The Musings of an Urban Bicycle Commuter

Update

2022-01-24T10:07:00.003-08:00

I haven't posted in ages. Truth be told, the state of commuter cycling took a turn for the worse, from my perspective, a long time ago. As a politically aware, lifelong resident of this city, New York, it became clear long ago, that bike lanes were just about creating congestion for motorists. Actually, that's not the whole story. Looking at issues merely on the surface, is never useful or informative. Vision Zero went hand in hand with our now former Mayor Bill De Blasio's housing plan. I don't affordable housing plan because it was anything but. He went to the real estate industry and asked them what they wanted and they said, they didn't want to build parking into their projects--it wasn't profitable enough. He said, "Sure." He went on to try and remake transportation reality--only not for people, but for real estate developers.

Anyway, from a cycling perspective, the streets are much worse today than when I first started riding to work, which I haven't in some time. Remote work. I've gotten fat! I don't enjoy riding without a destination. Cycling to work was a lovely routine. More local transportation in Queens is much better served by driving. Putting that aside however, when I was cycling, bike lanes kept encroaching upon my route. Let me clarify, because they were always lanes, but the sidewalk adjacent lanes that eliminate parking began encroaching--all along Grand Avenue in Brooklyn! Transplants likely think it's a great idea and I appreciate these lanes, when I am riding with children or youth that lack sense. For practical purposes, commuting, they suck. Why? Because they are designed for recreation, not efficiency.

New York used to be about speed and efficiency without sacrificing quality! That's why they used to say, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere!" Under chronically late De Blasio, that went under the bridge. We didn't do idiot proofing here. Now we do.

Bike lanes along the sidewalk are not just inefficient, they are unsafe. Why? See the list below.

They negate the cyclists natural advantage from being closer to the center of the street. A cyclist has no blind spots, they sit higher and further forward than a motorist. These advantages make it easy for a cyclist to see whether an intersection is clear or not and take it.
Cyclists will take the intersection, run red lights regardless of whether they have the above advantage. It's human nature. It puts people in danger.
The lanes adjacent to the sidewalk are littered with more impediments than there ever were double parked cars.
Separate, sidewalk adjacent bike lanes were always problematic because cyclists and bike culture varies and there is no established protocol for cyclist to cyclist interaction. If we factor in the considerable variation in cyclist ability it gets more unsafe. It gets much worse though. Electric bikes and scooters have taken over the bike lanes and to be honest, they are motorized vehicles. They are heavy, fast, and their operators have no special training or licensing.

When bike lanes were adjacent to traffic, all non-four wheel users adapted to the road rules, with minor alterations. This was predictable and much safer, as counter-intuitive as it might seem.

I for one, find myself riding outside bike lanes whenever possible.

Tire Repair

2014-08-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderfully productive weekend, from a cycling perspective at least. The highlight was that I managed to save a tire that I thought was kaput. I'd had a blow out that detached the sidewall from the wire bead--thankfully I was not moving fast when it happened--and it looked irreparable, which bummed me out because it was a good tire. I thought to myself, if only I could sew it back on I'd be good. Naturally, I also told myself, "Nah, that wouldn't work." Anyway, the part of me that wanted to fix it prompted me to search the internet for repair ideas and lo and behold, sewing does fit into the repertoire of tire repair. The key element is the use of dental floss, which apparently is strong (and gentle) enough to do the job.

Away I went to the dollar store to obtain a large needle and some waxed dental floss--I do floss, but I use floss picks and wife is away and took the floss with her. I returned and promptly went to work sewing--I've got some rudimentary skills. It didn't look too bad when I was done. I added a new inner tube and put both on the wheel, pumped it up and went for a ride--grocery shopping at my local Chinese supermarket. It has held very well. I have already put about 17-18 miles on it. Tonight, after another 7 and half miles or so, I will add some glue to reinforce it.

I also adjusted my front side-pull brakes better than my LBS did when I sent it in for a tune-up. I won't be going back. I had a wonderful, smooth, late Sunday night ride into downtown Manhattan--it was practically serene, by city standards. This, along with some ukulele playing and repotting an orchid made the day and illustrated for me, what I am generally aiming for: simplicity and connectedness, or better yet, connectedness through simplicity. I may rename this blog and move it further in that direction.

Micro-farm update

2014-01-02T18:52:00.002-08:00

It's been over a month since I posted regarding my "micro-farm" set-up and I thought it a good idea to show the outcome. I have since harvested lettuce twice from it. This harvesting consists entirely of merely trimming the lettuce down to a few inner leaves and eating the trimmings. This is the beauty of loose leaf lettuce over head lettuce. It recovers in little over a week and then I trim again. I got about four or five trimmings before I harvested the entire plant last time I tried this. This time I'll wait and see how many times I can harvest before it goes to seed.

I think I packed them a little tight, but it's still working. I am considering starting another set up with led lights as the exclusive lighting source to grow spinach.

Bringing the micro-farm back online

2013-11-23T16:58:00.003-08:00

The Winter is definitely here and the time has come for indoor farming. I never really explained the set up I used when I last mentioned the micro-farm. I was playing a video game, yes a video game, called Harvest Moon. The kids were playing it and I was attracted to it because I've always wanted to be a farmer. Anyways, I got tired of pretending and decided to try as much farming as I could reasonably do in an apartment with three kids and a busy life. Above you see me sifting through my worm compost to separate the worms from usable compost. I figured I'd try to keep things as organic as possible.

I took a 10 gallon aquarium and taped white copy paper to the sides to use as reflectors. I then inserted empty, plastic, strawberry and lettuce containers with a mix of compost and soil, and added a sprinkling of lettuce seeds on top. I added a very light sprinkling of soil on top of that and watered it all well. What you see above is the result after a little over a week.

I place the whole assembly by the window and suspend two compact fluorescent bulbs over them for additional light. The natural light I get is less than ideal. It a few more weeks I'll have a decent batch of lettuce, which I plan on using for my packed lunches--biggest bang for the effort and the buck.

Newest Passion

2013-10-17T17:49:00.002-07:00

I go to Guitar Center often with my son. He gravitates towards the electrics and I the acoustics. Well they have these cute little ukuleles and I thought they'd be good for my youngest son. Took him to a free beginner's class at Guitar Center one morning--he lost interest, but I was intrigued. They're fun, cute and easy to play--what's not to like. I always stop by the ukuleles when I walk in, so I finally broke down and got one.

It's a Lanikai LU-12SGC made specially for Guitar Center from mahogany. That's a pen next to it for the sake of scale. It was on sale, a little over thirty bucks, which was an excellent deal. It's got a nice sound and I can't put it down. What can be better than that?

Flat Silver Lining

2013-10-17T17:30:00.002-07:00

I got a flat on the way to work today--normally a major bummer, but not today. It was a slow day at work and I've got lots of time accumulated and its not always easy to take off. I would have been quite late if I had gone in--it took over an hour for me to walk home, though I wasn't rushing. I enjoyed the opportunity to look in on places I only pedal by rather rapidly, places I'd been meaning to check out more closely. One of those places is the Juniors Cheesecake Factory (Yes, they actually make the cheesecakes there.) on Grand Street in Queens--yes, in Queens, not Brooklyn. They have a small store inside, but it is only open when I am at work, so I seized the opportunity, walked and made a purchase.

It's a Brooklyn Crumb Cheesecake and I am looking forward to sharing it with guests. This is what it looks like inside.

Yumm!!!

My Micro-farm

2013-03-09T08:53:00.001-08:00

I haven't biking much this month. Took the month off because I had a balance on my Metrocard that needed to be used. I use the Wageworks system that replaced Transitchek for city employees, except that I give the card to my wife to use. She works for the NYC Dept. of Education and does not use it in the Summer, so I have extra months that are deducted from my pay that she cannot use. I saved them for the inclement weather months like February and early March. I anticipate cycling again this coming Monday. Meanwhile, I continue cooking and planting, which I consider consistent with bicycle commuting. In short, a life of simplicity and sustainability.

My latest effort has been the use of a 10 gallon aquarium as a mini-indoor farm. Okay it is quite the micro-farm, but I call it such because I am using to grow food--lettuce in particular. I think the future of farming is not only urban, but indoors. Rooftops are not enough for viable urban farming, though I do like the idea. I took the aquarium and taped white computer paper to three sides to serve as reflectors (I lay sheets of paper overhead also to reflect the light downwards as well.). I place the whole thing by the window to take advantage of whatever light I get, which isn't very much--I face Northwest. I placed recycled plastic strawberry containers with soil and compost from my worm bin inside and placed two compact fluorescent bulbs overhead. The are daylight bulbs in the 20W range. I planted the lettuce seeds and they've grown quite nicely. I got a very full bowl of salad from my first harvest, which took about three weeks. I was, I must say, impressed, especially since, while I had hopes, I didn't really know what to expect.

Cooking more

2013-01-20T09:53:00.001-08:00

There is no way to consistently eat healthy without cooking. My wife has introduced me to cooking in the crock pot and I find that it is great for cooking beans. I grew up eating rice and beans, and eating canned beans is okay, but I am never thrilled to eat canned goods. Cooking dry beans has always been a chore, but no more! Now I soak the beans of my choice overnight, drain, rinse, add water at a 2:1 ratio and proceed to place them in the slow cooker for the day with a teaspoon of salt. It cooks for six to seven hours. When it is done I discard about half the water and use the rest. I add sofrito, tomato paste, a little more salt and perhaps some chorizo, if I have it. My next task is making my own sausage, so I won't have to worry about where it came from. I make my own sofrito already. Try it.

Maintenance

2013-01-20T09:33:00.002-08:00

There are several reasons I don't ride all the time. The first reason is the weather. I am not inclined to go crazy and ride in extreme cold or any kind of precipitation. It's simply not necessary. It's messy and the risk when automobile driver's vision is impaired and my brakes are compromised is unacceptable. The other reason is simply when it is inconvenient. I may be shopping or traveling with others, etc... The last reason and least acceptable reason is when my bike is down due to some maintenance issue. The cost of having it repaired at a bike shop often negates the savings from commuting, yet taking the subway while the bike is down isn't cheap either. I have taken to doing a good deal of the work myself. However, it has taken some learning. One source of this learning has been the classes at Times Up!, an environmental action group, as they describe themselves. They offer bike repair classes that are quite useful. I've patched inner tubes many times before, but I learned things attending their workshop on the subject. I learned to service my bottom bracket and hubs at their classes and I even learned a thing or two about adjusting my brakes and changing the cables. I look forward to the next class on replacing spokes and truing wheels. It is a useful organization and I think every cyclist should know the basics of bicycle repair.

Warriors of the Rainbow

2013-01-06T10:03:00.000-08:00

   The film I am reviewing here is called Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale. It was written and directed by Wei Te-Sheng and produced by John Woo. I didn't really know what to expect, I just gave it a try. I'm glad I did. There is apparently a 2-part, four hour, original version of this film--I saw the 2 1/2 hour international version on Netflix. I am interested in seeing the original because the shortened version was so good that the time flew by and I didn't realize it was so long until after the fact. There was something fascinating about this film that deserves to be captured and understood. The story is based on an actual event, the "Wushe Incident," an uprising of Taiwanese highland indigenous peoples against the Japanese in the 1930's. The Japanese had taken the island from China in 1895 and while the Han Chinese of the lowlands acquiesced to the new rulers, it seems assimilation was virtually impossible for the indigenous highland tribes.

   The "Wushe Incident" was a localized uprising of some 300 warriors against Japanese authorities. It occurs some thirty years after the initial occupation and it is led by now chief, Mouna Rudo, who was just a young warrior when the Japanese first arrived. The plot is somewhat predictable, but it is not about the plot. The plot is just a tool used to explore various themes. Among these themes is the clash between primitives and civilization, which is a rich theme when looked at honestly. This film attempts to do that. I think it is highly successful because it honors another less obvious reality that binds the two: the fight between contempt and respect. Contempt, as defined by Eli Siegel, is "...the disposition in every person to think he will be for himself by making less of the outside world."

   Without being heavy-handed about it the film explores the contempt of the civilized Japanese and the primitive Seediq Bale. It is intriguing to watch. It is a study in violence at its core. The Seediq are head-hunters who celebrate the process of taking heads--this is not Dances With Wolves and aside from the scenery, which is gorgeous, it is not Last of the Mohicans. It is not good guys versus bad guys, yet the insurgent natives do seem to come out on top. They are petty and cruel, yet they kill with purpose and ultimately many die with purpose, choosing death, even by suicide, to surrender and continued life under the Japanese. The bottom line is that the Seediq kill for a reason: over hunting grounds, to settle scores, for the tribe, for their way of life, while the Japanese kill because their government told them to. One is simply less honest than the other. The filmmaker is able to convey nearly a religiosity onto the native violence and I don't think he is wrong. The rainbow is how the Seediq travel to the next world and clearly, both in the film and in reality, they chose to go "home" rather than remain in what their home had become.

   The events are mostly real. The Japanese are not caricatured as they are in other Chinese films. Here I feel they are representative of civilization and its impacts on primitive peoples. They are not especially villainous, they just assume they are better and they are right--any civilization will see itself in the mirror here. In this sense, the queer quality of civilized warfare is captured. The matter is not just about the past as there are still many primitive people in Asia (Many are more primitive than those depicted in the film.), but they are being pushed to the point of extinction. As a side note, the actor who plays the elder native chief, Mouna Rudo, is not a professional actor, yet he is great! The film is well worth watching.

A teaspoon of sugar

2013-01-02T21:01:00.001-08:00

   As a cyclist I am at least somewhat interested in my health. I suspect that on average anyone who engages in any physical activity is more actively concerned than one who does not, but that is sheer speculation and we shall leave it there. I have become conscious over the years of many things that really should be made clearer, yet they are not. One of these is the hidden and not so hidden ways we are exposed to things like sugar in far greater amounts than many would ordinarily choose.

   We in America don't use the metric system as they do overseas and I can see why. The old system is not as precise for measurement, but for most common purposes it does just fine. For cooking certainly, measurements do not have to be exact. Any good cook knows that a recipe is merely a foundation upon which one should feel free to build according to one's taste. I never follow a recipe to the letter and I find that cups and spoons are fine, commonsensical methods of measurement.

   The problem comes in when one is reading the nutrition labels on food products in the supermarket. I can't remember the last time I measured anything in grams. Frankly, it is a guessing game. It doesn't have to be of course, so I looked up the conversion from grams to teaspoons and it was quite enlightening. I only add a tsp. of sugar to my mug of coffee in the morning and I never add the recommended amount of sugar to any recipe as it is usually more than I find necessary.

   Apparently, each tsp. of sugar equals about 4g., so Honey Nut Cherrios, which lists about 9g of sugar contains slightly over tsp. of sugar per serving, which is more than I would add, but nothing crazy. My instant oatmeal store brand lists 13g of sugar, which is over three teaspoons of sugar. This is much more than I would add to the tiny portions that come in those packets--not buying anymore of those. A popular yogurt brand list 26g of sugar for its 6oz. serving--interesting how it is sold in Imperial Units, yet labeled in metrics. I wonder if that's the doing of the FDA? Anyway, just offering food for thought.

Les Miserables 2012

2012-12-30T08:59:00.001-08:00

   I just saw Les Miserables in the movie theater last night and the first words out of my mouth were "Wow! That was awesome!" and it was. It is one of the best films I've seen in a long time. I was surprised there weren't more people clapping at the end, but as the title would suggest it was a sober film. I was clapping because it was so successfully executed and I found the end uplifting even though the typical happy ending was not there. I haven't seen the stage production, but the film put together elements I haven't seen combined before and it was done so well.

   It was not a typical musical--it was a freaking opera! There was literally hardly a word spoken, so that nearly everything was told through song. At first I was put off, but soon I understood what was being done. It was not a typical opera obviously being in English and also because it was done by actors, which was the best part. I felt that each song was also a true soliloquy and while the actor's voice were not opera quality, they had a honest quality which conveyed such emotion. I congratulate all the actors who took part because it was as much acting as it was singing and union of the two here was new.

   The performances were excellent all around, but a few are worth mentioning. Position one goes to Samantha Bark, who plays Eponine, her scenes are fantastic! She hits the nail right on the head! She plays the unrequited love interest to Marius, played by Eddie Redmayne, who is in love with Cosette. The other big surprise was Sacha Baron Cohen, whose comedy I usually don't care for, as "Master of the House" he was hilarious yet he played the sleazy villain well. He and Helena Bonham Carter did a fine job of introducing villainous comic relief while not doing so in a manner that was out of character with the film. Finally, Hathaway, Jackman and Crowe brought home the goods. Crowe seemed a bit tight, but then so is the character Javert.

   If I have any criticisms it is that the first part of the story is covered too quickly and Javert's character, which is a rich one, could have been developed a little better. Aside from this it was great!

Choices and Elections

2012-10-21T22:03:00.001-07:00

Let me begin this post by emphasizing that I do not particularly like our president. I voted for him, but I was wary. I preferred Edwards quite frankly and still do. If we learn that Obama has been true to Michelle, then he would probably be in the minority of presidents--yet again. Nevertheless, I voted for him and I have regretted it, and I do not think I am alone. However, while I am usually so principled that I would rather vote for a third party than a wishy-washy candidate, this year I will vote for Obama again. Why? You might ask. Well, this time it's really different.

The stakes in this election are really high and I don't think folks fully realize it. The United States of America is at a crossroads. This is true in so many ways, but right now we are in a fight over whether we continue on the path Ronald Reagan set us on--low taxes for the wealthy and the outsourcing of jobs, or we begin the work of restoring some balance. We are facing an election war for one reason and one reason alone, Obama wants to end the Bush tax cuts and add a very tiny measure of equity to the tax code. If Obama loses, America loses. I don't care for Obamacare. It takes a bad idea, managed care (Medicaid run by third-party, for-profit, insurance companies), and expands it. Is it better than nothing? Sure, but that should not be the standard of measurement. Am I crazy about the GM bailout? No. I would have preferred bankruptcy and had them sold off to American investors, but our laws do not allow such a thing. We do not have a nationalized automobile industry. I wasn't crazy about a lot of things, but ending the tax cut trend for the wealthiest Americans is a very big step for us indeed. Therefore, I hope the president wins.

Harold Lamb 1927

2012-09-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

I am a history buff, always have been, and I never came across a history that didn't interest me. I am not a compulsive reader, but when I find something interesting I am a tireless reader. I recently found an old copy of a work by Harold Lamb titled, Genghis Khan the Emperor of all Men. It is as far as I can see an original copy from 1927, which impressed me. I was drawn though, to Lamb's style; to a style from a period which like H.G. Well's Outline of History, was from a time when history was not a dry subject. I started reading and I was hooked from the first page--I love a book like that! It is a hardcover and while the pages are yellowed and a little stiff they are not yet brittle.

I was reading on the soccer field as my son's team was gearing up for their game and one of the Dad's came over and asked in a surprised tone, "What have you got there?!" I thought he was referring to some advertisement card for a mixed martial arts studio that I had been handed while we were waiting for our chance on the field--it was serving as a bookmark. "No" he corrected, "the book, I haven't seen one of those in some time." I made some reference to my find, but having a sense of where he was coming from, I also took the opportunity to make the plug for the printed page that I have come to feel strongly about. I stated that printed paper books employ more people and are greener than e-readers because paper is a renewable, biodegradable resource unlike readers which will become obsolete and take up space for ages in a landfill. I can easily loan my book without worry whether my friend's reader is compatible and as the Lamb book shows, the paper, unlike a digital file, will not get corrupted, and so is actually more durable. He didn't stay around long, which was fine with me.

I don't think he was right about how rare books are, though they have become rarer. The neighborhood is a trendy part of Brooklyn right by McCarren Park and I know being trendy is big there, but this is one trend that needs re-thinking.

Bikes and red lights

2012-06-11T19:22:00.001-07:00

The most common complaint from non-cyclists is that bicycle riders do not stop for red lights. It's a frustrating complaint to hear and the complainers seem to think stopping for red lights is a no-brainer. They are, of course, wrong! NYC is an American transportation anomaly. We have an extensive public transportation system--virtually the only one of its kind in the nation! We have the most active street life of any city in the nation. Walking is the primary mode of transportation in this city, and has been for a very long time. My brother in-law visited with his son recently and was overwhelmed by the amount of walking involved in seeing the city. Pedestrians cross streets in this city whenever they can, not only on the walk. Why? Because if no cars are coming it is the logical thing to do. Why would a rather slow-moving pedestrian waste time waiting on red lights in "the city that never sleeps?" Its the same with "jay-walking," which is an epidemic in the city--there aren't enough crosswalks to serve either need or demand, and there never will be.

Pedestrians do whatever is expedient for all the logical reasons and there is minimal effort to stop them for all the obvious reasons. The same rationale applies to bicycles. Why? Because like pedestrians, they are relatively slow-moving and relatively harmless when compared to a car or any other vehicle. A bicycle usually weighs less than its rider--much less. It's like saying that a kayak represents the same danger of collision as a freighter. The following is a list of reasons why bikes should not be required to stop for red lights.

The traffic light system was designed for cars because of the danger a 2-ton vehicle poses, not bicycles.
The "stop and go" nature of city traffic is hard on cars, but harder on cyclists--a human "engine."
Stopping for red lights will cost too much time and speed, rendering cycling an inefficient form of transportation for all but the most local, unhurried travel.
Unlike motorists, cyclists have no "blind spots." Their view is unobstructed and they can often see if an intersection is clear without coming to a full stop.
Additionally, there is no "nose" of a bicycle that precedes the cyclist into the intersection.
Sometimes running a red light before the cars "take-off" is safer than taking off with them and vying for road space.
Similarly, running a red light may be the safest way to make a left turn.

So what am I suggesting? I am suggesting that the law be changed to allow cyclists to treat a red light like a "yield" sign. Of course the idea is to yield to both motorists and pedestrians. A cyclist should not be entering an intersection that is rightfully occupied with cars (most won't anyway, you don't really need a law for that). In other words, let cyclists alone!

I WILL NEVER USE NYC BIKESHARE

2012-05-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Why should a cyclist like myself be so opposed to the bike share program that the Bloomberg Administration has put in place?

A. It is a unilateral, shameless, city-sponsored monopoly.

B. As if we have not had enough policy done TO us, rather than FOR us, now future bike policy will be dominated by the FOR-PROFIT company that runs this bike "share," just like car insurance companies control automobile policy. The city hopes to gain revenue, the corporation does as well, and it will own a sizable stake in the matter--up to 10,000 bicycles at up to 600 locations!

C. As a cyclist and city resident, my voice just got smaller.

D. I suppose that conceivably, insurance (bike share bikes come with it) and registration aren't far behind, which sucks because:

1. Cycling should be free.

2. Cycling is a low-cost transportation alternative for low-income people--always has been--and now that is threatened.

E. It is no one's business where I bike or when I bike and cycling is now being put "on the grid" so to speak (I could be wrong, but I think Alta's bikes will be equipped with GPS for tracking bike trips.). I don't Facebook, My Space, or pay my bills online--I am content to be just a person.

F. IF it is even modestly successful, then the bicycle traffic will be terrible and the city will have been successful in creating the worst kind of congestion. I know the targets are cars--foolishness--but it will impact serious bicycle commuters. The system wasn't broke and I don't get this business.

SPENT!

2012-04-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

Last night I went out with my wife--something that only happens occasionally--and enjoyed a great show and a fine meal. All of it happened quite locally in the fine borough of Queens. It was an easy drive to all of it--another impressive feat in the City of New York. I should keep that on the down low just in case the NYC DOT finds out. The real reason I am writing is that the show we saw was beyond extraordinary! The play is called SPENT. My wife bought the tickets quite some time ago based on the look of it and reviews and because it was playing at the Queens Theater (in the Park), which we'd had good experiences with. I was pleased because it promised to real theater, not another musical. We drove into the Flushing Meadows Corona Park--one of the largest of NYC's parks where the theater is based and parked quite close by the actual building. The Queens Theater is a nice new building in the park. We walked in to find that the main theater was being used for a dress rehearsal and that our show was going to be in a smaller chamber on the lower level. The theater was smaller, less seating, but I was able to get a front row seat in this relatively informal setting. I took a seat next to a reserved seat sign. The "stage" was on level with the audience, but set back rather deep and painted black. It was to be two actors and the stage, nothing more.

Let me tell you, it worked. It better than worked--those two guys nailed it! Read the NY Daily News blurb on it here. The Toronto Sun is quoted as stating, "Inspired Lunacy!" I agree with the inspired part, but the content is anything but lunacy. The pace and number of characters these two actors play is lunatic, but they nail it! If they erred I cannot tell. The play is about the financial crash that has recently befallen us. The same one that the press and media try to tell us has come to an end, though for who I don't know.

According to the Playbill, the two actors are Ravi Jain and Adam Paolozza and the directors are Dean Gilmour and Michelle Smith. The writers are the same four--talk about multi-tasking! Frankly, I lost track of how many characters the actors played, but they never did. The impressions of media personalities were especially entertaining. Their transition from character to character often occurred at breakneck speed, yet each time it was convincing! It was a very physical performance, but far from exclusively so. Both the play and performance had razzle dazzle and depth at once, and all this on an empty stage. Did I mention it was funny! This happened in the basement of the Queens Theater in Flushing Meadow Corona Park--the world should know!

Fixed my refrigerator!

2012-04-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Again, being as I am so opposed to the disposable lifestyle and not exactly flush with disposable income, I am inclined to fix whatever I can. I can now state that I have fixed all three of my major appliances at least once. The dishwasher has been fixed twice. I couldn't have done it without the resources on the world wide web. My refrigerator had stopped cooling sufficiently. The milk spoiled and my wife was sounding mildly alarmed. I said, "Relax. Don't worry, I'll fix it." I don't think she wholly believed me. I'm not the handiest sort. I grew up in an apartment and still live in one. Nevertheless, I am of the opinion that everything can be learned given time and inclination to do so. I have now replaced the head gasket on one of my cars (Alas, it is no longer with us, though it served well.), fixed my oven, dishwasher and now fridge, not to mention slowly adding skills in the arena of bicycle maintenance. There is an organization in Lower East Side and Williamsburg, Brooklyn called Time's Up that has brief classes on various aspects of bike maintenance. I learned at one these classes how to service my hubs and bottom bracket--very useful stuff!

Anyway, back to the fridge. I learned, surfing the internet, that there are various reasons a fridge might not cool. The reasons may be related to defrost cycles, airflow, or systemic. The latter is best left to a pro, but the other two are not difficult to correct. My problem was airflow. I opened up the back of my unit to check if the coils were dirty and noticed that the condenser fan wasn't turning. It happens that it was as simple as that. I placed a regular fan in the back of the fridge and the problem was solved. This was good because it kept the fridge working while I waited on the part (a new fan motor) to be delivered. This part was very easy to replace and my wife was suitably impressed--always a plus! When I would place my hand on the side of freezer on top, often it was quite warm, but now that is gone. The new fan comes on quite audibly, and each time it comes on I am reminded that the fridge is working and I fixed it myself.

Veggie Update

2012-04-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

I confess. I have strayed from the vegetarian path. It was so easy I didn't even notice I had. It was going well for a while there, but looking back I can see that it was not going to go but so far. I am a busy person, so this was not a high priority project. If it had been, ideally, I would have had more time to prepare my own lunch, which is not going to happen anytime soon. There are too few choices commercially and readily available at this time. It isn't cheap and I don't like my veggies that much either. They must be tastily presented for consumption. I ain't no bunny!

Meanwhile, not only would the world fare better from less meat consumption, but we'd be healthier with more vegetable consumption. Thus, I am not giving up, just looking for another way to adapt and overcome! Kale is good in soups. Soups, in general, are a great way to get some veggies. Salads, I must be honest, are less exciting--if I do not prepare them myself I'll often skip it. I don't hate other people's salad, I just may not be in the mood to crunch down. Wish me luck!

Knobbies: A Good Commuting Tire

2012-04-22T07:59:00.001-07:00

I just got through my first week with my 10-speed back on the road and it has been a pleasure to ride. I think I cut about 10 minutes off my commute and it was just easier and smoother. I cannot, however, stop worrying about flats. The streets of NYC are heavily used and though the DOT has done an impressive job trying to stay on top of the local roads, the streets are often pock-marked, covered in glass and other particles--especially the backstreets I ride. Furthermore, cyclists are usually consigned to the edge of the road where the road comes apart first and all manner of refuse winds up. I rode the mountain bike all winter long--a Schwinn with the knobby tires it came with, probably cheap nylon--and I never got a flat. It's not the first time I've had the experience, simple, cheap, nylon mountain bike tires are pretty tough. It's actually rare to get a flat as long as there is some decent meat on the tire. It seems that "meat" on a knobby tire beats high-tech substances on thin, smooth road tires. Like everything in life there's a trade-off--you lose speed with knobby, trail tires, but a mountain-type bike is strong. If you do not have really far to go (a few miles) and money is tight, it is a very durable choice. I just care about keeping maintenance at a minimum. I try to do as much of my own as possible. I am not especially mechanically inclined, but with time, interest and resources everything can be learned. Some things make more sense to learn and do than others. I am not so great at truing my wheels or building them, but brakes, fixing flats, maintaining hubs, bottom brackets, some derailleur adjustment, etc... that I can do. Naturally, the less time spent doing so the better. The tires on the road bike are relatively new. I look forward to seeing how they fare.

Gearing up for Spring!

2012-03-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air--I can feel it! This winter has been so mild and I know that even if we get a freak snow storm now, it will be gone in a day or so. I am preparing for Spring, which means getting my balcony ready for use. I love my balcony. It is probably the closest I will get to having a backyard anytime soon. I love plants. I keep houseplants all year round and true to my frugal form they are almost all from cuttings. Only the African Violet did I buy and it has been a challenge to keep it going well. I have Golden Pothos, Chinese Evergreens and Spider plants as well--all from cuttings. Actually, the Chinese Evergreens were almost dead. I felt for them and threw them some water for a few days and they bounced back from the brink. I was impressed, took them under my wing and have been impressed ever since. They occupied one pot initially and now fill three.

Anyway, for Spring I have decided to grow plants from seed and thus, obtain plants I might not customarily see commercially sold nearby. This year I will try Chinese Forget-Me-Nots, morning glories and Cosmic Orange Cosmos--the former are my son's idea and the latter are my own, to attract good bugs, maybe. I'll also add petunias and marigolds. Growing plants from seed is cheap and fun. The Morning Glories are already growing and so are the forget-me-nots. I have a perfect trellis in mind and I also have a nice wind-chime to hang. Finally, I am going to build a floor for the balcony that will disguise the ugly (I think) gray concrete floor. I am building it from cheap furring strips I found at Home Depot. They were 98 cents a piece (1x3x8) and I think they'll do fine. The balcony isn't very large (6 1/2 feet by 12 feet or so), just a comfortable outdoor place to chat and knock off a few beers. I'll post pix when I have something to show.

A Biker Assumes Risk

2012-03-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

Every time I get on my bike I know I am taking a risk. There is simply no way around it. Naturally, I assume the benefits outweigh the risks. I almost got hit by a cab yesterday on the way to work. It was on Grand Street in Brooklyn. There was plenty of traffic and the cabbie was stuck in it. Maybe he was trying to not block the box, but he turned suddenly to the right, which made no sense because there was no additional lane to switch to. Anyway, he came within an inch of me before catching himself and it all happened so quickly that there was no way for me to get out of the way. I was a little surprised and I probably cursed him, but I wasn't going to get carried away about it. He obviously didn't see me and I suspect me got more of a scare out of it than I did. When I am cycling I get into this zone where hardly anything fazes me. I am so focused on what I am doing, so in the moment, that near-misses are only mildly disconcerting, if that. Motorists that come close and buzz past attempting to make some point that I cannot bother to care about only reveal their own stupidity.

Nevertheless, in this state of heightened awareness, I am reflexively looking out for certain things. One of them is parked cars. If one is cycling in the correct direction--with traffic--then only the cars in front of you demand your attention. Naturally, if you are going to change lanes or make a left you must look behind you first. The cars in front of you may become a problem like the cabbie almost became my problem. However, the parked cars to your right may also become a problem. One event I'll never forget was seeing a car, also on Grand Street, pull out of a parking space so quickly that the front tire ran over a pigeon feeding beside it. The poor thing never had a chance to get away and lay there dying a pitiful death. I always watch the position of the tires of parked cars. Some sit with tires poised in getaway position and I always check these for a running engine, passengers and/or a seated driver. Getting doored is another problem. A lot of folks just fling those driver's side doors right open. I am often struck at how irresponsible many motorists immediately become as pedestrians upon emerging from their vehicles. Stay awake and stay safe.

Wyoming Apocalypse

2012-03-01T07:48:00.001-08:00

There was a recent article on the Yahoo! homepage that I found intriguing. I usually try to avoid clicking on any of their stories because I am finding them to be such terrible fluff, filler, junk that I don't want to encourage it. It was about a Wyoming vote to prepare for the apocalypse. It seemed so ridiculous that I assumed it must be a small town in that lightly populated state that was the subject of the article. Nevertheless, I decided not to click, but rather do a quick internet search on the matter. Several stories came up including the Yahoo! article, so I clicked on it and the others. I learned that the vote, which was very narrowly defeated (30-27), took place at the state legislature level. Furthermore, it was not a vote to prepare for the apocalypse in the biblical sense, but rather the collapse of the federal government and the dollar. The primary idea seems simply that Wyoming should like to be able to put out its own currency and avoid the impact of a U.S. decline. There were other disturbing details in the first draft of the legislation, like establishing a proper standing army, air force, etc..., presumably to keep the rest of us fellow citizens out. I have no doubt that the cowboys of Wyoming are tough, but we urbanites of the coasts are a lot tougher than they might think. We're also fast learners and there are a whole lot more of us. It's truly a shame to see such a mentality flourishing out West, but I think we (all Americans) need to see what it means.

For some time after 9-11 certain friends and relatives from Ohio were afraid to come visit us in New York, which struck me as a silly, overblown fear. I work downtown, so I was there that day. I had to walk over nine miles to get home that day. The smell of fires (which continued to smolder for a very long time), a very chemical smell, wafted quite discernibly to where I live, in the fair borough of Queens, the next day. Terrible as the event was and continues to be, all of NYC, which does consist of all five boroughs, is not really a target. Reaction, even in NY, has been exaggerated--I think as an excuse to infringe on civil liberties. All these cameras in our city will not prevent a damn thing! They can, however, be used to mind our (citizenry) business quite needlessly. All this has created an atmosphere of fear that borders on the irrational.

I suspect our fellow Americans in Wyoming, who are quite alienated from us here on the coasts, have a distorted view of life here. First of all, a collapse of the federal government would have its greatest impact here where the most people are. Second, Wyoming is a landlocked place that won't get very far without the rest of us, unless they really want to go back to the old days--maybe they do. I also think their action shows their commitment to the Union of these United States of America. Wyoming is hardly unique in this respect. Wyoming has revealed the how deep the rift runs between red and blue states. I would not suggest that Wyomingans are wrong to be concerned. I would state that the problems are far more complex than they might imagine. Globally things are shifting. We as Americans need to come together. Our leaders are increasingly disconnected from The People they supposed serve and until The People know what they want, it will continue. I think it would useful if more Wyoming residents visited the coasts and vice versa. If there were a responsible way to do it, I wouldn't mind playing host.

still on the veggie track

2012-02-28T18:30:00.004-08:00

My transition to a vegetarian diet is moving well. I planned to initially eliminate animal flesh from breakfast and lunch--the low-hanging fruit--and slowly move away from meat at dinner. I have nearly gone completely without meat or poultry. It really wasn't hard. Of course, I am also not being especially spartan about it, eggs, dairy, tuna--a piece of cake! I feel better too. Nothing crazy, my body just feels lighter, and no, I haven't lost any noticeable weight as yet, so that's not it. I have some cilantro to finish washing and preparing to go into tomorrow's sofrito and the week's beans. I think my Indian cookbook is going to come in very handy. I am also not ruling out a real burger here and there, but not for awhile I think.

Becoming a Vegetarian?

2012-02-16T22:27:00.002-08:00

Of late, I have been thinking of both health and sustainability, and oh yes--those PETA commercials! PETA strikes me a female dominated organization and these ads are a little surprising. I think they are simply trying to lure us guys to their lifestyle with sex--how typical, assuming guys will do anything for sex. Anyway, for unrelated reasons, I've been thinking I should try becoming a vegetarian. The inefficiency of meat eating is hard to justify. In a world of shrinking resources and a booming population its even harder to accept the waste that our meat-heavy lifestyle is based on. I am not squeamish about eating animals, though I prefer they be slaughtered as considerately as possible. They weren't going to live forever anyway. I also prefer that their quality of life before death be pretty good as well. Its good for the meat and better for my conscience. I don't plan to become a total vegetarian or a vegan--my health comes first. I am planning to start by eliminating meat from breakfast and lunch, which is pretty easy, I think. I started a few days ago and so far so good. I plan on including dairy, eggs and fish. I probably will not object to free-range chicken or meat on occasion, but who knows, excluding it may really take.