Flirtatious bicycling

I think about the many gay events I've ridden my bicycle to over the years. Faerie gatherings, camp outs and so forth. Places where there was fun and flirtatious conversation. Also serious conversation, but the majority trended toward the lighter and more playful type. Arriving by bike becomes a good conversation starter. I've often thought that it might help promote healthy lifestyles as lots of people, in these settings, haven't ridden a bike in years. In many cases, the people at these gatherings are a bit out of shape, but they often have fond memories of playfulness in their youth.

I'm also thinking about the high school reunions I've biked to.

At many of these events, I see some results of our consumerist culture. Quite a few folks have lived sedentary lifestyles from behind the wheel of automobiles for many years. Especially at the Faerie Gatherings, it seems like drug use has taken its toll. In much of society, alcohol, drug use and the stress of meeting day to day work and family obligations takes its toll.

I have visions of a somewhat different kind of culture. One that would fit well with a lower carbon footprint. More active lifestyles, less effort devoted to striving for the mcmansion. The appeal of a lighter footprint and healthier lifestyle.

Some people might say it's like being a Peter Pan who never quite grows up in the way that the mainstream of this culture does. It's an alternate road that could make lowering the carbon footprint more palatable, tho at the same time I do realize that the main road to lowering the footprint goes through technology. Solar energy, for instance. There's got to be many valid roads to a lower carbon footprint. Different roads for different people.

Thinking about this as Bellingham's naked and nearly naked bike ride is getting closer. June 1. It draws quite a bit of public interest. Likely more interest than a serious lecture. I wonder what long term effect things like this have at nudging a few folks toward getting out more. Getting out and mingling. Partying, but partying in healthy ways. Putting energy into something different than just struggling to build up one's material assets.

Here's the poster they've designed for 2018.

Here's a link to an art piece, think piece about these rides in various places that I created for my Flickr album.

The culture of guns beyond just law

Seems like a lot of the shootings, like the recent school shooting in Texas, happen in areas where there are lots of guns. Gun culture and many guns around. The person who did that shooting used a gun that his father had, so I hear. I'm in favor of changes in gun laws, but that isn't necessarily the magic answer. The law might not make that much difference, but it's up to people to not be so into guns. Have less guns around.

Hurray for ADUs, but some folks would just want less population growth

I like talking to many different kinds of people and I often change my tune, a bit, depending on who I am talking to. A while ago, I mentioned to a friend that Bellingham City Council passed the ordinance allowing auxiliary dwelling units to built in more single family zones. I was happy, but this friend was less enthused. He expressed regret that there was a blanket change to all residential zones. Rather than trying to defend the ADU vote, I changed my tune a bit and said that if population growth were to significantly slow down, there would be less need to build more homes. He agreed with that. He also liked hearing my slightly tongue in cheek comment that if more people were gay, we wouldn't have as much growth.

I'm glad there are more and more single and child free people here in the western world at least. The third world still has more population growth which we get some of via immigration.

Some people think it's selfish to embrace single living, but ironically, the best thing we can do for kids of the future is to leave them a world that isn't overcrowded. We also can do better to accommodate the population, like allowing more auxiliary dwelling units, in my opinion. Also there are lots of new apartment buildings being built in Bellingham's denser zones. Multi family zones. Lots of people keep wanting to move to Bellingham. There are several ways to solve this problem. Less population, yes. More density, yes. Maybe all of the above.

My friend who pirouetted from intel to retirement in Bellingham Washington

Here's a unique video. It depicts my friend Mark Allyn pirouetting from Intel to retirement in Bellingham Washington. Also I've included my own description of this journey based on the stories he tells.

Mark worked for Intel Corporation in the Portland area. His retirement plan was to move to Bellingham.

While his Bellingham plans waited, he continued working not sure exactly when he was going to say goodby. Around the time when he learned that the rent on his Portland apartment was scheduled to go up, he decided to set the date. This, among other reasons was a good time to retire so he gave notice to both his landlord and his employer.

Part of his plan was to ride a bicycle from Portland to Bellingham. He had his processions shipped to his new home ahead of time.

As an avid bicyclist, he had been commuting from his apartment in Portland to work at Intel's Jones Farm campus which is out in the suburban city of Hillboro. The last commute to work was to be the first leg of his bike ride to retirement in Bellingham.

Looking forward to this adventure, he showed up for his last Monday on the job. It was the start of his final week. When he arrived that morning, he noticed a few buses parked in front of the campus. When Mark got inside, he quickly found out that Intel was in the middle of a massive employee layoff. All the conference rooms were booked processing layoffs. The buses were there because they were still hiring a few folks and there was no space for new employee orientation as the conference rooms were being used to process layoffs. On that day, new employee orientation must have been like, "welcome to the company." "Now Get on the bus, don't look." "We'll take you someplace else for the welcoming."

On that last week, Mark could have been the happiest person in the company as he was planning to retire anyway. Thus this video. Dressed in clear plastic he did pirouettes down the corporate hallways. People might have been envious, or maybe they were wondering what kind of fool was this? They may have thought it was something to lighten the somber moment during layoffs.

His last day of work was the first day of his trip to Bellingham. That day started with his normal commute, but he was leaving his apartment for the last time. No need to return to the apartment where rent was scheduled to go up. Ready to leave the job where the layoff was in progress. Looks like the work-a-day world, he was leaving behind, was starting to deteriorate.

After the goodbys, he bicycled toward Bellingham making it as far his first motel stop in Longview, WA. It was a dreary, rainy afternoon as he left Hillboro and headed up Oregon Highway 30 along the Columbia River. He entered Washington State via the Lewis and Clark Bridge into Longview. As he ceremoniously walked across that bridge, clouds parted and the sun came out. A large rainbow appeared. It was truly a "we're not in Kansas anymore" moment.

His ride to Bellingham took several more days which turned out to be beautiful and sunny.

Since then, he's enjoyed doing lots of creative things and volunteering at places like the Spark Museum of Electrical Invention.

Jobs and the economy can expand to accommodate immigration, but is there enough housing?

Trump wants to deport a lot of refugees from Central America and so forth, but this reduces the number of workers and consumers in the economy assuming most of the refugees are worker/consumers. Could make reaching his targets for economic growth more difficult. A larger population adds to the economy. On the other hand, it can also exacerbate the housing shortage. Seems like the economy can grow to accommodate more people as there are more consumers and jobs. It has a harder time providing the housing. Part of that is NIMBY ism. Good planning can address this problem. A larger economy can also add to the carbon footprint. That's where planning for a green economy comes in. Growth of world population is starting to slow down, but growth is still a reality.

Trump's new economic advisor, Larry Kudlow is a pro growth economist who has been a radio talk show host. He's been pretty much pro immigration differing with his new boss on that one issue. New workers and consumers add to the American economy. On his radio shows, he seemed to never discuss the housing shortage. He also never talked about climate change. I would guess he wouldn't be friendly toward ideas such as shorter workweeks or reducing the rat race of life. Personally, I think much of the economy is like spinning wheels on ice. I like to see progress in technology and so forth, but we can have less rat race. Again, the key is good planning.

Nobel Peace Prize often just goes to the famous, like even maybe Donald Trump?

Tidbits from a conversation I had with a friend at the Co-op. He's impressed that the Korean War may be coming to an end. Something disrupted that long gridlocked pattern.

I mentioned that there were people, at a Republican rally, saying that Trump should get the Nobel Peace Prize. My friend hadn't heard that. The thought was kind of horrific, in a way. Who knows what actually lead to the possible end of this standoff between the Korea's My theory is that Trump's somewhat reckless and off the wall comments could have been like the surprise thing that disrupted the gridlock? Who knows. It could have been a very risky move that just happened to turn out right; like tossing a rock, but having it land in the right spot as if not from skill but from chance.

On the other hand, Obama was very cautious, circumspect, not noted to try off the wall or much in the way of risky things.

Then the thought that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, a few years back, came up. I mentioned that I think there's a bias toward celebrities getting the prize so US presidents are likely candidates.

My friend, who's liberal, pointed out some of the darker things that people criticized about Obama. Drone killings and so forth. My friend would be more of a Sanders guy.

I said that possibly no recent US president deserves the prize. How about a good person who's less famous?

I do feel that people who get into power can have good intentions, but get pulled into making unfortunate compromises. Then I mentioned Canada's "darling on the left" Pierre Trudeau who's still backing expansion of Kinder Morgan oil pipeline. His image is becoming tainted on the environmental front. Then I said that the best way to stop pipelines is for consumers to become less dependent of fossil fuels. To become less money minded, maybe less addicted to middle class comfort values?

He said we can still do middle class living if we look to the sun. Solar power, electric cars and so forth. I mentioned my brother who has solar collectors on his roof and powers his car that way. My brother says he gets around half of his energy needs, including his car, from the sun. The friend I was talking to at the Coop has worked in the field of solar energy installation.