's definitely possible to quit smoking cold turkey and I don't think that people should be dissuaded from trying.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
I read the news today, oh boy...
Just what is taking place in the world right now? If I were to base my beliefs on what I've been seeing lately on local news on network television, on MSN's and Yahoo's news, it looks like the biggest stories right now are (and have been for some time) the death of Anna Nicole Smith and the identity of her child's father and the American Idol "phenom", Sanjaya. Why is so much focus placed on these (like one guy's failed hunger strike until Sanjaya got kicked off the show), as though they are the important news events of the times? Is this what people will look back on, in thinking about what has taken place this year? With all that is going on in the world right now, such as our occupation of Iraq, years after the supposed end to the war and the billions upon billions of dollars that is costing us, isn't there something "more interesting" to report on? Just a quick thought as I can't seem to get away from hearing about American Idol, even without watching it, and the Anna Nicole stories are shooting right back up.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Seattle Traffic
So, Seattle's commutes are getting longer and longer every year. Every street is used by more and more cars and traffic is getting worse throughout the region. There has been a constant growth in Seattle and with that has come a constant stream of more and more cars onto the same roads that we are already dealing with traffic on. We can't keep building more roads. We can't expand our highways until they are sprawling 10-lane+ "superhighways" to accomodate more cars. These would just become larger "parking lots" for the increasing numbers of cars that are filling the roads every day. Seattle needs to look at other options to find better solutions to the problem.
Our bus systems are adequate for some people, but you really need to coordinate and plan things out very well. If you're out too late, you may not have that "ride" home. If you need to be there early, you may be out of luck. You may have to arrive at your meeting either an hour early or 15 minutes late. Bus travel is also unfortunately a slow process of travel. Metro (as well as Community Transit and other transit) does a decent job of maintaining frequent service in highly-trafficked areas, but it's clearly not enough. It's unfortunate that our area didn't invest in a more sophisticated mass transit program in the earlier years. Now, we are left with a region that really has inadequate (I remember that I called it adequate above) public transit services, overall. We need to work on a system that will be convenient, one that would convert drivers into riders. If we can implement a system that would greatly reduce the number of cars on the road, we'll all be winners in the end. Traffic would be lighter and hopefully everyone could travel easier. Pollution from vehicle exhaust would be decreased as well. It would also help to make it more appealing to carpool as the great majority of cars on the road are single-occupant vehicles. Creating a greater incentive for carpooling would also aid in reducing the cars on the road.
At this point in the game, it's tough to say what form of mass transit would work the best for Seattle. I thought that the monorail project was an excellent idea for a transport system that would be above street level (so not blocking traffic as it travels), quiet and safe (especially with good "durability" through earthquakes). It was a clean efficient method of transport which is definitely what we need to develop. Whatever we do implement, it's going to be very expensive, but we have to pay for it sometime. We can't keep pushing it off further as it's not going to get any cheaper and traffic is getting worse and worse no matter what. The worse traffic gets, the worse it will be during construction of any systems and that really means it's just not getting any easier. There's no time like the present to keep pushing so we can push our region forward.
Our bus systems are adequate for some people, but you really need to coordinate and plan things out very well. If you're out too late, you may not have that "ride" home. If you need to be there early, you may be out of luck. You may have to arrive at your meeting either an hour early or 15 minutes late. Bus travel is also unfortunately a slow process of travel. Metro (as well as Community Transit and other transit) does a decent job of maintaining frequent service in highly-trafficked areas, but it's clearly not enough. It's unfortunate that our area didn't invest in a more sophisticated mass transit program in the earlier years. Now, we are left with a region that really has inadequate (I remember that I called it adequate above) public transit services, overall. We need to work on a system that will be convenient, one that would convert drivers into riders. If we can implement a system that would greatly reduce the number of cars on the road, we'll all be winners in the end. Traffic would be lighter and hopefully everyone could travel easier. Pollution from vehicle exhaust would be decreased as well. It would also help to make it more appealing to carpool as the great majority of cars on the road are single-occupant vehicles. Creating a greater incentive for carpooling would also aid in reducing the cars on the road.
At this point in the game, it's tough to say what form of mass transit would work the best for Seattle. I thought that the monorail project was an excellent idea for a transport system that would be above street level (so not blocking traffic as it travels), quiet and safe (especially with good "durability" through earthquakes). It was a clean efficient method of transport which is definitely what we need to develop. Whatever we do implement, it's going to be very expensive, but we have to pay for it sometime. We can't keep pushing it off further as it's not going to get any cheaper and traffic is getting worse and worse no matter what. The worse traffic gets, the worse it will be during construction of any systems and that really means it's just not getting any easier. There's no time like the present to keep pushing so we can push our region forward.
Monday, April 09, 2007
The iPod hasn't fallen far from the tree...
Apple announced that they have hit the 100 million mark on the sales of their iPod music players since they began selling these devices. They've really turned the corner from being a company that was once on the edge of the "technological abyss", no longer of much interest to anyone. Apple had reached a point where they were looked at as kind of a joke in the developing computer market. PC's were so dominant and Apple was not doing anything to slow them down.
Apple turned things around with their iMac in the late 90's and started the ball rolling once more. This all-in-one computer was sleek and sexy and became a big hit, throwing Apple's name back into the foreground of computing. Then, a few years later came the first iPod. The iPod delivered the ability to play music loaded onto it and while it wasn't the first device to allow for this, it was one of the simpler-to-use devices and also had that slick design and great aesthetics that Apple was becoming more known for. The iPod became a big seller and not just with "computer geeks". It quickly became the must-have device and everybody wanted one. They became cooler to tote around than a Starbucks Coffee cup and the trademark white earbuds could be seen everywhere. From businessmen to middle school children, the device was getting more and more popular by the day. Apple's iTunes software is also simple to use and is designed to mate up with the iPod and really helped in popularizing the device. iTunes also really helped in the efforts to sell music online, in a burgeoning music pirating market. Among all manner of different peer-to-peer software and music "sharing", Apple's iTunes Stores have sold millions (if not billions) of songs.
Apple has gone from being a great leader in the computer industry to yesterday's news and back again in a matter of years. Apple is now recognized as a strong force in the computer industry, is probably dominant in the digital video editing department (Final Cut software which really is some of the top editing software), and is definitely the leader in the portable music device department. There are cheaper devices than the iPod that offer more storage space and more options yet the iPod continues its strong sales and popularity. It's no longer a niche offering and digital music has definitely started to rule the scene. Amongst frequent closures of record stores and music shops, Apple continues to bring the music forward and people continue to throw money at Apple. Apple has definitely found the formula to turn itself around and to become a dominant force in whatever ring(s) it's thrown its hat into. Now, with the iPhone having created such a buzz just from the talk of the device's capabilities, we'll have to see if Apple is making another excellent choice. They surely seem to know what they're doing...
Apple turned things around with their iMac in the late 90's and started the ball rolling once more. This all-in-one computer was sleek and sexy and became a big hit, throwing Apple's name back into the foreground of computing. Then, a few years later came the first iPod. The iPod delivered the ability to play music loaded onto it and while it wasn't the first device to allow for this, it was one of the simpler-to-use devices and also had that slick design and great aesthetics that Apple was becoming more known for. The iPod became a big seller and not just with "computer geeks". It quickly became the must-have device and everybody wanted one. They became cooler to tote around than a Starbucks Coffee cup and the trademark white earbuds could be seen everywhere. From businessmen to middle school children, the device was getting more and more popular by the day. Apple's iTunes software is also simple to use and is designed to mate up with the iPod and really helped in popularizing the device. iTunes also really helped in the efforts to sell music online, in a burgeoning music pirating market. Among all manner of different peer-to-peer software and music "sharing", Apple's iTunes Stores have sold millions (if not billions) of songs.
Apple has gone from being a great leader in the computer industry to yesterday's news and back again in a matter of years. Apple is now recognized as a strong force in the computer industry, is probably dominant in the digital video editing department (Final Cut software which really is some of the top editing software), and is definitely the leader in the portable music device department. There are cheaper devices than the iPod that offer more storage space and more options yet the iPod continues its strong sales and popularity. It's no longer a niche offering and digital music has definitely started to rule the scene. Amongst frequent closures of record stores and music shops, Apple continues to bring the music forward and people continue to throw money at Apple. Apple has definitely found the formula to turn itself around and to become a dominant force in whatever ring(s) it's thrown its hat into. Now, with the iPhone having created such a buzz just from the talk of the device's capabilities, we'll have to see if Apple is making another excellent choice. They surely seem to know what they're doing...
Thursday, April 05, 2007
On a personal note...
So, on a personal topic, I've decided that I must have a tadpole-style recumbent trike. Why? I've always thought they were really cool, but I actually decided this yesterday around lunch time. I was thinking about my mountain bike which is outside on my deck at my home and how it had been sitting there when I got onto Craigslist and checked out the bikes for sale. I saw a nice-looking bright yellow recumbent that was what is referred to as "tadpole" style. That means it has the two parallel wheels in the front and if the two parallel wheels are in the rear it is a "delta". I think the tadpoles look fantastic and they supposedly have a lot of better handling characteristics that interest me. So anyway, I saw this online for sale and I knew I had to have one. It was already decided. I want one so bad. That means I have to have one quickly and I'm posting up my van online for sale at Craigslist to subsidize the cost. They are quite expensive. I imagine myself clocking thousands of miles on this thing. I see myself riding it to work and have already looked up the trails and easiest ways to ride one to work from Edmonds to Redmond. I need to stop making such impulse-buys at some point, but not right now because I just feel like I really have to have one right away! Impulse-buying-and-me is how I ended up with my Mercedes that I just sold, my van, a constant count of 3 or more cars at any given time since 2000, my condo... I just randomly get an idea in my head that I need something or need to do something and then I have to do it. The condo worked out well because it started out when I was just thinking about how I needed to get a new apartment and I was considering my sister's complex when I just thought, "I want to own a place!" and I looked at a few places online the same day. Within 2 days, I was in contact with realtors, mortgage companies/brokers, and in a very active search for a place to call my own. Now, with a mortgage hanging constantly over my head almost two years later, I have built up a really impressive amount of equity and so my impulsive purchase paid off. In my Mercedes, I lost thousands of dollars and I only owned it for 1 year and sold it earlier this week. In my van, I'll lose a bit, probably, but not such a big hit. When I bought my iPod, I pictured myself in every possible situation with it in-hand, in-pocket, or otherwise on my person and with those distinctive earbuds "plugged-in" to my ears. In reality, I don't use the iPod more than 1 hour every few weeks. I've just started to listen to it more often simply because my work gave us these cool little backpacks that have a hole for headphone wires and a little pouch inside to put your iPod, MP3 player, CD player, Walkman (?), etc. I guess I'll be getting good use out of it until at least I get tired of the backpack...
Anyways, the bottom line of all of this is that I'm going to Vegas next Thursday, one week from today, and I WILL have a recumbent trike by then if there's any way I can make it happen. I'm going to scour bike shops all weekend if I'm not showing my van-for-sale. It's really hard to be this impulsive about some things, but I really can't stop even though I think that I should because I have this feeling, one like you'd picture a little kid having, that I just MUST ABSOLUTELY HAVE THIS TRIKE!!! I hope I use it because they're very expensive...
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
What rights do the incurably infectiously ill have?
I read an article earlier today off of the AP about a man who was diagnosed with what is apparently being touted as an uncurable strain of tuberculosis. He has been locked up, imprisoned in a locked room without the modern day amenities available to the common man. He's imprisoned in this room in Phoenix, Arizona, where health authorities had obtained a court order to lock him up, citing the reason as he was a threat to the public because he had not worn a mask in public. He's been locked up since last July and he could potentially be locked up for the rest of his life in order to protect the public from this illness that he suffers from.
This brings up the issue of how to deal with such a situation of a person infected with some possibly incurable and highly contageous disease. I feel kind of torn on the whole issue. On the one hand, it makes sense to take action to avoid an outbreak of said disease, but on the other hand, this person is going to have their life and rights taken away from them because they are sick. This has become a hot topic due to issues such as influenza viruses that have been killing more people lately and threatening talks of pandemics sweeping the globe quickly and killing millions of people. What will happen if such an occurrence does happen? Will people's rights be ignored in an effort to stop the spread of these infectious killers? When will the efforts of governments be enough to stop the spread and when will they become too much infringement on the rights of the people that the people will not tolerate it? It's tough to imagine and there will clearly be people on both sides of the line, depending on people's own, their family's, and friends' situations. I know I don't have the answers and I have a hard time just imagining what to do in such a situation myself...
This brings up the issue of how to deal with such a situation of a person infected with some possibly incurable and highly contageous disease. I feel kind of torn on the whole issue. On the one hand, it makes sense to take action to avoid an outbreak of said disease, but on the other hand, this person is going to have their life and rights taken away from them because they are sick. This has become a hot topic due to issues such as influenza viruses that have been killing more people lately and threatening talks of pandemics sweeping the globe quickly and killing millions of people. What will happen if such an occurrence does happen? Will people's rights be ignored in an effort to stop the spread of these infectious killers? When will the efforts of governments be enough to stop the spread and when will they become too much infringement on the rights of the people that the people will not tolerate it? It's tough to imagine and there will clearly be people on both sides of the line, depending on people's own, their family's, and friends' situations. I know I don't have the answers and I have a hard time just imagining what to do in such a situation myself...
Monday, April 02, 2007
Moleskine Notebooks
I don't mean to be an advertisement for products here, but if there's one thing I would gladly advertise, it's these Moleskine notebooks. The Moleskine writing/sketch/notebook is apparently an iconic item, according to its historical background (which is included on a leaflet in many languages when you purchase one). Van Gogh, Matisse, Hemingway and others are reported to have used these for all of their sketches and notes and such. These books are so invaluable to me I can't even begin to describe it. They are hard-bound books that contain blank pages of different sorts for different uses. They come in different sizes, from a larger one that is 13.5 x 21cm to smaller sizes that are the "pocket notebooks". I definitely prefer these pocket-sized notebooks which are 9 x 14cm. They are a bit large for the pocket but I always find one fits perfectly in my back pocket, as I feel weird when I don't have it there.
Of the pocket-sized notebooks, there are a lot of varieties. There is one with thicker finer-quality paper that is touted as a sketchbook and the paper there does work well for sketching, watercolor, charcoal and other sketching/drawing/painting work. There is also one that just has lined paper, one that has small-squared pages (which I always use for writing [I don't know why I prefer the squared to the lined, but I do]), and even address books and others. There are some new variations on these books which I just saw today which inspired my increased interest in these (i.e. blogging about them). Now, there is a "reporter-style" book where the book flips open on the top and a travel-based book that has divided sections for different travel topics to note different aspects of your trips as you travel. I am interested in acquiring the travel one and will probably pick a couple up soon to use for referencing all of my future travels.
Something that all of these varieties of books have in common is the elastic strap that holds the whole thing closed. It wraps around from the back binding and stretches over to keep the front closed. I think this is an ingenious idea. Also, they all have a pouch in the back suitable for holding loose sheets of paper, business cards, and such and this really comes in handy for me as well. Most of them also come with an attached "bookmark" that is a thin cloth "ribbon" that is attached in the spine that can be used to mark some important spot.
I've just always recommended these to everybody I've known and most all people that know me know that I always have one in my back pocket just in case I need to jot something down, write down a passing thought, or jot down an address. I give these as gifts as I think they are just so great for anyone to have. I keep a number of these stacked up in my office for quick access in case I do need a new one for a specific use or to use as the others fill up. The one I carry now, on a daily basis, is one I've had since 2004 and it is just a plethora of information for me when I look back in it to see what I've deemed worthy of filling these pages. This one is obviously worn from the fact that I've carried it in my pocket day-in and day-out, whether I was wearing jeans on a hike or a suit in a wedding. I've resurrected the cover which has been bent up by my sitting on it and throwing it around and it has stood up well to the constant abuse I've put it through.
You can pick up the pocket-sized ones for around $9-15 depending on where you get them and you can find them at stationary stores, travel stores, and I usually purchase mine online. I've got to say, there's not a lot of products being sold out there that I'd write a lengthy "essay" about, but this is one that I just cannot ever rave enough about. Once you have one, you'll be surprised at how it becomes as invaluable to carry as your wallet/keys/passport/whatever you always hold close and make sure you have!
Of the pocket-sized notebooks, there are a lot of varieties. There is one with thicker finer-quality paper that is touted as a sketchbook and the paper there does work well for sketching, watercolor, charcoal and other sketching/drawing/painting work. There is also one that just has lined paper, one that has small-squared pages (which I always use for writing [I don't know why I prefer the squared to the lined, but I do]), and even address books and others. There are some new variations on these books which I just saw today which inspired my increased interest in these (i.e. blogging about them). Now, there is a "reporter-style" book where the book flips open on the top and a travel-based book that has divided sections for different travel topics to note different aspects of your trips as you travel. I am interested in acquiring the travel one and will probably pick a couple up soon to use for referencing all of my future travels.
Something that all of these varieties of books have in common is the elastic strap that holds the whole thing closed. It wraps around from the back binding and stretches over to keep the front closed. I think this is an ingenious idea. Also, they all have a pouch in the back suitable for holding loose sheets of paper, business cards, and such and this really comes in handy for me as well. Most of them also come with an attached "bookmark" that is a thin cloth "ribbon" that is attached in the spine that can be used to mark some important spot.
I've just always recommended these to everybody I've known and most all people that know me know that I always have one in my back pocket just in case I need to jot something down, write down a passing thought, or jot down an address. I give these as gifts as I think they are just so great for anyone to have. I keep a number of these stacked up in my office for quick access in case I do need a new one for a specific use or to use as the others fill up. The one I carry now, on a daily basis, is one I've had since 2004 and it is just a plethora of information for me when I look back in it to see what I've deemed worthy of filling these pages. This one is obviously worn from the fact that I've carried it in my pocket day-in and day-out, whether I was wearing jeans on a hike or a suit in a wedding. I've resurrected the cover which has been bent up by my sitting on it and throwing it around and it has stood up well to the constant abuse I've put it through.
You can pick up the pocket-sized ones for around $9-15 depending on where you get them and you can find them at stationary stores, travel stores, and I usually purchase mine online. I've got to say, there's not a lot of products being sold out there that I'd write a lengthy "essay" about, but this is one that I just cannot ever rave enough about. Once you have one, you'll be surprised at how it becomes as invaluable to carry as your wallet/keys/passport/whatever you always hold close and make sure you have!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Overweight? Poor? Rich? Lean?
I've thought about it and it seems as though the largest grouping of overweight people has "shifted places" from in the past. I don't know if I phrased this correctly but what I mean is this: It seems that in the past, one might think more of overweight people as those who had more "lives of luxury" and it seemed almost more a trait of the "upper class" to be somewhat overweight (at least in comparison to middle/lower classes). The poorer classes who had more strenuous work and less money to put food on the table would be the leaner ones in the picture.
This picture is no longer an accurate illustration of this issue. Now, it seems that the problem has shifted to poorer classes of people seeming to suffer from obesity more. Being fit and in shape is almost a sign of living a more affluent life. What has happened to change things? The foods that are the cheapest now are some of the worst foods. All of the menu items at fast food restaurants that are offering $1 items are mostly unhealthy foods. Unhealthy foods are becoming the cheapest foods. Healthier fares are something you need to shell out a little bit more for and for poorer families, there often isn't an option to increase the food budget. This often means that the unhealthier foods are what gets consumed by poorer families. Aside from the costs of food seeming to increase with the healthy content of the food, there are additional costs for gyms. The gyms need their dues which is yet one more bill to add onto budgets. Many people don't, won't or can't adjust their budgets to fit this bill in. Then there is the time needed to even spend at the gym. If you are working long hours and can't find the time to get into the gym, then you also can't make the gym workouts a reality.
Being in good health and fit and trim can now be associated with having the time and money to get to gyms and workout to stay in shape as well as having the money to afford to eat healthy enough. Just my thoughts and not the final word on the situation but the topic had been in my mind...
This picture is no longer an accurate illustration of this issue. Now, it seems that the problem has shifted to poorer classes of people seeming to suffer from obesity more. Being fit and in shape is almost a sign of living a more affluent life. What has happened to change things? The foods that are the cheapest now are some of the worst foods. All of the menu items at fast food restaurants that are offering $1 items are mostly unhealthy foods. Unhealthy foods are becoming the cheapest foods. Healthier fares are something you need to shell out a little bit more for and for poorer families, there often isn't an option to increase the food budget. This often means that the unhealthier foods are what gets consumed by poorer families. Aside from the costs of food seeming to increase with the healthy content of the food, there are additional costs for gyms. The gyms need their dues which is yet one more bill to add onto budgets. Many people don't, won't or can't adjust their budgets to fit this bill in. Then there is the time needed to even spend at the gym. If you are working long hours and can't find the time to get into the gym, then you also can't make the gym workouts a reality.
Being in good health and fit and trim can now be associated with having the time and money to get to gyms and workout to stay in shape as well as having the money to afford to eat healthy enough. Just my thoughts and not the final word on the situation but the topic had been in my mind...
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