New Bike!

Fuckin' sweet, don't you think?

So I just paid a down payment of a couple hundred bucks on a Surly Long Haul trucker just like this at Free Wheel Bikes, a local bike store in Minneapolis.  They didn't have my size in stock (no surprise there) but are ordering it and should have it soon.  Exciting times, no?  The bike's official site is here.  The bike is built for long-distance rides (like these that I am planning), but should also be fine to ride around town.  It's got a steel frame which is a little heavier than a lot of new bikes, but still a damn sight lighter than my current Schwinn Le Tour...

I bought the complete bike, but am planning on switching out a few parts.  I'm thinking of switching out the drop handlebars for mustache bars like these:

 A bar like that would be more upright and hopefully more comfortable to ride in for a long time.  It's also got lots of different potential hand positions, which is good so your hands don't get numb/tingly.  I'm also thinking of switching to a Brooks leather saddle like this one:

 At first glance, it doesn't look to comfy, but supposedly these seats are awesome.  You have to keep them dry, and they take a while to break in, but once they do they mold to your butt.

Other than that, I think I'm just gonna take it as it comes.  What do you think?

Even The Onion knows more about the Economy than the GOP

http://www.theonion.com/articles/gop-completely-fixes-economy-by-canceling-funding,19897/

7 reasons to participate in the 30 days of Biking Challenge



A 30 days of biking participant bikes along the West River Parkway.  Cool shot, no?

Around this time last year, bicyclists Patrick Stephenson and Zachariah Schaap created the 30 days of biking challenge to spark interest in biking among their friends.   The rules are this: Ride your bike for 30 days in a row, and share your experience online.  It doesn't matter how far you ride, just do it.  Their challenge went viral, and the challenge this year is getting about 100 tweets per hour (Star Tribune).  I saw this and immediately thought I should participate.  You should, too!  Here are 7 reasons why (I know I should have done 30 reasons, but that seemed like too much work):
1.  Exercise: Biking is good exercise - it gets your heart pumping, builds muscle in your legs, and can help you lose weight (though I'm a scrawny motherfucker, so I don't worry about that).

2.  Pollution / Fossil Fuels: Riding your bike doesn't pollute the air or use fossil fuels.  'Nuff said.

3.  Price:  The price of gas is about $3.50/ gallon and rising.  Not to mention thousands of dollars to insure and maintain a car.  And paying for accidents.  A bus pass in Minneapolis will cost $2/trip, or like $90/month.  A bike just costs a couple hundred initially, and then a few bucks every couple months to maintain.

4.  Convenience: You don't have to wait at a particular stop for a bus coming at a particular time.  You also don't have to deal with quarters for a parking meter or pay for a spot in a parking garage.

4.  Sharing is Caring: Sharing your pictures and stories will help motivate you to do something you like more often.

5.  Commutes: Bicycle commuters are part of an efficient transportation system.  Bikes take up less space than cars, and can ease congestion on crowded streets.

6.  Habits: Automatic habits take around 66 days to form (link).  Biking every day for 30 days will get you well on your way to forming a healthy and cheap habit.

7.  Fun: Riding your bike is fun!

Around the blogs: Is econ. a discipline?, Tim Pawlenty is an idiot, and the bystander effect

First, check out this blog post by UC Berkeley economist J. Bradford Delong about the Chicago School of Economics.  Neoclassical / "Chicago School" economists believe that the economy is in a long-term equilibrium, with any unemployment simply the result of a shock that hasn't been adjusted to.  No government action is required to manage the economy.  Keynesian economists believe that as people's spending habits change, the economy will have natural peaks and valleys, and that government action is needed to help the economy out of recessions.

You might think that the The Great Depression and the current recession alone would be enough to prove the Chicago School wrong, and they would have long faded into the background.  In a sane world, they would have!  But as the book Zombie Economics details, some ideas just won't die...

Next, go on over to my favorite columnist Paul Krugman's post here.  Tim Pawlenty, former MN governor, is running for president and decided recently that he'd talk some shit about monetary policy.  Paul Krugman takes him to task - here's the money quote:

Now, it’s perfectly clear, even from that small bit, that Pawlenty has absolutely no idea what he’s talking about

Love it.

Finally, click here for a sweet video about the bystander effect over on the Nudge blog (expanded from the book Nudge, which is a great read).  The bystander effect basically states that no one offers help during an emergency when lots of other people are present.  Interesting that it could also apply to things other than emergency help, such as picking up litter.  By the way, if they did that experiment in my neighborhood, all those people might have to wait a couple decades for their trash to get picked up...

Education and Transportation, or lack thereof

Warren Buffett makes it rain!  Read on to see why I posted a picture of  Buffett...

I was reading the Star Tribune, and I saw a few articles that caught my attention.  On the same page of the paper, there was an article about how the Republican-dominated MN Legislature wants to cut the state's higher education budget and the K-12 and Pre-kindergarten budget. (Sidenote: The higher ed bill is sponsored by Michelle Fishbach, no relation to Michelle Bachman.  What is it with this state and people named Michelle bach-something?)  Now, this was not in today's people, but these same Republicans also also want to cut funding for public transportation.

Never mind that the wage gap between educated and uneducated workers is increasing.  Never mind that education in schools is supposed to prepare the next generation of workers.  Never mind that early education provides the highest return on investment of any public spending.  Never mind that the University of Minnesota's research helped create Minnesota's thriving Medical devices industry.  Never mind that public transportation system allows people to get to work and contribute to the economy - and is in fact supported by businesses!  No, these things aren't important, right?

Republicans say that cuts such as these are necessary to close the state's $5.1 Billion deficit.  Horse shit.  What we need to do is reform the tax code so that the wealthy pay their fair share.  By his own admission, Warren Buffett pays a lower percentage of his income in taxes than his secretary does.  Buffett even bet $1 MILLION that no Fortune 500 CEO pays a higher percent of their income in taxes than their receptionist.  So far no one's taken his bet.  And over in New York, billionaire residents of a luxury building pay more than their janitors.

Why does this happen, you ask?  Well for starters, much of wealthy people's income is capital gains, which is taxed at 15% no matter how much money they make.  In addition, hedge fund managers are often allowed to defer their income, allowing them to earn compound interest on his money before paying taxes.  Don't ask me why on that one.  Rich people like Buffett also can take advantage of all the deductions in our tax code - mortgage interest, business travel, etc.  In addition, though Federal Income tax is generally progressive, state and local taxes are heavily regressive - the poor pay a much higher % of their income on sales and other local taxes.

Well, that was a long post, but if you're confused just remember this:

We can afford and must provide good public education and transport services - we just need billionaires to pay their fair share of taxes!

Sweet music videos: 6 foot 7 foot and Freaks and Geeks

I try to keep this blog on topic for the most part, but we all have to be entertained sometime, right? Check out this Lil' Wayne video:



I didn't like this song at first, but it grew on me for some reason.  You gotta watch and listen closely - Lil Wayne acts out close to every bar of the rap.  Dude who raps after him sucks, though.  Still the coolest music video in a while, if you ask me.  My favorite bar is: You know father time / We all know mother nature / It's all in the family but I am of no relation

The beat's sick, too.  Squash banana!

Here's another video - this one's by Childish Gambino aka Donald Glover:



I discovered this when one of my friends was listening to this in a car the other day.  I know Donald Glover from Community, and from his sketches back when he was on College Humor, of which my favorite was bro rape.  So when I heard he was a rapper, I thought it might be joke rap, a la Lonely Island (who are hilarious by the way).  But Donald Glover is serious about his Childish Gambino project, and he's actually got some skill.  Favorite line: You get sloppy drunk, I stay whiskey neat / Your clique should be cancelled, Freaks and Geeks

I gotta go to work so I'm out, peace.

JJ's Workers Union Update - 6 Jimmy John's Employees Fired

This is the JJ Workers Union logo - gotta love the cats, they are sweet!

It's been a while since I posted about the Minneapolis JJ's union election, and there have been a few updates.  First, 6 union organizers were fired, ostensibly for posting copies of this poster at Jimmy John's stores:

Franchise owner and overall douchebag Rob Mulligan claimed that the posters were defamatory, and "clearly crossed the line of protected activity".  While I'm sure he wasn't too happy to see these posters up at his shops, the union has a point.  

JJ's store policy is that you cannot call in sick.  If you are sick, you are supposed to call around and find a replacement worker.  However, if you wake up and notice that you are sick, the chances of you actually being able to find a replacement worker are pretty fucking slim.  So what do people do?  They go to work sick, which is unsafe for customers and coworkers, not to mention shitty for the sick person.

I'm also not sure this is the real reason for their firing.  In the Minneapolis Starbucks unionization drive, union organizers were fired and then rehired numerous times.  I think it's a scare tactic to lower support for the union, should they chose to call for another election.

The union responded to these firings, however, by filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.   In this complaint, they argued that the 6 fired employees were "engaging in protected concerted activity".  To be honest, I don't know the particulars of how they will decide.  If you know the law, let me know in the comments!

I have been considering writing a rap about working at Jimmy John's.  If over half of the responses to this poll are yes, then I will record this rap and post it on the blog:

Should I write a Jimmy John's rap?