Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - i feel guilty...

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy

No. Sod the work ethic.

Did you know that aboriginal peoples spend, on average, two hours a day gathering food and securing water and shelter? They spend the rest of the day playing, socialising and resting.

The history of "civilization" consists of more and more people working harder and harder whilst fewer and fewer get more wealthy and powerful.

Go ride your bike. If you were working you'd probably be doing something that screws up the environment either directly or indirectly. Cyclists actually clean the air as they move through it. Go clean up some air and have a good time.

We've raped an entire planet. Someone ought to be having fun. Got to get back to work now...

I've worked 8 days in the last 70. Freelance assisting is sh*t right now. And yet, I just busted my ass for an hour or so on the lake trail. Go ride, enjoy life. Money does not equal happiness, life is still valid without gainful employment.

You could get a job if you wanted to.. (http://www.navyjobs.com/)]

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy



The last thing you want is to be, at the end of your days, flat on your back with a tube up your nose thinking... I should've gone for that ride.

yeah **** that...go ride if you feel like it...I would but I'm in an office doing menial boring crap that doesn't even matter.

Compromise: ride your bike around looking for a job. That's what I did today.

I would say try some messenger work but for as much fun as I had, it really screwed me up with taxes. But it is fun and a good way to spend the summer if you can afford it.

I don't understand. What is this 'work' thing you all keep referring to?

Have fun while you can. You'll get a job sometime soon I'm sure. In the meantime go ride or take a nap or ponder why steel is real when it comes to bike frames and aluminum is good for beer cans.

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy

What???
What???
What???

Don't think when you ride your bike your liable to kill yourself ;)

seriously if your down about being unemployed which is a common symptom for a lot of folks remember this, that lack of exercise and over all good health is bad for you especially when you need to be strong. Go out and ride you'll get a job.

Also work out a realistic plan. I'm tellin ya being jobless can be rewarding provided of course your not hungry and you have a family to feed ( I don't know your situation) but good luck...

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy

No need to feel guilty as long as my tax dollars are not paying you to go ride and have fun...

No need to feel guilty as long as my tax dollars are not paying you to go ride and have fun...

Dude, what better use for your tax dollars than for someone to have fun riding a bike? Some examples of your tax dollars:

1. 1.3 trillian dollar tax break for the rich over the next 10 years.
2. Paying logging companies to clearcut forests.
3. Paying farmers who arent even farmers, like charles schwab, 500k per year to (not) grow rice and to duck hunt.
4. To pay for a war in iraq that cost us the goodwill of the entire planet and fuels hatred decreasing our safety.

Dude, in case you didn't know, 40% of all corperations haven't paid any federal tax in the last 4 years. Including halbiburton and the company that bush enron'd out of making 800 millian dollars prior to it going mamaries skyward at the expense of it's employees and stockholders. President, vice president, both of who's companies didn't pay federal tax while they worked there. Hello. Bush, who's SEC investigation was a joke since his dad's friend and his former personal lawyer investigated??

Also, half of the members of congress are multimillionaires, but we are paying free platinum health insurance for them and their entire familes, not to mention huge pensions. The same millinoaire congress who have voted 4 $5,000 dollar pay raises for themselves while minimum wage has stayed at 5.15 per hour.

OK, im gonna stop before i get worked up. **** dude, take my tax dollars please!

Je connaise

It's probably good to be out of your bike at times, too. Keeps your spirits up. Need to do that or the job search will get grim and depressing. I know. Been there a few years back. Wish I had my bike back then to take a load off.

Giving to charity may make you feel better. Start by handing over your Spinnergy wheels. :D

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy

In the aftermath of urban riots in the UK in the summer of 1981, Norman Tebbit (UK right wing politican/close ally of Margaret Thatcher) responded to a suggestion that the rioting was caused by unemployment by saying:

"My father was unemployed in the 1930s and he did not riot. He got on his bike and looked for work"

or you could just ride round and enjoy yourself whatever :)

yeah go ride, guilt is for car/war mongerers

p.s. anyone else read the title of the thread as "I feel quilty"

Go ride your bike and smile. If you have free time it's one of the best guilt free things you can do. You already own the bike, no cost. The bike operates on human power, no cost. It's wonderful entertainment, no cost. You can explore your own hometown, no cost. You can meet new people, no cost. You can go look for work (if you so desire) no cost.
So you see, riding your bike is absolutely the perfect thing to do for someone with no job who is trying to save money. It's good and good for you.

in the words of bjork.. "there's more to life than this..." and bjork is always right.

you wouldn't want to upset her would you?

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy

nope, don't understandt that one at all...

think about it this way: i've already ridden 12.5 miles today, but it was ON THE WAY TO WORK.

where, by the way, i am writing this message.

if i was unemployed, i'd still be riding instead of sitting at the computer.

go ride.

when i had no job i rode around on my rat bikes more. build **** outta trash. now that i have a job i bling out my bikes. but the point is bike riding is still involved, in fact bike riding IS my job. why feel bad? bike riding brings happiness, jobs dont. see, your priorities are allright!

"Some examples of your tax dollars:

1. 1.3 trillian dollar tax break for the rich over the next 10 years."

umm, Dont really want to get political on this board, but I really gotta address this because it is typical of the democratic spew (not saying the repubs dont spew, but this statement is identifiable).

TAX BREAKS ARE NOT TAX SPENDING; IT IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. TAX BREAKS MEAN LESS MONEY FOR DEFORESTIZATION AND KETCHUP STUDIES.

now, whether your elected representives choose to continue ketchup studies when they dont have the money, thats another issue, but thats your problem you can change that by ousting your reps.

Also, I find it hard to begrudge tax breaks for the 'rich' since they are and always have paid a hugely disproportionate percentage of the national income.

An no, I'm not rich, far from it. Just a firm supportor of a flat tax; the fairest system which is affordable.

in the words of bjork.. "there's more to life than this..." and bjork is always right.

you wouldn't want to upset her would you?

Have you ever seen the clip of her attacking the news reporter that had been harassing her kid? Hell no I don't want to upset her...

I feel guilty b/c I work in an office...my health hates me

I was unemployed for three years. That's when I started racing mtb's.
That was the best time of my life.

Do as much stupid stuff as you can. You butt will belong to the man soon enough.

"TAX BREAKS ARE NOT TAX SPENDING; IT IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. TAX BREAKS MEAN LESS MONEY FOR DEFORESTIZATION AND KETCHUP STUDIES."

You have this budget of x dollars and you reduce income in one area does that make your expenses go away? Nope, same budget. Since most of the tax reduction is aimed at the rich who is gonna pay for this mess? Not the rich, as i said, rich people hide their tax responsibilities better. Companies usually hide them very well. Some of them hide them so well that is should be criminal.

As for deforestation, this administration has a horrible record and not just in that area but in consumer protection, EPA, etc, etc. How do you like your meat, with feces or without? Big meat companies have lobbied in such a way as to get laws removed that protect consumers. How do you like pork? Pork is largely self regulated now. How do you like your water, with arsenic or without?

There are only so many resources to go around, so much water, so much oil, so much lumber and this administration is using our tax dollars to help big business **** our country.

I read this book, slanted no doubt, called, "Strangely like War," about deforestation. Another book or two about the bush administration and it's lies and thefts and abuse of our country. Bushwacked, good read, check it out. Another called thieves in high places, check that one out. You know, if there was no basis for truth in these books the authors would be sued into oblivion. Even with the obvious bias there is enough information to alarm any citizen of the US. also liked, if you ride alone you ride with bin ladin, another good book.

Thing is, if i sound upset or alarmed i should be. The truth is that more people should be. Frankly we should all be pretty damned pissed off.

And yeah, this isn't the political forum and i will get off my soap box now. The real problem is that you can't speak truth to power, and even if everyone in the united states knew all of the crap that our government did to us, they wouldn't be able to do anything about it anyways because they don't give 1000 dollar and up campaign contributions and therefore don't matter to the political process.

Also, democrats arent much better, not picking on republicans.

I say feel no guilt. Go out and ride. Do a couple of miles for me while you are at it. I'm stuck in front a computer right now wishing I was outside. It is a nice day in Beantown and all I can do is look out the window. Take advantage while you can. Soon enough you will feel like I do right now.

"You have this budget of x dollars and you reduce income in one area does that make your expenses go away? Nope, same budget. Since most of the tax reduction is aimed at the rich who is gonna pay for this mess? Not the rich, as i said, rich people hide their tax responsibilities better. Companies usually hide them very well. Some of them hide them so well that is should be criminal"

Actually, my point is, it should (referring to expenses going away). When inflation goes up, or your income does down, you and I choose not to purchases little luxuries like dura-ace. Likewise, if the gov'ts income goes down (tax break is a reduction in income, NOT an expense), they need to tighten the belt and do without luxuries like ketchup studies. a budge is a budget

The tax reduction is not aimed at the rich, as the demo spin implies; it is across the board. Sure, the rich retain more DOLLARS; but thats becuase they pay the most already (beyond their equal percentage). In actuallity, the lower-income brackets realize the most BENEFIT (The $300 break received by the minimum-wage earner means a whole lot more to him than the $30,000 some fatcat gets)

I agree, there are more places for the rich to hide money, but the fact is that taxpayer has an unfair burden, and those shelters exist because of the huge portion of taxes he already pays. The top 10 percent of wage earners pays 50 percent of the national (wage) income (disclaimer, please dont quote me on that, my recollecion from macro may not be accurate - regardless, its quite lopsided). Why should they pay a higher rate when they get no more benefit than you or I ? (putting the higher RATE aside, in principle I'm opposed to a percentage based income tax in general, let alone a graduated rate - the realist in me knows percentage is the only affordable program, though).

I totallly agree with you on corporate taxes. cant argue

for even thinking about riding my bike....when Im unemployed...

comprendez-vous?

randy


I wouldn't feel bad, I'd ride more. I work 2-3 days a week as a temp for a express purpose of having a more recreational life. I don't make as much money as I could if I had a full-time job, but I'm happier this way.

I used to kill myself working until I was 25 and almost died from tonsilitis that I ignored in order not to miss work. I almost went deaf and still have muscle damage in my face from the spread of the infection. It taught me a valuable lesson. Enjoy life, work just enough to pay rent, eat and save a little for a nicer bike.

i'd also like to say don't feel guilty for riding. feel guilty for wanting to ride and NOT doing it because soon enough, you'll be employed again and you won't be able to enjoy the late morning/early afternoons and you'll regret not taking advantage of it.

the last 7 months or so, i was unemployed, and i sat on my ass. true, i got out and rode more than a few times, but i let the depression of not having a job and not having much social interaction get to me. i finally got a job this week (started on tuesday WOOHOO!) and while i'm really excited to be a member of the working-class and making money again (which will be spent on more bikes and parts, i can assure you), i'm also now wondering when the hell i'll find the time to actually ride. i guess the weekends will have to do, but it's just not the same riding on the paths, or the streets with all the other "weekend warriors." so i say, get out there and ride your ass off! appreciate being able to get out and ride along without having to worry about running someone over.

i got so much stronger when i was doing my little regemin of hills on mondays and fridays, recovery on tuesday, sprints on wednesday, thursday off for looking for work. it was so nice...that only lasted about a month though, then i got sick of riding alone again. i should really ride more...