Just in case you were wondering how bicyclist benefits keep getting passed through Congress, it probably has something to do with bike commuting Rep. Oberstar (don't call him Fred) chairing House Transportation, and an Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (the Executive Branch agency that controls all the other agencies - kind of like The Ring in Lord of the Rings) that is conscious of POTUS' passion for cycling. Kevin indicates that there may be some goodies coming for MTB'ers as a result of POTUS' interest relating to National Park Service policiesand mountain biking. I'm not sure if that is true or what will be coming, but that would be nice. The land is there to be used, not sealed in amber. Responsible mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, camping, hunting, and properly managed off road vehicle use, timbering and grazing can all have a place in wilderness management, and any step toward that (especially one that I'll directly benefit from) has my support.
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Burt Hoovis links to one of the stupidest things you can do with an old bicycle.
Me? I'll show you one of the smartest.
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Chuckwagon Balm: I've heard municipal bonds are both tax free, and running around 6% yield. That will drop if the market recovers. Meanwhile, 6% beats the crap out of losing your shirt in the market. I'd think about it if I had any money. That's like the Pope considering observing Jewish holidays, basically. Nope, no risky market schemes for me. My money's tied up in a safe investment - my house!
Oh wait a minute... damn...
Oh wait a minute... damn...
7 comments:
Funny you should mention Jim Oberstar. He's my congressman and a guy who gets things done. The bike trails, both paved and none, are superb up on the Iron Range. He has mucho influence on that sort of thing.
"Responsible mountain biking, hiking, horseback riding, camping, hunting, and properly managed off road vehicle use, timbering and grazing can all have a place in wilderness management ...."
I would change "wilderness" to "public lands" when referring, in particular, to road vehicle use, timbering, and grazing. Those activities seem antithetical to the concept of "wilderness."
Boz - he does seem pretty effective, unlike a lot of people.
Scott - there's no such thing as wilderness untouched by humans. Before we came along, the indigenous people - the second or third set of them to migrate here in order to become 'indigenous' - walked pretty much every inch of this continent, burned whole swaths of it, farmed much of it, staged mass killings of various types of ungulates, and so on. The old growth forest is only old to us in a lot of places. To past generations it may have been farmland or scrub. Taking the long view, I don't see 'wilderness' as distinct from 'public lands.' Instead I see sort of a continuum.
Ugh - the picture of W holding that Trek just makes me want to puke.
Yeah, well, I think if you either adore or hate a particular politician, you're probably wasting your energy on the wrong things. I feel revulsion and alienation from this year's political campaigns; I'm done giving a shit about any of them.
Albert Jay Nock was mostly right.
Jim, you sound like Dominic. He wants to puke when he hears either of them speak. I am puking at the thought of all politics but I love to hate W. Can't help it.
One of the worst things about living (and riding) in DC is all the people who "live in DC" yet actually live in Waldorf, or Ashburn, or Bowie, or Mclean.
I was in Miami a few years ago and someone asked me: "Where are you from?" My response: "DC". He replied: "What part". My response: "Washington, DC. I live in DC." The topic was wrapped up when he said: "I've met a lot of people who live in DC, but I've never met anyone who actually lives in DC."
Duhmerica at its finest.
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