tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post8323601043166410013..comments2024-03-18T10:19:55.782-04:00Comments on The Velo ORANGE Blog: Oil Prices and BikesVelo Orangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-34144167869129959252007-10-30T14:23:00.000-04:002007-10-30T14:23:00.000-04:00They are right let's get back to bikes. I'll keep ...They are right let's get back to bikes. I'll keep my libertarian views to myself. This is what makes this country so great.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-66498004761236817572007-10-30T10:32:00.000-04:002007-10-30T10:32:00.000-04:00I'm sorry to pile on with the off-topic foray into...I'm sorry to pile on with the off-topic foray into medical care on a blog forum about bicycles, but I must add that I read a book last year, written for the layperson, just about this very subject. The title of the book is, "What Your Doctor Won't (Or Can't) Tell You" by Evan S. Levine, M.D. Hope it opens a few eyes, and/or reiterates what many of us suspect about U.S. health care.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-61324005346101842172007-10-30T10:22:00.000-04:002007-10-30T10:22:00.000-04:00I saw that photo last week. The Filson bag looks l...I saw that photo last week. The Filson bag looks like a good fit on that bike. Still, that Velo Orange handlebar bag has me very interested.RMHampelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13583240793927828726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-37055945633972690502007-10-30T10:17:00.000-04:002007-10-30T10:17:00.000-04:00Check out the creative application of a Filson sma...Check out the creative application of a Filson small field bag as front bag posted on Cyclofiend Current Classics #399:<BR/><BR/>http://www.cyclofiend.com/cc/2007/cc399-briansullivan1007.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-83309813630415403682007-10-30T10:14:00.000-04:002007-10-30T10:14:00.000-04:00Now, back to bicycles...AntoniusNow, back to bicycles...<BR/><BR/>AntoniusAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-12776647582341469452007-10-30T09:53:00.000-04:002007-10-30T09:53:00.000-04:00I'm not quite sure how we got from oil to health c...I'm not quite sure how we got from oil to health care, but let's look at a few facts.<BR/><BR/> First off the use of anecdotes is not a very scientific method. "I know someone who waited 5 weeks for an MRI so socialized medicine sucks." is like saying "I know someone who broke a Shimano dérailleur so Shimano sucks."<BR/><BR/> If you look at the broad numbers, such as infant mortality, we get a very different picture. There are 22 countries that have lower rates than the US; every one of them has socialized medicine.<BR/><BR/> In life expectancy the USA is number 38 in the world, almost very country above us has socialized medicine.<BR/><BR/> Hundreds of thousands of Americans go to Europe, Asia,and south Africa for major medical treatment because, even with insurance, they can't afford it at home.<BR/><BR/> As for opinions and anecdotes, I have seen health care in Europe and the US. My observation is that in Europe it is faster, friendlier, just as professional, and far less expensive. I'd much rather be sick in France.<BR/><BR/> The health care industry and conservative think tanks feed the US media many stories comparing a few aspects of the US system to that in the UK or Canada. But the UK has one of the more troubled European health care systems, though it's still excellent. Canada also has had some minor problems, though overall its fantastic. Why don't they compare our system with Switzerland's or Sweden's, or Norway's instead? I think you know why they don't.Velo Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-67174948664128463802007-10-30T09:07:00.000-04:002007-10-30T09:07:00.000-04:00RonWith no disrespect to Canada or Canadians, nor ...Ron<BR/>With no disrespect to Canada or Canadians, nor to your profession, here is my experience.<BR/>I purchased a software program from a company in Toronto and was services by a company from Halifax. the woman that owned the company was a runner. She had a knee problem that required an MRI. She got on a waiting list for the test. in the meantime, they used the insurance from their US office in Boston, got the MRI, had a minor surgery and was back running lightly in 4 weeks, and competitively in 7 weeks. She also stated that her daughter who was an employee was expecting a child and was due 12 months paid leave under the law. She loved her daughter, obviously but was unsure how the company was going to absorb a $75K hit to cover her salary and benefits.<BR/>There is a reason they started a Boston branch and were willing to break even. Access to US healthcare system.<BR/>If things are so good in these other places, why is everyone trying tyo come here?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-36150353004366471062007-10-29T21:30:00.000-04:002007-10-29T21:30:00.000-04:00Bob (last poster), I just can't let your comment a...Bob (last poster), I just can't let your comment about medicine in Canada pass without a comment. I grew up in Canada. Let me tell you (and anyone else who might be listening) that their system is about 30x better than this one here (and costs much less). Someone might wait a reasonable amount of time for a non-critical MRI or for any other non-emergent treatment or testing. People with real emergencies and needs are treated and treated well. My mother (in Canada) needed knee replacement surgery. She waited 5 weeks. How long do you think she'd wait for the same procedure here?... wait for it... about 5 weeks. <BR/><BR/>Preventative care in Canada is far better. There are not millions of uninsured Canadians. There are NO uninsured Canadians!<BR/><BR/>Don't even begin to compare the two systems until you know the facts. I am a physician. Our system is great for people with money and for those who are lucky enough not to become catastrophically ill. Even with medical "insurance" here, you will go bankrupt if you or a loved one gets very ill.RMHampelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13583240793927828726noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-82960902551640171762007-10-29T20:32:00.000-04:002007-10-29T20:32:00.000-04:00Just ask anybody who has served in the miltary. f...Just ask anybody who has served in the miltary. free social services ain't what they're cracked up to be.<BR/>Just look at Canada. Waiting 6 weeks for an MRI? Please.<BR/>Again, I hope we run out of oil real fast. Stuff will be more expensive but you won't have a car payment/upkeep/insurance etc. We'll do just fine.<BR/><BR/>BobAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-50734276856464917352007-10-29T19:45:00.000-04:002007-10-29T19:45:00.000-04:00Libertarian dogma=more fundamentalist fantasy. Get...Libertarian dogma=more fundamentalist fantasy. Gets tiresome in a hurry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-23290641891684881312007-10-29T17:44:00.000-04:002007-10-29T17:44:00.000-04:00I'm the libertarian anon poster above. I love thi...I'm the libertarian anon poster above. I love this kind of discussion. I am a big disciple of Ayn Rand and for that matter Dutch Reagan. All I can say about gov't control of things like health care etc, is, if you think they are expensive now, just wait until they are free.<BR/>Bob ZAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-43974303337667851882007-10-29T11:05:00.000-04:002007-10-29T11:05:00.000-04:00I don't think we're at peak yet. Close, but not ye...I don't think we're at peak yet. Close, but not yet. Let's wait 6 months for tanker inventory data to check against demand and SPR numbers. <BR/><BR/>Another great energy resource is Robert Rapier's R Squared blog: http://i-r-squared.blogspot.com/. He's a proponent of 'Peak Lite.' <BR/><BR/>I'm not quite sure what to make of the numbers crude is pushing these days. It seems like both major speculation and supply/demand problems are driving up prices. It's good only if it results in lasting change (ie infrastructure reinvestment, research for alternatives, etc.) A huge selloff in late winter (should we build strong inventories) would have disastrous effects. The volatility has already resulted in demand destruction for places like Africa and the poorer parts of Asia. Meanwhile, the tiger economies keep it moving as their demand keeps growing, albeit more slowly.<BR/><BR/>As for cities in the US vs Europe, there might come a time when we'll have to start redesigning how we live here. It's already occuring. With the recent housing crisis, there are still lots of urban condos on the market, and maybe the price will come down to a point where I can afford one. Combine that with local bike shops, urban agriculture and the like, and you're setting yourself up for a bit of a quasi-sustainable model city.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-38889204849534204782007-10-28T21:57:00.000-04:002007-10-28T21:57:00.000-04:00..and the seller's other bikes on eBay are just as.....and the seller's other bikes on eBay are just as wonderful!<BR/><BR/>ebay # 270178013618<BR/><BR/>*see seller's other itemsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-87399438452789128072007-10-28T21:52:00.000-04:002007-10-28T21:52:00.000-04:00off-topic but worth a look see:ebay # 270178013618...off-topic but worth a look see:<BR/><BR/>ebay # 270178013618Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-64119635033208907552007-10-28T11:59:00.000-04:002007-10-28T11:59:00.000-04:00Chris,you took the words right out of my mouth. Th...Chris,<BR/><BR/>you took the words right out of my mouth. The "planned economy" under the Soviet communist regime is very different from the innovative welfare states such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway. Even in a place like Taiwan, the gap between the rich and the poor (something like 6x) than in the US. The real wage has fallen, and a big reason is because the feds don't include rise in real estate value in the calculation of inflation. <BR/><BR/>It could have been worst, of course, if the US currency were not the reserve currency of the world. The ruthless way the feds have been increasing the money supply in the last 10 years to bail out the stock market, stimulate economy and spending, underwrite the mortgage-supported equity wealth was only being supported because US currency is what other government's central bank holds as reserve, and they can't allow the currency to drop too much even as the US continue to create money supply. There is a recent trend that the Euro is being looked at as a possible reserve, if the US loses that last footfold, then a tanking of the whole economy is not out of the question.<BR/><BR/>The mass transit in the Bay Area is not all that hot. The trains are comparatively sparsely scheduled and getting bikes onto the transit is a headache. I have been "bumped" by caltrain conductors a few times because the bike racks are full. I was really impressed with London's transit system, though i can't really give up the Bay area's nice weather and of course, nice riding. <BR/><BR/>By definition, the rural areas are rural because they are sparsely populated, and the things with largest ecological footprints are probably farm equipments and food processing facilities rather than individual cars. For example, Mendocino county here is N. cal has a population of less than 100,000 people living on less than 4000 square mile of land. A city like San Francisco has three quarter million people in an area of 49 square miles. Obviously there is less public transit option in the rural areas, but the effect of a small population is also much smallerAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03991895435591324772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-77809203741406394062007-10-28T08:44:00.000-04:002007-10-28T08:44:00.000-04:00Annon, Alberta's heavy oil can only be extracted b...Annon, Alberta's heavy oil can only be extracted by destroying Alberta's groundwater and generally shredding the environment. The process of heating the water to "melt" the tar out of the sands will add tremendous amounts of CO2 to the atmosphere. It's probably the same with Venezuela's. <BR/><BR/>Otherwise you make some great points.<BR/><BR/>Other Annon, Your comment on redistribution of wealth reflects a lack of understanding of what those who champion this idea intend. The model is much more that of Sweden or Denmark than the Soviet union.<BR/><BR/>The sort of libertarian attitude you espouse is unsustainable. It does, in fact, lead to a system where there is a super rich elite and a peasant class. It results in a system like that in Chile under Pinochet. Great wealth is created for the elite, and great suffering for the rest. In fact Chile was "the experiment" for the "Chicago economic school" theories that so influenced neo-consevative ideology and have proven a disaster for so many.Velo Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02835615331417822722noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-37876621257669244682007-10-28T07:58:00.000-04:002007-10-28T07:58:00.000-04:00I'll never understand all this fuss about tax cuts...I'll never understand all this fuss about tax cuts for the rich. Redistribution of wealth was tried once. they called it the Soviet Union and it failed miserably. I'm not one of those folks who are really rich, but if a person starts a business what is his incentive to do well if he knows he'll have to turn the fruits of his hard work over to the gov't?<BR/>Even if a person has a fat portfolio, that money is what funds research and grants so all of these professors can sit in their offices and muse about what a shame it is that people are poor.<BR/>Ever notice how every time there is some piece on NPR etc about a problem, they always send "a group of politicians, educators and writers" to evaluate the problems? these folks are the least qualified to fix anything, much less evaluate anything.<BR/>If you want to get ahead and be richer if not rich then just do it. You may have to work 18 hrs a day but nobody said it would be easy. If you choose to concentrate on other things that's OK too, but don't down those who have elected to achieve.<BR/>Does anybody know why more wives/mothers have to work these days instead of concentrating on raising decent human beings? It's not the cost of living, it's the cost of taxes. You're working almost 6 moths of the year to support a system which makes sure you're not getting screwed by big corporations, when they are in fact doing the screwing themselves.<BR/>As for me, I'm with the guy who quit to hang out, ride and eat donuts.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-7967188737185686082007-10-27T23:06:00.000-04:002007-10-27T23:06:00.000-04:00By the way: As far as savings goes, Americans don...By the way: As far as savings goes, Americans don't save because they CAN'T save: Real wages peaked in 1974 and have (aside from a few years during Clinton's two terms) been dropping ever since: http://www.workinglife.org/wiki/Wages+and+Benefits:+Real+Wages+(1964-2004)<BR/><BR/>Meanwhile, the rich have been getting richer, especially in the last few years thanks to Bush's tax cuts, which helped them much more than they did anyone else: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/business/12tax.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-85445797890950884582007-10-27T22:55:00.000-04:002007-10-27T22:55:00.000-04:00A few observations:1) It's easy for folks on the c...A few observations:<BR/><BR/>1) It's easy for folks on the coast and in big cities like Chicago to say "Heck, go ahead and live 45 miles from your job even if you don't have a car" because you all have that nifty thing called "mass transit". People living in the boonies, or even in some sizable cities, don't have mass transit to speak of, much less the quality transit you all have.<BR/><BR/>2) We haven't reached "peak oil". We've reached "peak CHEAP oil". Alberta and Venezuela alone have enough ultra-heavy oil (we're talking stuff the consistency of peanut butter) to fuel the world at current rates for nigh on three hundred years; however, extracting and refining the stuff only is profitable if oil prices stay above $50 a barrel; so far, that looks to be a safe bet.<BR/><BR/>3) Oil doesn't just go into gas tanks. It's used to make plastics, medicines, and nifty things like bicycle tires. We have to find replacements for oil in all of these things.<BR/><BR/>4) You don't want 300 million people all trying to go 'back to the land' at once. Trust me. The most eco-friendly thing a person can do is live in the city and shop at local markets whenever possible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-7356343371332782262007-10-27T12:05:00.000-04:002007-10-27T12:05:00.000-04:00Realistically most of us in Minnesota can only bik...Realistically most of us in Minnesota can only bike about half the year, but it all helps. I did my part by quiting work and becoming, in Chris's words, a lout and a wastrel. My plans are to bike to the donut shop in summer and take delivery in winter.<BR/>I would strongly recommend this issues Rolling Stone article, The Prophet of Change, a review of the thoughts of James Lovelock on global warming. It ain't good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-64170284631203869442007-10-27T10:51:00.000-04:002007-10-27T10:51:00.000-04:00More proof that the bicycle is the ultimate sustai...More proof that the bicycle is the ultimate sustainable transportation solution. As if those of us who already ride our bikes everywhere need to know that. Ride on!Chuck B.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10181142329647058621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-54928501279632815822007-10-27T10:02:00.000-04:002007-10-27T10:02:00.000-04:00I was at the Reading Market (Philly) this morning ...I was at the Reading Market (Philly) this morning and there was an empty space. On the For Rent sign, it said "green, eco-friendly business encouraged". That's something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-26712767471530480032007-10-27T08:43:00.000-04:002007-10-27T08:43:00.000-04:00I operate a mechanical contracting business and ha...I operate a mechanical contracting business and have a fleet of 24 vans, and a few diesel p/u trucks.<BR/>My opinion is that we can't run out of oil fast enough. The wars and pollution caused by c this and other carbon based fuels is hardly worth it. Everyone wanted an open and free China with a strong economy. Well, here you go. Everything will become more expensive due to transportation costs. So what? People will still eat, have clothes etc. It will just mean that we will have to redirect family resources away from things like eveybody gabbing on their cell phones all the time, 5 TV's in one house, a vacation home, a fat portfolio ec, and then maybe we can get to a place where human interaction and simpler pleasures become important.<BR/>Oh yeah, and we're going to have to come to grips with nukes again. Solar and wind can help, but it's going to be nukes. We'll deal with the waste somehow (blasting it into space?).<BR/>I can't wait.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-60905394386109873392007-10-27T05:54:00.000-04:002007-10-27T05:54:00.000-04:00I wish more of the cycling culture would spill ove...I wish more of the cycling culture would spill over into Idaho. We have big traffic issues here in the southwest corner. City council elections are coming up in two larger areas and the candidates are either clueless about the energy/transportation connection or they just deny there's a reason to look at changing things. Gasoline demand is inelastic because we've simply built everything far apart since WWII ended. We can thank stupid zoning laws for this problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24415034.post-63278331396597802042007-10-27T00:27:00.000-04:002007-10-27T00:27:00.000-04:00Thank you Chris, for having the courage to explici...Thank you Chris, for having the courage to explicitly link the social world with bicycle use. <BR/><BR/>Your Velo Orange store is a gem. I dont walk into bike shops anymore unless they actually stand for something. Velo Orange is the only one in the (braod) DC-area worth walking in to. (Apologies to College Park Bikes; they come close, but no cigar...) Shirks Bike Shop in Lancaster, Pa., is another worthy shop; so is Via Bicycle in Philadelphia, and Trophy bikes in Philly) <BR/><BR/>Racers are brain dead (I say that as a Cat 2 for many years, having raced next to Lance Armstrong and his ilk, in the late 80s/early 90s, etc..); and shops that cater to them imagine themselves apolitical ("we just ride bikes, dude...") <BR/><BR/>Have you seen Ted White's video on Critical Mass? It is excellent!.... Have you read Duaney's Suburban Nation? or The Geography of Nowhere?...<BR/><BR/>Best regards, <BR/>MikeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com