click the link below to be astonished at how out of touch the current talking points for federal transportation officials can be. 

http://www.bikeleague.org/news/images/peters_letter.pdf

i don't know who assembled the briefing book for this, but they are not members of the reality based community.

Although we are well on our way to fruition of our Five-Year Plan, Union forces missed a breakthrough performance last night in Greenbelt.

In any case, the other Fruit of the Union was in attendance and produced this representation of the Union forces in action.

 

 

This morning, the CBC Radio program, Sounds Like Canada, featured an interview with a couple of friends of Charlie Prinsep, a cyclist who was struck and killed by a car near Brooks, Alberta on a trip between Vancouver and Toronto.  Prinsep, pictured here from his friend’s blog, Bike Lane Dairy, was only 23 years old and was an enthusiastic advocate for cycling.  I didn’t know him, but the picture painted of him during the interview really touched me.  He was, as the blog linked above notes, “a smiling face in a sea of noise and pollution.”  Sounds like many of our fellow cyclists on the road here in Washington too, doesn’t he?  There will be a ride in his memory today in Toronto – I’m there in spirit.  Be careful out there!

 

-- posted by Chris

 

 

i really should be punished for linking to this guy, but here goes...

link.

read this carefully, being mindful that this individual put bread on the table for years by being "creative" in how he framed and presented unpopular ideas.  there are a few things to note straightaway.

observation one: holding up gregg easterbrook as an authority on much of anything is the first sign of a fraudulent argument.  convincing evidence for the prior statement.  and more.  and more. 

observation two: focus carefully on the following:

As conservatives would expect, these gains were largely the result of technology -- the catalytic converter in automobiles and reformulated gasoline -- and not by pedaling to work or undoing the Industrial Revolution. Smog was reduced mainly by innovation, not austerity.

translation: dirty hippies on bikes and communes are wrong, wrong, wrong.  if they could put down their bongs long enough to see what was happening in the real world, they'd wake up and spend their time focusing on chemical engineering and taking jobs with oil and coal companies.  because that's where people make a difference.  d'uh.  this is a classic view of the market solving problems.  when the problem becomes significant, it becomes advantageous to make changes so the market will respond.  all hail the invisible hand, sing the praises of the market.  but we're soon presented with this...

But only the government can create the incentives for Americans to work on this problem with urgency and seriousness.

i don't think this gerson fellow is serious about being a conservative.  at least conservatives like grover norquist are honest: saying that they want to strangle the shrunken government in the bathtub.  government ain't the answer, it's part of the problem.  so are we talking about aconservative answer to this problem or a market-based economic answer to this problem?

As in the case of fighting Los Angeles smog, this type of government regulation would create economic incentives for the development of new technologies -- incentives that do not exist in the free market.

he wants the problem solved, and he wants market forces that don't exist in the current market to solve the problem.  so someone needs to create a force to effect change. 

But the problem is much more likely to be solved if someone has a direct economic interest in solving it.

and we're back to the invisible hand again.  look, i'll make this easy.  there's a problem.  gas is expensive.  pollution is abundant.  congestion on roads is abyssmal with broad estimates that it costs drivers in big cities around $1000 a year and drivers in more rural areas $200 a year.  we're already at a point where a solution is needed and there are string effects on individuals that should be generating market pressure for solutions.  but it's not happening

we have an expression where i work that has a surprising amount of wisdom in it: "if it was easy, someone would have already done it".  if there was a cheap, easy solution, no one doubts it would have been implemented.  but there isn't.  if gerson had taken the time to look at existing government expenditures along these lines, i doubt he'd come to the conclusion that more market-based incentives are necessary as there are numerous ones in place.

maybe it's time to consider really alternative approaches.  if one wishes to stick with the market, a more consistent proposal would be to price gasoline such that it reflects the true costs of it's production, storage, transport, monitoring and use.  inclusion of these types of externalities has been attempted on large scales before with some success.  however, there are powerful political andbusiness forces which make this a difficult sell here in the states.  an alternative would be remediate the problem and charge the people causing the problems (air polluters) directly.  make every road a toll road.  put meters on smokestacks the same way we have meters on our gas and electric lines coming into our house so that we can charge for output (industrial waste) in addition to input.

or we could just get more people to ride bikes.  you want to know something nice about that idea?  it's proven to work.  there's no r+d budget.  there's no policy papers.  give  a bike to everybody in the united states capable of riding.  we might solve the obesity and health care crisis at the same time.  we could use the extra money to prop up social security and pay down the national debt.  there, all national probelms solved.  you're welcome.

-posted by scott

latest race news from sim in france...

Thought you guys might like this.  Did a hill climb in the Pyrenees yesterday.  I was rather happy to get away near the bottom of the Col de Latrape, then attacked my breakaway partner with 3 k to go to the Cirque de Cagateille and cross the line solo… but that’s not the point… the point is, that on the podium, apart from the usual trophy and flowers, I also got a stack of local products, (sausage, honey, pate etc) but also…. Wait for it…. YES, a proper, 100% wool, depths of the mountains beret (flock of goats not included)!!!  How cool is that!

two things i want to draw attention to.  first, note the prize for winning the race: trophy, flowers and the handcrafts of the local laborers.  so tight, so fine, so union approved.  second, the black beret.  in the basque region, they are quite common.  it is a very special gift and a really cool prize.  when sim and i raced the essor basque, at the end of each stage, they'd call up the top three and the winner would get the coveted beret.  the crowd always gave a very nice cheer for this.  we could learn a lot from the way they do things oevr there...

-posted by scott

an anecdote from union ground operations....

"After taking 3 weeks off cycling and devoting time to my wife and that bad running habit of hers, I've been struggling horribly on the last 2 group rides. I'm still running with the dog every morning and when it comes to doing 2 sports at once I guess I'm a dismal failure. Last night on the Thurs. Reston ride "The Man" stepped in to assist me. I did a long pull up this gradual hill, turned the corner and hammered to the top of the KOM only to get counter attacked and dropped on the decent as I was recovering. Then I got pinched at the next corner and I was hovering in a state of agony all alone trying to decide if I should bag it or keep going solo hoping to catch back up. That's when "The MAN" came to my rescue. The Loudon County Sherriff pulled over the 10-15 remaining riders up ahead for running 2 stop signs and riding more than two abreast. After lecturing them just long enough for me to catch up and recover he let us all go.  Thanks Gracious Servant and Protector of the People!"

never let it be said that your taxes don't go to further the interests of union cyclists.

-sg

racing union; vigilant defender of those who are marginalized by the institutionalization of the hated four-wheeled hegemon, a mighty locomotive that never fails or slows in the work required to bring about the glorious revolution in cycling and the social order,  brilliant and comforting beacon to all who hunger for progress and friend to all who use two wheels, accepts, in the spirit of solidarity, with a fellow rider, racer, blogger and revolutionary, mike may's offer to not comment on what he asks us to not comment on.

However, there are several things that demand comment.  we all love bikes, but this is a case of neglect.  the tenets of the manifesto and revolution do not take an adverserial posture towards the ownership of nice bikes, but are generally interpretted by the mandarins of the union vanguard to strongly condemn the lack of care exhibited in this case.  while the events are tragic, they were also avoidable, and a beautiful ride may be lost as a result.  the problem here is not the association between bikes and cars.  the union offers a benevolent smile, nod and wink to those who must combine forms of transportation, based on the understanding that riding bikes with others is of paramount importance.  the real story here is mistreatment of a bicycle: an agent of revolution, a beauty to behold, a fabricated wonder.  it's loss will be mourned but cannot be avenged.  this is a loss that will stay with us all.

remember the first line of the union mantra:

support the wheels of your brothers and sisters.
support the work of your brothers and sisters.
support the cause of your brothers and sisters

have a safe weekend everyone...

-sg

et tu cyclingnews?  they now bury the lede on factual doping problems in the amateur ranks in the same way that prominent american media outlets bury news about the house of cards that is the modern imperialist hegemon.  to wit:

"In Italy a 55 year-old was caught for doping in an amateur race. The rider for Team Marlis won a race in the category for 55 to 59 year-olds, but CONI, the Italian Olympic committee, announced that the amateur racer was caught for using high blood pressure medicine, according to La Gazzetta dello sport. He is facing a suspension until he turns 57 as well as a revoking of his title."

this simply has to end.  it can't go on.

-sg

WashCycle points to another article about yet another cyclist death. 

The man was riding a red Mongoose bicycle with rear "trick pegs" and heading north on Route 123 (Ox Road) in the Burke area early July 28. Police said a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix struck the bike about 1:45 a.m. and killed the bicyclist. The driver of the Grand Prix, Keith T. Slay, 18, of Burke, was charged with reckless driving.

Police said the victim appeared to be a Hispanic man, 18 to 21 years old, 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 140 pounds. He was wearing camouflage shorts, a dark green shirt, a dark hat with the words "Todo Por Nada" on it and red Converse sneakers. Anyone who might have information about him is asked to call police at 703-280-0552.

There are many questions about circumstances, but a few things are clear:  nobody deserves this, and something must be done to try and address the circumstances.  Racing Union has always stood in solidarity with all who toil on two wheels, and in my DC neighborhood most of my fellow commuters are far closer to the profile described in this article then the dudes I see spinning around real fast at Hains Point and Greenbelt.  While it may be hard to imagine this in the dog days of August, the early evening fall darkness is not too far off.

-- posted by Chris

it's just becoming routine.  i mean, it _had_ been something like 10 days since the last announcement.  how could i not have seen this particular event coming?  thanks to chris for pointing it out to me.  i do need to draw attention to the last paragraph.  check it...

"This new blow will only embolden us to impose even more draconian measures for a clean sport."

that's just such beautiful use of language.  i'm getting a little misty....talk amongst yourselves....

posted by scott

p.s. in case you think i'm just down on cycling, you're wrong.  i'm probably down on a relatively small but high profile aspect of cycling, but i had a great time just going out to greenbelt and watching last night.  the a race was a smackdown; so impressive.  the b race was a bit different.  i offer my congratulations to the union guys in that race.  they didn't get the result they hoped for, but they went out there with a plan and they executed it.  they worked together and they appeared to have a good time.  you can't ask for more than that...

check it man: http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13062.0.html

odds that contador doped and has been caught: 5:1
odds that contador doped and has not been caught: 7:6

odds that contador has been implicated in wrong doing: 2.5:1
odds that contador has not been implicated in wrong doing: off

odds that if implicated contador will relinquish his tdf victory: 9:1
odds that if implicated contador will retire from cycling: 15:1
odds that if implicated contador will launch a legal defense: 3:2

over under on months of appeal process (+15 5:2, <=15 2:1) note: must appeal
over under on number of press conferences in next 6 months (+4 3:2, <=4 3:1)

parlays may be accepted. inquire immediately.
-sg

the post has an article today that is rather lacking in perspective.  the shrill and blaring headline trumpets that 42% of seniors are proficient in economics.  but the spin starts int he fourth paragraph:

"While there is clear room for improvement, the results are not discouraging," said Darvin M. Winick, chairman of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees policy for the NAEP tests, in a statement before a news conference in Washington this morning. "Given the number of students who finish high school with a limited vocabulary, not reading well, and weak in math, the results may be as good as or better than we should expect."

ridiculous.  the soft pedaling of the results is simply weak.  to say that abyssmal performance is okay given how dumb all the students are is so ridiculously elitist and indiciative of the way the bourgeoisie view the world.  these types of stereotypes are unforgivable.  i wonder if the guy had to put down his cognac and cigar and straighten his bow tie before offering this farcical interpretation.

but the real embaressment is the mis-direction involved in the conclusions drawn.  yes people, there is a reason that our young scholars who get degrees in economics are awarded a bachelors of arts rather than a bachelors of science.  the fact that our young scholars did not provide the anticipated answer is not necessarily proof that they don't understand the world around them.  is itnot also possible thta understand the world quite well and can provide answers that so not fit well with the expectations of the mordern, urbane mandarins who are writing the questions?

40 percent determined why industries can successfully lobby for tariff protection

60% likely indicated the truth that ike eisenhower rather bluntly told the nation on January 17th, 1961.  corporations get what they want.  they are run by mordern day plutocrats, answerable to virtually no one.  even the law recognizes a ridiculous amount of rights on their behalf.  the fact that we even discuss protecting these entites is actually quite amazing.  they feed at the public trough to an extent never before seen, in a symbiotic relationship with legislative leaders.  why do corporation get pretty much everything they want?  because there is no powerful force in our current society or government that opposes them; effectively providing a check on their power or or a check on the flow of funds to their coffers. 

32 percent identified how investment in education can impact economic growth;

the point of education is not economic growth but social change.  however, there is also a relationship between social change and economic growth.  this is the quesitons that needs to be answered.  all the kids know that come the revolution, economic groth will not be a goal that we seek to maximize.  it pleases me that 68% of students tested did not conflate these two things automatically.

11% analyzed how a change in the unemployment rate affects income, spending, and production.

many probably could have written eloquent essays on how bicycle ownership and safe avenues for riding and commuting activity affect happiness, and how this happiness affects production.  but the byzantine econometric relationships implied, which dismiss critical aspects as externalities, cannot be succinctly explained given the factors offered for discussion.  without the social force of revolution and the complex andminfold dynamics of cycling, discussions of production can be superficial at best.

just below the headline, the paper echoes: " 'results are not discouraging' says official ".  idiots.  of course the results are discouraging.  for them.  the results are only discouraging to one who's greatest aspiraiton in life is to attend the university of chicago school of economics, and then make dumptruck loads of money of the backs of the serfs you have toil under the ponderous yoke of the global economy.  there is a special circle of the inferno for you all.

this is getting my dander up....

-sg