markalla’s Recent Comments

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  AP coverage from Boston Globe website

  I see the AP covered the story, as accessed from the Boston Globe website:

  http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/200 ...

  I'm not sure where it ended up in the print edition.

  Unfortunately, the article only mentions "hundreds" of protesters instead of "thousands" and takes a sceptical tone to the whole idea.On Thousands protest against coal in front of D.C.'s Capitol Power Plant posted 8 months, 1 week ago 18 Responses

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  Biking in Winter

  In the Boston area, where I live and bicycle, the most dangerous winter conditions are:

  1. Snow banks on the sides of the roads make the roads narrower, squeezing bikes more into the traffic lanes.

  2. Out-of-control, skidding cars are a real, all-to-common hazard.

  3. I usually try to stick to the bike paths to avoid the above-mentioned winter hazards, but I've wiped more than once on ice. Bikes are much harder to handle on ice than cars, since they slide sideways out from under you if you alter your weight balance or direction even minutely. Luckily, if you're on a bike path, you won't be run over by a car the moment you go down (see number 2 above). The other disadvantage of the bike paths I use to get to work is that they are not plowed. People walk on them, then the slush freezes, making extreme washboarding that can just about vibrate the teeth out of your head.

  It's a tough ride either way (paths or roads) once the snow starts to fly.On Umbra on winter biking posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 18 Responses

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  Why use Freecycle when we have craigslist?

  I have used craigslist to dispose of unwanted goods at no or little cost and found it to be a wonderful, non-commercial, locally oriented service. It even has a "free" section for those who wish to give away items. Why use Freecycle when we have craigslist?On freecycle: TM, and R.I.P. posted 3 years, 3 months ago 31 Responses

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  Freedom Tax

  It's not a Gas Tax, it's a "Freedom Tax;" who would vote against that?

  Freedom from dependency on foreign sources of oil.
  Freedom from climate change.
  Freedom from smog.
  Freedom from global conflicts caused by oil.
  Freedom from [insert your pick here...]On Americans support a gas tax if revenues go toward energy independence posted 3 years, 8 months ago 7 Responses