Got nothing

But that really hasn't ever stopped me from posting. So here you go. Consider it an open thread if needed.

The Tail of Sir McCain

I'm back...

But only for a couple days. Then I am back to sipping mudslides while heckling non-cyclists on the CalTrain bike car.

Good times good time.

More Better Democrats

Based on history I suspect that the Democrat leadership will basically agree to The Paulson Plan.

In other words no real oversight, no executive accountability and no equity for the public.

The city may be one fire, but this is a bad plan designed to loot the City and written by the people who started the fire.

It would be easy to blame the Democrats but like FISA I suspect that the majority of Dems will actually vote against it. What we really need is more, better Democrats like Darcy Burner.

Update:
I think Matt Stoller has a trenchant analysis of what's wrong with the Democratic Leadership: a compulsive need to get legislation passed. Shorter Stoller: Dem Leadership would prefer good bills to bad bills, but prefer bad bills to no bills.

I think this belief that passing legislation in and of itself is good is dead wrong and the idea that this is what the American people want is not supported by any poll I've ever seen.

Update II


Credit due here.

Mass Transit and The Bay

First off I want to say Fuck You to Dori Monson, Tim Eyman and all their fellow-travellers who railed against mass transit. Guess what? It actually works. Even when it has problems it works.

Now on to my real point.

It is very very cool. In addition to alcohol on the trains (not BART) ther whole system is incredibly convenient. They even have a dedicate bike shop with free bike storage (they call it parking) at San Francisco station. Cool.

What The F&^% is PruDog doing

Ok, so for those who don't know I am working for a small company in San Francisco. RioMobility designs and manufactures recreational attachments for wheelschair. Our 2 big products are the Pivot (which lets you row in a wheelchair) and the Dragonfly (which lets you ride a wheelchair like one of those racing handcycles).

Not the bike industry, but close enough to seem familiar.

You, my friend, are an asshole

I've tried to be good. I really have. But the ride home last night cracked me.

Here is a picture of CalTrain's bike car.



It's taken from the seating area directly above the bike racks. There are abouth 8 additional seats down below, and the upper seats are single row with that strange thing you see in the center.

bottom line, there is about a 1:2 ratio of bike spots to seats in the bike car. The bike racks are usually filled nearly to capacity and that means that quite a few cyclists have to seek seating in a different car.

I get on at San Francisco station and am usually the first cyclist on. Now, CalTrain makes us wait until the regular passengers board and quite a few of the have figured out that they don't have to wait if they go to the Bike car.

Which leads to assholes like this.



Note that not only did he grab a seat in the bike car, which I think is lame but not a shooting offence, he took advantage of the delay before cyclists could board to *spread his shit out* and set-up his personal office. It's hard to see in the pick but that's his bag and laptop on the chair facing him. And yes there were people who had to stand or find space in another car (bike cars are at the end of the train near the entrance, so these cyclists likely ended up several cars forward.

Congrats dude. You are an asshole.

Against the bailout

Too many economists (let alone analysts) have come out against the Paulson Plan. It speaks volumes that even such mortal enemies as the Princeton and University of Chicago Econ. departments oppose it en masse.

Shorter version: The cure is worse than the disease.

If you are so inclined go sign Bernie Sanders (I-VT) petition to just say "Hell No".

And call your congressman and senator and let them know you that the looting needs to stop.

How bad is it

There are a ton of insightful blog posts about whether or not the current meltdown is really bad or (as the Republican's would like us to believe)the coming of the Apocolypse.

Paul Krugman presents the case for skepticism.

Shorter Intertrons: They won't share the data they claim to have to support the Apocolyptic scenario and since it's the same guys that a) sold us the war and b) caused the mess regardless of how bad it is a gambling man would bet against Teh Apoco-meltdown.

Soundbite:

Good ideas do not need lots of lies told about them in order to gain public acceptance.~ Daniel Davies

Again, that's not to say it isn't bad. But based on the track record there's every reason to believe that their motivation isn't to rescue the economy but, as John Cole put it:

I vacillate between there being a very serious problem that needs a bailout and this being nothing more than a last minute attempt at looting on an almost hourly basis, although there may be enough evidence out there that a little bit of both is going on.

emphasis mine

Figures

Well, those economists (like Krugman) and analysts (like calculated risk & wallst24/7) who predicted this mess way back pre-'04 have finished analysing the Paulson plan. And their conclussion is that while the current situation is bad but W's rhetoric and answer is such a bad deal that it only makes sense if you assume they are trying to take advantage of a already bad situation to help out their buddies holding bad assets. The fact that their rhetoric and plan may make the situation worse I guess proves they are assholes.

And remember, these guys have called it correct for the last 7 years. So before anyone claims conspiracy or what-not, I am going with the track record.

Thanks

I should have posted this sooner but I have no Intertron Access at the new house and work is busy.

Thanks to everyone who came to the good-bye shindig at The Piper, sent an email or made a phone call. I really do appreciate it. I also want to apologize to anyone who came and didn't get any quality PruDog time. That's the one thing I dread about hosting parties or being the center of one.. I never feel like I gave everyone the time they deserve for making the effort to come out.

I am touched.

I told 'em to expect 50 or 60 people. :)

I am not sure if Stoked is joking or not. But if more than 5 people show up to tonight's party I may just completely freak out.

Intellectually I know that I belong to a largish subculture and that, in a weird way, anyone who makes Cat 2 and/or is part of the community enjoys a sort of pseudo-celebrity. I know that even if we don't talk to each other all the time, we all go to the crazy events called bike races every week and hang out together. I know that we are also hooked up via The Intertrons. And I know that Cat 5s look up to cat 1 & 2s. I know that and all the other reasons why so many people know me (just as I know so many people).

But honestly, I've been part of this community for so long that none of that seems extraordinary to me anymore. It is all very... well I don't really think about it or realize how many people's live's touch mine.

Anyway that's all a long winded way of saying that I am touched that so many people think I am worthy of saying good bye to. I appreciate all the emails,phone calls and even snarky blog posts.

USOC is the disgrace

This is such a classic weasil apology.

In a letter to cyclists Mike Friedman, Bobby Lea, Sarah Hammer and Jennie Reed, USOC Chief Executive Officer James E. Scherr said, “We apologize if you felt that the USOC or your National Governing Body did not appropriately support you through this incident, and you should rest assured it was not our intent.”

USOC isn't apologizing for their actions. They are saying they didn't do anything wrong and are only sorry that the cyclists misinterpritted the USOC's words. The record is pretty clear in this case that the USOC told the cyclist to wear the masks, then when the Chinese got offended sold the cyclists out rather than admitting it was the USOC's own adivsement. Hell, I actually lost respect for the USOC for not telling the Chinese to fix their polution problem rather than bitch about the masks.

James E. Scherr. PruDog's wanker of the day.

News blackout

The various econ & financial blogs and news sources have been following WAMUs troubles daily. Basically it looks like WAMU may die as soon as this week, maybe next Monday. At the least it will probably declare bankruptcy. Those in the know seem to poopoo talks that they will be bought (noting that their assets are worthless).

Which made me curious. Why aren't the Seattle Times or PI reporting any of this? I couldn't find much of anything online beyond the CEO change and the obligatory puff piece.

WTF?

Pary like it's 1999

Martha is hosting a no host party at the Piper (NE 25 Ave th and 65th St more or less) at 7pm Thursday. This will be your chance for you to formally kick me out of Washington.

And maybe I'll give you my new address in San Carlos.

My commuter bike is cherry, yo.

The Meltdown is funny

The Funny comes at .43 seconds in.



Would it be much to point out that I predicted the mortgage crisis when you all scoffed at me? Or the banking meltdown? Will you all worship me for the Econ God I am when the trfiecta hits and deflation begins? And I ain't even going to count todays drop in CPI since that is likely oil-company collusion.

In fairness I just listen to real economists who have a track record of being right like Krugman and DeLong.

It's on

Watch your back Strangelover. Watch your back.