Rod

Four Reasons

Grant writing time. Which you’ll understand accounts for the present paucity of posts here. This is a time for dense, persuasive prose, and considerable chest thumping, in order to get our research aims… well, paid for. Aka, begging for money.

Elsewhere, heard on the boob tube:

The POTUS said (I’m paraphrasing), “It’s no different than forcing people to buy car insurance.”

I have a couple problems with that line of reasoning.

1) While lots of people drive, it’s not a law that you do. So in that sense, no, Mr. POTUS, it’s not the same thing, because just being a citizen of the US will subject you to being forced (coerced if you like) to buy health insurance. Practically, there’s no opting out of being a US citizen, like you can opt out of driving. Apples and oranges, sir.

2) Even if you do choose to drive, while auto insurance is mandatory in most states, plenty of people nevertheless drive without it. You need a key (or secret code) to start car, not an insurance policy. In fact, this is why insurance companies offer uninsured motorist coverage; in case you collide with an uninsured motorist the cost to repair your car and/or yourself is covered.

3) Even conceding the auto insurance analogy, arguing that forcing people to do Z is unobjectionable because we already force them to do A, B, C, whatever, is (or should be) some kind of political fallacy.

4) Any government coercion reduces personal liberty.

Quotidian

You know you’re cycling in Anchorage when …

Seconds before I snapped this he (she?) was peeing on those pansies. Ha!

Pitiful Punditry

The reluctance to do something well only because you’re unable to make it excellent = Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

I want to remind people of this when the topic turns to government spending. Lately, I hear certain pundits dismiss the importance of limiting government spending as a step toward fixing the financial crisis in Washington. I hear things like, “Well, sure, they (the government) could cut programs X, Y, and Z, but really, that spending amounts to a trifle of the government’s budget.”

Solstice Plus Two

It was one of those days. Emphasis on one. Cloudless. Bluesky. Seventies. Windless.

I threw Otis on top of Roo and Happy Wife drove us to the start line of this year’s colorectal cancer charity ride. It’s nominally a two day ride, the first from Anchorage to Summit Lake (75 miles), and the second to Seward (45 miles). This year they offered a one day option to Summit Lake, which is what I opted for, having arranged with Happy Wife to pick me up at ~2 pm. I hadn’t done any fund raising this year or registered in advance, so I registered on the spot and wrote them a check for the minimum fund raising requirement. A good cause. And a great day. I’ve participated in this event three or more times over the years, and a day like this is one to remember. Much pleasanter than fifty degrees and sideways rain, I think you’ll agree.

Photos: 1) Second water/food stop at base of Turnagain Pass, a gnarly 6 mile climb (~1000′); 2) two riders summit Turnagain Pass; 3) Otis takes a breather at the Hope cutoff, the last water/food stop before the climb to Summit Lake, ~12 miles.

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Glad I opted for the one day option. Today it’s raining with other related foulness.

Solstice 2012

Captured from the mosh pit tonight: Michael Franti performs at Moose’s Tooth summer solstice party.

Sound quality here not so good, but live it was rockin’ good. Thanks to the Happy Wife for scoring us the tickets. A fitting end to the longest day of the year. What fun we had together, listening, jumping, signing, laughing, and enjoying the intermittent waft of MTF.

Couple Links

Mr. Baldwin, may I suggest a Quaalude or two? Temper temper.

Godspeed to these four.

Elsewhere, I was talking to my table mates at Jack Sprat this past Saturday, mentioning with a dubious sense of pride that I’d received my first rejection on a short story I’d sent in, when one of them said, “Oh, you want to be a writer now?” I thought, no, what I really want is readers. And I was hoping the editor at the lit journal where I submitted the story would bring them to me, by way of publishing my story. No such luck. But this is the way it goes I’m told, you twice paper your office walls with rejection letters before your first hit. I mailed the story to another lit journal late last week. Today, to Lowes, for wallpaper paste.

One More

Today, Father’s Day, along the coastal trail.

Bigger.

Ho hum day

Anchorage to Girdweed. ~40 miles.

Along the way.

Beluga Point

Turnagain Arm

Top Ten Nine…

… features of Otis (Oh-tee) revealed after debut twenty-five miler.

10.  Marshmallow light! How light? So light that a full water bottle (1.625 lbs) is 10% of the entire bike’s weight.

9.  Sex appeal. Dude, Otis is like fine art, only better ’cause I can ride her. Otis draws more whistles than a skirt ‘n heels passing a construction site.

8.  Plush ride without being the least bit sloppy. The C/Ti combination absorbs all road nastiness, transmitting nothing to me.

7.  11-speed Campagnolo Record group with compact crank set. Now even old men can climb hills.

6.  Quiet. Probably because it’s new, but my old Merlin (“Merle”, now relegated to the J-hooks <sniffle>) was whisper quiet even after 15 years of praiseworthy service.

5.  Stoopid good frame geometry. Otis fits me because he was custom made for me. I was surprised at the change in my overall posture on the bike whilst ascending, descending, and soaring around turns, compared to Merle that is.

4.  Light! Worth repeating. Were it not for the overweight American atop the saddle holding him back, Otis’d ascend hills on his own.

3.  No more upper back pain or toe numbness. Gone! That’s why I got a bespoke bike.

2.  The Adamo saddle (black). Super good support for ye ol’ sit bones, plus a slot down the center for your junk.