As usual my head is abuzz with the social media explosion and the impact technology has on my world. While communication has always been a part of the technology, folks that barely own computers are becoming familiar with Linkedin, Facebook, myspace, and twitter. iPhones are being advertised so deliciously on…
Wouldn't it be horrible if our American suburbs starting turning into slums? It's already happening, according to this article from The Atlantic: "The Next Slum?" For 60 years, Americans have pushed steadily into the suburbs, transforming the landscape and (until recently) leaving cities behind. But today the pendulum is swinging…
Not all hookers are like "Kristen," the gorgeous, high-living prostitute allegedly employed by Eliot Spitzer. Not all prostitutes work for wealthy and powerful executives or politicians. Not all prostitution is provided under the supervision of a sophisticated club like the Emperor VIP club. A friend of mine, Geri Dreiling, wrote…
On Feb. 28, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore. submitted House Congressional Resolution 305 for consideration to the House of Representatives: “Recognizing the importance of bicycling in transportation and recreation.” I assume that this resolution is a perfectly valid reaction to this boneheaded statement by one of Bush’s appointees.
I don’t think Blumenauer’s resolution has any chance of passing, because it suggests that some money now going for highways should actually be used to encourage people to use bicycles for their transportation needs. God forbid that we actually encourage such a perfectly sensible mode of transportation. You know the arguments, prevents obesity, uses no fossil fuel, cheap, is perfect for urban commutes. I’ve previously posted on some of the many reasons to use a bicycle for commuting. There are, indeed, many reasons for doing so, especially in an urban area where many commutes are fewer than five miles. BTW, what would a bicycle-friendly city look like? Here’s one version.
I learned of Bluemenauer’s resolution by reading Andrew Leonard’s article in Salon.com, “Life and death and bicycling.” Just because you use a bicycle doesn’t mean you are “green.” Leonard includes a Sierra Club test to see how “green” you are. I am a rather cool 92 out of 100, a very green cyclist!
I do want to publicly thank Representative Blumenauer for bringing some much-needed attention to bicycles as a serious mode of transportation. His resolution is chock full of statistics that should (but likely won’t) wake up those who don’t …
I have no sympathy. I can't help it, but powerful people who behave this way strike me as the essence of... Spitzer wired the call girl service the money. Granted, he set up a relatively elaborate blind to hide the transaction (it was his own money, not the state's), primarily…