Quinn’s Recent Comments

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  Try some nails

  Fenders and lights are a must.  Lube up more often.  If you have clipless pedals, consider changing back to the old fashioned regular pedals so that you don't break a leg when you fall on ice.  

  Your front tire is the most important tire.  If the front can make it through something, chances are the rest of the bike will follow.  They now make tires that are made of a special compound that are a bit stickier.  They're called slow rebound tires.  I have a friend who took an old tire and put small nails through it so that the tire is covered with small metal studs.  Works for him!On Umbra on winter biking posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 18 Responses

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  On Ice?

  Wouldn't it be funny to have An Inconvenient Truth On Ice, and have no ice?On Inconvenient Truth gives an encore -- as an opera posted 1 year, 5 months ago 4 Responses

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  You're wrong jabailo

  I spoke to an elementary school class on climate change the other day.  I asked the kids what was causing global warming to get an idea of what they already know.  The answers I got ranged from 'pollution' to 'something to do with the ozone layer' to 'CO2.'  

  I think the concept of pollution in our society is changing.  It's no longer just trash and smog in the eyes of the laity.  If a 3rd grader can make the connection between pollution and global warming, maybe there's hope in the future.On Climate, as such, is unlikely to ever be a determinant of many votes posted 1 year, 5 months ago 14 Responses

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  Damn you Adam Smith!

  The auto industry is appealing to a specific demographic when you see a Hummer hauling 20,000 tons of concrete and steel in between possessions in a Patriots game.  Now unless you volunteer your spare time chasing illegal immigrants in the New Mexico desert or need to ford a river to get to your house, I think we can all agree that a Hummer is pretty excessive.  Now who is to blame for promoting such excessiveness?  The consumer who wants to buy one or the industry that wants to sell one?  In my opinion, it's not that simple.  Arguing over if industry drives consumer culture, or if consumer demand drives industry direction is oversimplifying the issue and placing 100% of the blame on one side.  The relationship is not mutually exclusive.  Both parties, consumer culture and industry, share the blame for the American gas-guzzling fetish.  Not only that, but there are hidden parties that ought to be held accountable that haven't even been mentioned in this forum.

  Here's my list of blamable parties (some overlap):

  -Auto Industry
  -Consumer Culture
  -Adam Smith and David Hume
  -Consumerism
  -Capitalism
  -Oil and Gas Industry
  -Government
  -Lobbyists

  And here's my logical reasoning.

  I blame the auto industry for irresponsibly offering to the public vehicles of blatant excessiveness.
  I blame consumer culture for demanding vehicles of blatant excessiveness.
  I blame consumerism for establishing excessiveness as a status symbol and a sign of wealth.
  I blame capitalism for spawning consumerism.
  I blame Adam Smith and David Hume for capitalism.  ;-)

  I blame government for not having the balls to enforce reasonable mpg standards (cough, cough, cafe, cafe)
  I blame lobbyists for castrating the government.
  I blame both the auto industry and the oil and gas industry for their lobbyists.  
  I blame capitalism for the aforementioned industries' motives.
  I once again blame Adam Smith and David Hume for capitalism.On It's shifting consumer demand that will drive increases in vehicle fuel efficiency posted 1 year, 5 months ago 25 Responses

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  A. Gorey topic

  More April fools jokes!!!On Grist is cooking up a new site; what do you want to see in it? posted 1 year, 5 months ago 32 Responses