This is just to let everybody know that I'll be visiting a friend in Manitoba for the next three weeks, so I won't be posting or reading.
Until then,
-- Dee
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Bicycles and Public Transportation -- Why They Suck
When I was a kid I rode my bike to school. School was only a few blocks away, I could walk the distance in about twenty minutes at a moderate pace over the short cut, (a charming walk in the woods north of Dundas.) The shortcut was too rough for a bike, though so I rode it up and down the sidewalk. I still made the journey in half the time and all was well. This was in the days when we kept our school notes in our desks and had to carry at most a couple of notebooks home. I could do that with a plastic basket that mounted on the front of the handlebars. And naturally, after the first snowfall, my bicycle went in the shed until spring.
Now I'm older. I travel several kilometers to work and back. I sometimes carry home a week's worth of groceries for two people from two or three stores. Well, I used to do that when I had a car. Now I visit fewer stores, take two or three days to visit more and have to use a bundle-buggy to carry everything, which is a damned nuisance for me and everybody else on the bus. At first I thought of getting a bicycle. But as I thought that option over, here's what occurred to me.
- I coudn't use it between November and April or when it rained more than slightly.
- It wouldn't be safe to use if the wind is too strong.
- I could carry home about half what I could pack in my bundle-buggy, even with a large back pack. And a large back pack would be liable to tip me over.
- I couldn't ride with a passenger, not safely or legally.
- I couldn't visit friends more than a few kilometers away, it would take too long. (And most of my friends live in the next city.)
- Likewise, if I tried to commute to work that way, I'd lose a lot of my day to just going to and from work. (At least on a bus I can read.)
- On roadways, (where bicycles actually belong), I'd be slow enough at my fastest to be a hazard to cars.
- Being hit by a car could injure me quite severely, even kill me.
- On sidewalks, I'd be going fast enough to hurt somebody quite badly if I hit them.
- If I hurt my knee or elbow or even a hand or foot, I couldn't use a bicycle until it was better.
- Bicycles are much easier to steal than cars.
- I wonder why bicycle drivers all seem to be so arrogant. Would I end up like that?
- I don't need my pants cuffs chewed up by a bicycle chain.
- Bicycle maintenance was a pain in the neck compared to checking the oil every so often in my old car and taking it in for servicing.
- After exercising by driving a bicycle, I bet I'd stink of sweat! That wouldn't be very nice for the people I'm coming to see, especially at work!
All-in-all, a bicycle isn't nearly as good a transportation solution as a private car. Granted that they cause less pollution. (However, this could be improved by changing the engine normally used in cars for any of several that are much more efficient.) And for those who can ride them safely, they work somewhat, if the driver doesn't have much at all to carry or very far to go, as long as the weather is fair. At any other time and for any other purpose, bicycles are impractical. Some bicycle drivers try to use them in bad weather and for very heavy and clumsy loads anyway; frankly, I'm surprised they aren't at least ticketed on a regular basis for dangerous behaviour.
I've been taking the bus for several months now. If you can get a seat, it's more comfortable than a bicycle. They share some of the problems of bicycles, however. (And the same goes for street cars and subways.)
- Buses are slower than cars because they don't go directly where you want to go. They pause at bus stops every few meters and to turn a corner you have to get off the bus, cross a street and wait for another bus.
- It's a pain in the neck carrying cargo on a bus, for you and everybody else. Some city bus lines won't let you carry more cargo than you can hold in your hands.
- And you have to pay every time you go somewhere on a bus. Depending on how far you go, (and the car), the price of the gas you'd burn in a private car could be less than us fare. (Granted, it can also be less.)
Now buses can go in foul weather, (although after walking to the bus stop and waiting for it in that foul weather you might as well have ridden a bicycle.) You can use them if you're injured, somebody else does the maintenance and you won't get all mussy or sweaty, (if the weather's nice.) And of course they're more energy efficient at transporting people than private cars. They are not as time efficient however and they can be crowded and unpleasant.
As for taxis, they share all of the advantages of private cars, all of the pollution problems of private cars and they're very, very expensive. For transportation, taxis are a non-starter, best used for special cases.
When I can afford a new car, I'll get one. Hopefully it'll be a hybrid or possibly bio-diesel. But if you want to keep me out of my private car you'll need to find me a form of public transit that combines the advantages of both. Preferably without the disadvantages of either. It might not be environmentally correct, but it's the bottom line for this little otter!
Now I'm older. I travel several kilometers to work and back. I sometimes carry home a week's worth of groceries for two people from two or three stores. Well, I used to do that when I had a car. Now I visit fewer stores, take two or three days to visit more and have to use a bundle-buggy to carry everything, which is a damned nuisance for me and everybody else on the bus. At first I thought of getting a bicycle. But as I thought that option over, here's what occurred to me.
- I coudn't use it between November and April or when it rained more than slightly.
- It wouldn't be safe to use if the wind is too strong.
- I could carry home about half what I could pack in my bundle-buggy, even with a large back pack. And a large back pack would be liable to tip me over.
- I couldn't ride with a passenger, not safely or legally.
- I couldn't visit friends more than a few kilometers away, it would take too long. (And most of my friends live in the next city.)
- Likewise, if I tried to commute to work that way, I'd lose a lot of my day to just going to and from work. (At least on a bus I can read.)
- On roadways, (where bicycles actually belong), I'd be slow enough at my fastest to be a hazard to cars.
- Being hit by a car could injure me quite severely, even kill me.
- On sidewalks, I'd be going fast enough to hurt somebody quite badly if I hit them.
- If I hurt my knee or elbow or even a hand or foot, I couldn't use a bicycle until it was better.
- Bicycles are much easier to steal than cars.
- I wonder why bicycle drivers all seem to be so arrogant. Would I end up like that?
- I don't need my pants cuffs chewed up by a bicycle chain.
- Bicycle maintenance was a pain in the neck compared to checking the oil every so often in my old car and taking it in for servicing.
- After exercising by driving a bicycle, I bet I'd stink of sweat! That wouldn't be very nice for the people I'm coming to see, especially at work!
All-in-all, a bicycle isn't nearly as good a transportation solution as a private car. Granted that they cause less pollution. (However, this could be improved by changing the engine normally used in cars for any of several that are much more efficient.) And for those who can ride them safely, they work somewhat, if the driver doesn't have much at all to carry or very far to go, as long as the weather is fair. At any other time and for any other purpose, bicycles are impractical. Some bicycle drivers try to use them in bad weather and for very heavy and clumsy loads anyway; frankly, I'm surprised they aren't at least ticketed on a regular basis for dangerous behaviour.
I've been taking the bus for several months now. If you can get a seat, it's more comfortable than a bicycle. They share some of the problems of bicycles, however. (And the same goes for street cars and subways.)
- Buses are slower than cars because they don't go directly where you want to go. They pause at bus stops every few meters and to turn a corner you have to get off the bus, cross a street and wait for another bus.
- It's a pain in the neck carrying cargo on a bus, for you and everybody else. Some city bus lines won't let you carry more cargo than you can hold in your hands.
- And you have to pay every time you go somewhere on a bus. Depending on how far you go, (and the car), the price of the gas you'd burn in a private car could be less than us fare. (Granted, it can also be less.)
Now buses can go in foul weather, (although after walking to the bus stop and waiting for it in that foul weather you might as well have ridden a bicycle.) You can use them if you're injured, somebody else does the maintenance and you won't get all mussy or sweaty, (if the weather's nice.) And of course they're more energy efficient at transporting people than private cars. They are not as time efficient however and they can be crowded and unpleasant.
As for taxis, they share all of the advantages of private cars, all of the pollution problems of private cars and they're very, very expensive. For transportation, taxis are a non-starter, best used for special cases.
When I can afford a new car, I'll get one. Hopefully it'll be a hybrid or possibly bio-diesel. But if you want to keep me out of my private car you'll need to find me a form of public transit that combines the advantages of both. Preferably without the disadvantages of either. It might not be environmentally correct, but it's the bottom line for this little otter!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Power And The Big Chill
Well, I fell kinda silly now. But at least the fridge is working. And I have a story to tell!
Last night about ten thirty the fridge stopped working. I discovered it at about midnight when I went to get my third meal of the day. (My schedule is weird.) My brother had discovered it an hour or so before me, but didn't bother telling me. (I know this because he said so when I told him about it.) He suggested that we put all our frozen food into a cooler chest with some stuff to keep it cold. Now this would have kept the frozen food frozen for three, maybe four hours. Luckily it was below freezing out last night. So I quickly stuffed all the frozen food that would fit into a Coleman camp cooler that I usually use to keep things cold on the way home from the store and set it outside. There was part of a bag of frozen veggies left that wouldn't fit. In the meantime, said my brother, we'll just keep the fridge door closed. (My brother is a pie-eyed optimist about things that need to be fixed.)
This morning I checked the part-bag of frozen veggies; part-thawed, not good. I put it back as a way of checking how thawed the fridge was getting. Then, just in case, I washed my hands at the kitchen sink. That's when I noticed that the radio was have under the kitchen cabinets was also off. I checked the clock on the wall above them; it wasn't running! Now why would all three items, nominally plugged into the same outlet not have power? So I examined the outlet. That's when I remembered what I'd done several years ago. There weren't enough outlets for everything we wanted to plug in; the fridge, the clock, the radio and a fluorescent lamp over the kitchen sink to wash dishes by. So instead, I'd plugged a power bar into the outlet and everything else into that.
I pushed the switch on the power bar. The clock started running, the radio came on and when I opened the fridge door, the light came on. The fridge didn't start pumping heat out of itself right away. As I started on breakfast though, I heard the compressor softly buzzing. I went and fetched the Coleman off the front porch and stuck the frozen food back in it.
Thank goodness! I had trouble sleeping last night wondering where I'd find the money for a new fridge!
Last night about ten thirty the fridge stopped working. I discovered it at about midnight when I went to get my third meal of the day. (My schedule is weird.) My brother had discovered it an hour or so before me, but didn't bother telling me. (I know this because he said so when I told him about it.) He suggested that we put all our frozen food into a cooler chest with some stuff to keep it cold. Now this would have kept the frozen food frozen for three, maybe four hours. Luckily it was below freezing out last night. So I quickly stuffed all the frozen food that would fit into a Coleman camp cooler that I usually use to keep things cold on the way home from the store and set it outside. There was part of a bag of frozen veggies left that wouldn't fit. In the meantime, said my brother, we'll just keep the fridge door closed. (My brother is a pie-eyed optimist about things that need to be fixed.)
This morning I checked the part-bag of frozen veggies; part-thawed, not good. I put it back as a way of checking how thawed the fridge was getting. Then, just in case, I washed my hands at the kitchen sink. That's when I noticed that the radio was have under the kitchen cabinets was also off. I checked the clock on the wall above them; it wasn't running! Now why would all three items, nominally plugged into the same outlet not have power? So I examined the outlet. That's when I remembered what I'd done several years ago. There weren't enough outlets for everything we wanted to plug in; the fridge, the clock, the radio and a fluorescent lamp over the kitchen sink to wash dishes by. So instead, I'd plugged a power bar into the outlet and everything else into that.
I pushed the switch on the power bar. The clock started running, the radio came on and when I opened the fridge door, the light came on. The fridge didn't start pumping heat out of itself right away. As I started on breakfast though, I heard the compressor softly buzzing. I went and fetched the Coleman off the front porch and stuck the frozen food back in it.
Thank goodness! I had trouble sleeping last night wondering where I'd find the money for a new fridge!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Vitamin C
I've noticed something that I probably should have noticed long ago, if I paid much attention to myself. It seems that caffeine helps me get from bed to alert in the morning, but if I have too much I get annoyed easily. I know, that's common knowledge. It's just that it's been fairly recent that I've reached that amount of caffeine in my system; roughly one large coffee. Unless I wait a couple hours after that, I get irritable.
I think I need to cut down a bit. Only, somebody told me once that almost everything has caffeine in it. Bottled water probably doesn't, but be damned if I'll pay $1.25 for a tenth of a cent's worth of water! Besides, if I'm going to pay more than a buck for something to drink, I at least want some kind of flavour.
I'd welcome advice, if anybody has it, on how I can avoid too much caffeine. Please?
I think I need to cut down a bit. Only, somebody told me once that almost everything has caffeine in it. Bottled water probably doesn't, but be damned if I'll pay $1.25 for a tenth of a cent's worth of water! Besides, if I'm going to pay more than a buck for something to drink, I at least want some kind of flavour.
I'd welcome advice, if anybody has it, on how I can avoid too much caffeine. Please?
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Third Islington FurMeet -- Toronto, ON
Last Saturday, (Feb 21st), saw the third Toronto Furmeet. They take place in the basement party room of an apartment near Islington Subway Stn. This one was a blast! Even having to evacuate for a fire alarm, (false alarm as it turned out),
hardly even paused the good time. There was a band, but their set was interrupted by the false alarm; just as well, they were awfully loud for the space. (They turned down the guitar a bit, but there wasn't much they could do about the drums.) And there was dancing and videos and games and a row of dealer's tables and chili and pizza and... just everything! (No fish, though.) :(
Several of us took pictures and videos. Here are some links from me and some friends:
Mine
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/dotter_can/Islington%20Furmeet%203/
Chronos Wolf
http://s641.photobucket.com/albums/uu140/Chronoswolf/Islington%20Furmeet%203/
Bungee Skunk
- Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bungeeskunk/sets/72157614229187855/
- Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKai2R0zYB0 (Party)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrqb-aayr2w (Bowling next day)
Sneff
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35705348@N04/sets/72157614342168934/
-- Dee
hardly even paused the good time. There was a band, but their set was interrupted by the false alarm; just as well, they were awfully loud for the space. (They turned down the guitar a bit, but there wasn't much they could do about the drums.) And there was dancing and videos and games and a row of dealer's tables and chili and pizza and... just everything! (No fish, though.) :(
Several of us took pictures and videos. Here are some links from me and some friends:
Mine
http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n245/dotter_can/Islington%20Furmeet%203/
Chronos Wolf
http://s641.photobucket.com/albums/uu140/Chronoswolf/Islington%20Furmeet%203/
Bungee Skunk
- Pictures
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bungeeskunk/sets/72157614229187855/
- Videos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKai2R0zYB0 (Party)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrqb-aayr2w (Bowling next day)
Sneff
http://www.flickr.com/photos/35705348@N04/sets/72157614342168934/
-- Dee
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Waa! You Don't Hate Me Anymore!
I attended the Islington FurMeet last night. It was fun, I met lots of people and took lots of pictures which I'll post later. One of the fursuiters I took lots of pictures of was Zets_Coony. Now I don't know much about yiddish, but "zets" has the right construction to be at least germanic, so just out of curiosity I googled him.
And that's how I found the Encyclopaedia Dramatica; a sort of WikiFur for trolls. They said -- among other things -- that Zets is homosexual, has poor spelling, comes from Ottawa and caused some sensation by taking a scaley as his boyfriend... the usual sorts of things that trolls find so mortally offensive that the mooks go looking for it. DUH!
(Incidentally, all I found about the word zets is that it's a surname from somewhere or other, some of whom have a restaurant near Pearson Intl, and either a network architecture or a fraternity of coders, don't really care which.)
I admit that, at this point, I became curious. So I tried to look myself up. Nothing! Not even a footnote, no matter how I spelled myself! Why don't the haters hate me? Am I not furry enough? Am I too straight? Are my spelling and grammar too good? I've written Furry pron, I've even posted it! I have no more chance of holding down a job than anybody else in this boot-faced economy! So why aren't they calling me names? Where are the G**D***ed barbarians!!!
Not that I particularly want to be called names by trolls, you understand. But somehow it's almost a worse insult to be ignored. Then again, what do you expect from trolls...
And that's how I found the Encyclopaedia Dramatica; a sort of WikiFur for trolls. They said -- among other things -- that Zets is homosexual, has poor spelling, comes from Ottawa and caused some sensation by taking a scaley as his boyfriend... the usual sorts of things that trolls find so mortally offensive that the mooks go looking for it. DUH!
(Incidentally, all I found about the word zets is that it's a surname from somewhere or other, some of whom have a restaurant near Pearson Intl, and either a network architecture or a fraternity of coders, don't really care which.)
I admit that, at this point, I became curious. So I tried to look myself up. Nothing! Not even a footnote, no matter how I spelled myself! Why don't the haters hate me? Am I not furry enough? Am I too straight? Are my spelling and grammar too good? I've written Furry pron, I've even posted it! I have no more chance of holding down a job than anybody else in this boot-faced economy! So why aren't they calling me names? Where are the G**D***ed barbarians!!!
Not that I particularly want to be called names by trolls, you understand. But somehow it's almost a worse insult to be ignored. Then again, what do you expect from trolls...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Wabbit Season? Duck Season?
I went shopping today for groceries. As I left the store I noticed something. there was a car trying to park in the parking lot. A pair of bicycle drivers came up behind the car. They swerved around the car, surrounding it, through the spot where the driver was trying to park, then rode away quickly. They were yelling, "Driver! Driver! Driver!" as if it meant "F****t! F****t! F****t!" (The car driver waited until they had gone, then parked. I kept walking; I no longer have a car and rely on public transit.)
So, groundhogs notwithstanding, it seems that it's already bicycle season again. This is the season when bicycle driver take to the streets and the sidewalks, behaving:
- as if they're pedestrians for the purpose of motor vehicle laws;
- as if they're motor vehicle operators for the purpose of pedestrian laws; and
- as if what few laws relate specifically to bicycles are suggestions that may be observed, re-interpretted or disregarded as is convenient to them; as if
- they are unquestionable heroes of freedom and environmentalism;
- motor vehicle drivers are acting irresponsibly by being on the road;
- pedestrians are something like slalom gates...
...as if, in fact, they are not responsible for the control of a vehicle, which is probably why they calling what they do "riding" instead of "driving."
So it is time now for everyone to observe certain elementary precautions in order to stay safe on the roads and sidewalks.
Pedestrians should:
- stay to the edge of the sidewalk in case a bicycle approaches;
- where there is no sidewalk, stay in the gutter;
- watch in front of themselves for oncoming bicycles and be prepared to duck;
- look behind themselves periodically in case a bicycle approaches from behind;
- look all ways at corners and remember to check sidewalks, lawns, open spaces and the wrong way down streets;
- be aware of places of refuge to duck into in case of bicycles;
- try to walk during dark hours and school hours when bicycles are less likely to be about.
Remember that, unlike a motor vehicle, bicycles can approach from any direction.
Motorists should:
- be aware of bicycles that they pass, especially when approaching a corner, which could pass them on either side if they catch up;
- check for bicycles on both sides before turning either left or right;
- remember that bicycle drivers move quickly and rarely stop at boulevard stops, they can be in your path with no notice;
- do not play a radio or other music in the car as it might drown out the faint horns, bells and whistles that bicycle drivers occasionally use to warn of their approach;
- do not pass a bicycle in a single lane roadway as you could not possibly leave enough room to avoid a bicycle's random movement without encroaching into the next lane;
- after parking, if you are not causing yourself pain in your neck and back by turning to see whether a bicycle is approaching, you are not doing it properly -- this applies to parallel, slantwise and inline parking spots, as well as to passengers.
Remember, as police interpret any motor vehicle/bicycle collision, even if you have witnesses and photographs which can prove that the bicycle driver was behaving like a complete jackass, you are still at fault!
Stay safe everybody and good luck until the next good snow storm puts bicycles off the road for a while.
So, groundhogs notwithstanding, it seems that it's already bicycle season again. This is the season when bicycle driver take to the streets and the sidewalks, behaving:
- as if they're pedestrians for the purpose of motor vehicle laws;
- as if they're motor vehicle operators for the purpose of pedestrian laws; and
- as if what few laws relate specifically to bicycles are suggestions that may be observed, re-interpretted or disregarded as is convenient to them; as if
- they are unquestionable heroes of freedom and environmentalism;
- motor vehicle drivers are acting irresponsibly by being on the road;
- pedestrians are something like slalom gates...
...as if, in fact, they are not responsible for the control of a vehicle, which is probably why they calling what they do "riding" instead of "driving."
So it is time now for everyone to observe certain elementary precautions in order to stay safe on the roads and sidewalks.
Pedestrians should:
- stay to the edge of the sidewalk in case a bicycle approaches;
- where there is no sidewalk, stay in the gutter;
- watch in front of themselves for oncoming bicycles and be prepared to duck;
- look behind themselves periodically in case a bicycle approaches from behind;
- look all ways at corners and remember to check sidewalks, lawns, open spaces and the wrong way down streets;
- be aware of places of refuge to duck into in case of bicycles;
- try to walk during dark hours and school hours when bicycles are less likely to be about.
Remember that, unlike a motor vehicle, bicycles can approach from any direction.
Motorists should:
- be aware of bicycles that they pass, especially when approaching a corner, which could pass them on either side if they catch up;
- check for bicycles on both sides before turning either left or right;
- remember that bicycle drivers move quickly and rarely stop at boulevard stops, they can be in your path with no notice;
- do not play a radio or other music in the car as it might drown out the faint horns, bells and whistles that bicycle drivers occasionally use to warn of their approach;
- do not pass a bicycle in a single lane roadway as you could not possibly leave enough room to avoid a bicycle's random movement without encroaching into the next lane;
- after parking, if you are not causing yourself pain in your neck and back by turning to see whether a bicycle is approaching, you are not doing it properly -- this applies to parallel, slantwise and inline parking spots, as well as to passengers.
Remember, as police interpret any motor vehicle/bicycle collision, even if you have witnesses and photographs which can prove that the bicycle driver was behaving like a complete jackass, you are still at fault!
Stay safe everybody and good luck until the next good snow storm puts bicycles off the road for a while.
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