Headlines

My momma always said then bicycles will only lead to trouble: Girl's new bicycle leads to fatal accident.

And then there's the kids. They can be a frustrating lot, eh? Mother accused of bumping son off bicycle. Perhaps she was thinking this sort of thing happens all the time. It's part of the risk of riding a bicycle.

Report: December 3 – December 16

Like the butcher who backed into his meat grinder…I’m getting a little behind in my work. I’m going to combine two weeks in this report.

Trips -
MinusCar: 9
Multi-occupant Auto: 17
Single occupant Auto: 4
Destinations: 57

Not much for MinusCar trips, but at least they’re still twice the single occupant trips. I remained in a pretty un-motivated state these two weeks.

My Car Miles: 86
My Bike Miles: 45

This week’s low temperatures: 12/5 | 9 degrees, 6mph wind, -1 windchill

Merry Christmas

"A lighter lifestyle is the smart, cool, intelligent and healthy way to live. Don’t be tied to outdated and dangerous 20th century ways of living. Live light because it will make you feel complete and free.

When you choose to live light you are setting the pace for the 21st century. You will see the people all around you trying to catch up. And when they do we can all work together to build a world that is cleaner, fairer and happier and that you will be proud to leave to your children."

-- George Marshall, Don't Save The Planet

or...as No Impact Man says: "Don't Waste"

There's Still Time For You

Fatty's broken but you still have a chance. Forsake your car. Ride to the ride.

Happiness is...

a dry base layer.

Don't forget to dry your fundies under your desk during work today.

Peaking Influence

Welcome dear reader. It’s been a pretty special week in Minuscarlandia. Two things occurred that prove the multifaceted and remarkable influence this blog has had both on world politics and corporate progress.

First, there’s this widely reported piece regarding the UN climate change conference.

“But the road was extremely rocky. Talks stalled as Paula Dobriansky, head of the US delegation, signaled that America opposed calls from poorer countries for technological and financial help to combat climate change. It seemed any agreement was doomed. Then Papua New Guinea took to the floor and, in a highly charged speech, its delegate challenged the US: 'If you're not willing to lead, get out of the way.'

Minutes later, in an astonishing reversal, Dobriansky returned to announce, to cheers from the hall: 'We will go forward and join the consensus.'”

The Papua New Guinea delegate is Kevin Conrad, who is…as they say, Harvard educated.

What I wouldn’t do for a transcript of that speech - and the rest of the session for that matter.

---

Second, last March I wondered aloud, “Why aren’t DayQuil and NyQuil packaged together?” This week my dream was realized...and my cold ended.

Lots Of Little Things In A Longish Post

As I approached a locked door at work today I dropped my badge. As it fell I kicked it and watched helplessly as it slid across the floor and under the door, leaving me pathetically looking through the window at my only means for unlocking the door.

I have a friend. He's Irish. He wanted to be sure I knew that "Ireland yesterday became the first country in the world to ban the traditional lightbulb. Householders will be forced to switch to new long-life low-energy bulbs in 12 months' time."

My other friend. He likes bikes. He wanted to be sure I knew this...



It's a bike ride. On January 1. I bet The Dad is more tempted this year than any other before.

I took the bike to The LBS. I had them shift it up a couple gears and put on the studs. I was lacking the partially false confidence the studs provide. After reacquainting myself with the bus, I'm happier on two wheels.

The Boy 5 checked the following book out from his school library.



Yes, a picture book about a bike messenger.

The Triplettes de Belleville have been on my mind lately. I found a good chunk of YouTubular.



Roger Ebert said - "To call it weird would be a cowardly evasion. It is creepy, eccentric, eerie, flaky, freaky, funky, grotesque, inscrutable, kinky, kooky, magical, oddball, spooky, uncanny, uncouth and unearthly. Especially uncouth...and none of [those words] do the trick, either...the Marquis de Sade meets Lance Armstrong."

All that and it still lost the Oscar to Finding Nemo.

Last, and perhaps even least, Steve would like to remind me to learn from his mistake and check the lid on the salsa jar before shaking.

Traffic Control Innovations

Did you see the innovative bicycle traffic control device in Portland? CycleSD posted the You Tubular on his site. Sure, I could stream it here for your convenience but I already thefted SnakebiteTV. One theft a week is a great plenty, no?

Check it out here.

BTW - did you notice an increase of blog posts lately? If you did it's because I've stopped reading your blog and resumed writing mine.

I'm kidding. I didn't stop reading your blog. I stopped reading everybody else's blog.

Nap Time

Sometimes when I drive to work I start to get sleepy. I stop at a red light and put my head back on the headrest, close my eyes and think about how I could just fall asleep right there.

Today I hitched a ride downtown with The Wife, then caught the bus to work. I put my head back, closed my eyes, and did fall asleep. I slept good too. I woke up to that really strange feeling of not really knowing where I was.

Thankfully I hadn't missed my building.

I Remain An Idiot

As I exited work today the CEO’s wife asked me if I was riding my bike home. I responded no, I dress like this because it’s comfortable. I’m headed straight to the top with answers like that, don’t ‘cha think? I think my last evaluation I got dinged in the works and plays well with leadership category.

My accountability partners are killing me. I’ve got Snakebite selling his car and getting his own reality TV show. The Dad, who sold his car this summer, works on the same block as I; he knows when I’m being bad or good, and I’m not so good right now. Then CycleSD wants to know how my not so studded tires are working out.

You want the truth? You can’t handle the truth. I don’t know how the tires are working out because I haven’t ridden them yet. Not Monday. Not Tuesday. I don’t know, yet.

So I went long today. 17 miles. The sun set 15 minutes into my ride. The wind stayed at 0. Temps stayed at 13. I was a bit chilly by the time I got home but not overly.

All went well.

I think I want my studded tires back.

Snakebite TV

Report: November 26 – December 2

Winter has arrived. Be prepared for less MinusCar performance.

Trips -
MinusCar: 5
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 4
Destinations: 21

While we were taking pictures of the ocean the temperatures here dropped from the 40’s to the 20’s. I find it lots easier to keep riding in the cold if I keep riding in the cold. Visiting the tropics is not generally hepful. So Monday and Tuesday, after returning home from a seven day vacation, I couldn’t find proper motivation ride to work. Nevermind proper motivation to even work. I drove.

Wednesday I managed to ride, but still decided to allow The Boys the luxury of an automobile ride home from school.

Saturday, ironically, as the snowstorm hit, I drove to a bike related meeting. Could it be, the first ever South Dakota Bike Summit? Perhaps.

As you can see almost as many single occupant auto rides as MinusCar trips.

Even with all that I still rode the bike more than I drove my car.
My Car Miles: 20
My Bike Miles: 34

This week’s low temperatures: 11/30 7 degrees, 7mph wind, -5 windchill

If I can keep my car under 92 miles this month I'll have driven my car less than last year. Probably won't happen but I'll be close enough.

This Is How It’s Going To Be?

Winter has arrived. I rode home in light snow Thursday and then headed downtown with The Family for our second annual Brule’ Red Nativity concert. As we began to look for parking outside Mama’s Ladas we discovered Snakepants stopped at an intersection on his way home from work.

Sioux Falls police responded to 54 collisions that night.

The temperatures stayed low so the light dusting stayed light and dusty. Friday morning’s 7-degree commute included the beautiful sound of bike wheels squeaking through crisp unmolested snow.

According to the old man pushing carts through the parking lot at my Friday fritter and latte stop it was too cold for bike riding. I displayed my disagreement by mounting up and finishing the route to work. The latte seemed extra tasty on the way.

Saturday the real storm arrived. While CycleSD was realizing (and then overcoming) the futility of riding bike in deep snow I was sitting inside trying to justify putting off shoveling to Sunday. Sunday I shoveled.

Tomorrow’s commute could be interesting. I’ll switch to my snow route…hopefully I’ll remember how that goes. I’m going without studded tires this year, opting for lower pressure in my very wide Maxxis Hookworm tires.

Don’t Forget Me When I’m Gone

I’ve been on a very unMinusCar like vacation. Happy Thanksgiving and all that. We went to the tropics.



I saw a sunrise…



over the…



We ran…



in the sand…



and jumped over the tide…



I'm a dumb South Dakotan who used to be very skeptical about riding a bike on the beach…



now I know.

We got in a boat and found some dolphins…



Occasionally we sneezed…



and while Letterboxing found some still waters…



The wind blows too much where I live to get many shots like this.

We climbed a fake lighthouse with a real moon…



and saw the sun set on the other side of the island.

Shopocalypse

Ever heard of the Reverend Billy? He leads the Church of Stop Shopping?

Morgan Spurlock produced a movie about him, "What Would Jesus Buy?"

Here's the trailer -



And here's a television interview -



May have opened tonight in a cineplex near you...didn't open tonight in mine. I wonder if it's showing somewhere in South Carolina.

"Try to buy your gift right in your own neighborhood. Walk to your gift this year. Maybe take a bicycle. You don't have to get in that SUV this time."

Report: November 5 - 11

Monday the weather tricked me. It got colder as the day went on and the soon to be headwind increased too. After work I made a last minute dash to a bus stop to try to get a ride at least for the headwind parts. I caught the bus but a combination of events conspired against me; at one point during the mad dash my forward momentum stopped and I, unable to de-clip, toppled over in the presence of an appreciative audience.

And so it goes…

I drove one single occupant mile that day…I decided not to make my surely underdressed The Boys walk home with me from school.

Trips -
MinusCar: 9
Multi-occupant Auto: 5
Single occupant Auto: 1
Destinations: 21

Wednesday was a good day. I caught The Dad departing his job and we rode together most of the way to his home. It was his birthday. Happy Birthday The Dad!

My Car Miles: 17
My Bike Miles: 106

Saturday we had an appointment at the Dell Rapids Pizza Ranch with The In-laws. I stepped outside and couldn’t help but notice what would be a tailwind and 50 degrees. Since the best way to enjoy a pizza buffet is by biking to it, I packed some clothes and headed out.

I ran out of daylight, temperature and wind before I got to Dell Rapids. I got off the dark highway in Baltic and begged The Wife to alter her route to pick me up. She did. I think I ate a slice of pizza for each of the 20 miles I rode to get there...it's probably good I didn't ride all the miles to get there.

You Are Midnight

If it's good enough for Snakebite and BikingBrady, it's good enough for me...

You Are Midnight

You are more than a little eccentric, and you're apt to keep very unusual habits. Whether you're a nightowl, living in a commune, or taking a vow of silence - you like to experiment with your lifestyle. Expressing your individuality is important to you, and you often lie awake in bed thinking about the world and your place in it. You enjoy staying home, but that doesn't mean you're a hermit. You also appreciate quality time with family and close friends.

What Time Of Day Are You?

Friday’s Funday

Friday’s are special.

It all starts at the grocery store with my weekly 2 apple fritters and grande chai tea latte. They know me there. She said every window she saw this morning had frost on it. I said I didn’t need to scrape a thing to ride my bike today. I just blink occasionally to clear away the ice crystals.

From the store with latte in hand I roll against the traffic on the sidewalk. DON’T DO THIS. Riding against traffic, sidewalk or not, is a very good way to end up doing automobile undercarriage inspection.

One of the most common ways to accomplish that comes courtesy of the right turning motorist. So intent on the spacing of traffic to their left, they almost never check their right until they’ve started their turn. So it was that I came upon a crosswalk, green light, walk sign brightly beckoning, and I’m stopped at the curb looking at the back of a driver's head.

I could have laid out a table setting on the hood of her SUV and been half way through my fritters before she knew what was happening…she also would have driven away with half my breakfast. Sometime it would be fun to ride in this dangerous manner with a helmet cam just to catch the instant when drivers realize they never ever, not once, checked to the right before making that turn.

This morning it would have been priceless.

I went long on the way home. I love this time of year because I love night riding. During summer I have to patiently wait for enveloping darkness. In November the darkness comes to me. I saw The Dad on his way home from work on his bike. A few minutes later I froze two deer with my helmet light...and that was an ultimate ending to a very good bicycling day.

Just Do It? Already Doing It Chuck

Big thanks to long time MinusCar reader and forever patient Noel for pointing me to the article referenced below.

It took an “oil-belt Texan” and $1.1 million in cold hard cash, but convicted felon and national evangelical Christian leader Chuck Colson has finally put into words something helpful and constructive about global warming. He says, "Just Do It." Somewhat surprisingly he means take action.

Since June the Little Blog In The Big Woods has been writing about pushing icebergs. The foundation of the idea is this:

"…huge societal problems are very much like icebergs. They are huge; massive, with tremendous momentum and inertia. Walk up to an iceberg (standing on anything you can) and push on it, as hard as you can. You will not see ANY response from the iceberg; it's just too massive for you to affect, you and all your force are infinitesimally small in comparison to the berg."

But it’s worth doing your own pushing. And if everybody pushes, even if some push in the wrong direction, eventually the iceberg could move in a favorable direction.

LBBW is happy to report (and I'm happy to read) that the iceberg is moving.

I’m happy to report that on November 2, 2007 Chuck Colson gave his own little push. Somebody alert James Dobson.

It turns out Chuck Colson has a friend named Bill. “Bill is a solid Christian, a native oil-belt Texan, a conservative, and an environmentalist wrapped up in one.” (No need to apologize for him Chuck). Bill, through his company Energy Education, Inc, helped a 7,000 member congregation in Texas save $1.1 million in energy costs by, you know, teaching them to turn off lights and stuff.

"Working with institutions to reduce their energy usage, like Energy Education does, is good stewardship. And it does not depend on what the scientists eventually can prove about global warming. It is all laid out for us already in the Scriptures. All we have got to do is stop arguing long enough to start being good stewards today."

In the scriptures? I’m 11 months ahead of you Chuck. Start today? I'm on it. Stop arguing? Does this mean you'll stop trying to get Richard Cizik fired?

What’s a church do when they pull off the drywall to add insulation and they find $1.1 million in energy savings? I don’t know. But The MinusCar Project has recently come into some money. The other day, after a long week of sitting in the driveway, I found dollars leaking out from around my car's gas cap. I know this sounds weird, but everytime we take a sock off the clothesline there's a dollar in it.

Coming soon…I Hear Charitable Giving Can Make You Rich (it must be true, I read it on the internets)

The rest of Chuck Colson's actual words can be found here.

Report: October 29-November 4

Maybe it’s the lower temperature showers. Maybe it’s the lower temperature house. Maybe it’s the lower temperature bikes rides. Maybe it's a massive cold temperature feedback loop, causing increased comfort in colder temperature.

I broke new ground, I made a new high in low, I can now ride to work without a jacket down to around 30 degrees. This is about 10 degrees cooler than previous years. The downside of this is the margin for error is lower. A flat tire or injury could lead to some new experiences in cold, but overall I’m happy with this turn of events.

I have found it necessary to store a jacket at work though. Riding to work without a jacket is one thing, walking for or to lunch without one is unbearable.

Trips -
MinusCar: 11
Multi-occupant Auto: 4
Single occupant Auto: 2
Destinations: 22

I drove to work Thursday. I couldn’t get started in the morning which led to a choice between being a little late and a lot late. I chose a little. I drove. Friday I drove alone after riding into downtown to get The Wife’s car. I fetched The Boys from school and left them with The Wife while I met Snakepants for Friday night enchiladas. We talked about plans and goals for the new biking season (I guess that means fall begins a new biking season)…and yes, we talked about you.

My Car Miles: 9
My Bike Miles: 51

This weekend I noticed The Google has a new photo of my house. I’m pleased with how it turned out. The MinusCar Car is right where it belongs. In the driveway.