>Let There Be Light…but it’ll cost you

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This image was found here.
I love that old sign (above). “Do not attempt to light with a match.” “The use of electric lights is in no way harmful to health.” 
While the invention of electric lights goes back farther, their use as a common form of lighting is only a little over 100 years old…but look how far we’ve come. Imagine how odd (and a bit scary) it must have been for our great grandparents to walk into a room and flip a light switch for the first time. How odd it must have felt…it probably felt limitless; a candle or oil lamp would eventually run out of fuel or burn down, but the light bulb kept burning. 
It’s a little known fact that the city in which I was raised and continue to reside, Buffalo, was once called the City of Light. This was popularized during the Pan-American Exposition of 1901. While many link this particular event with the murder of the then US President, William McKinley, it was during this exposition that electricity was first showcased on a grand scale. With our proximity to Niagara Falls (and it’s hydro generators) Buffalo at the time was thought of as the most lighted city in the world.
Like many people, I try to turn off lights as I leave a room and don’t turn them on if I don’t have to. And sometimes, but not always, I light candles or oil lamps to supplement electric lights in certain rooms (I get used candles for free, left over from parties and weddings I cater). While it’s not especially conducive lighting to read by, I actually prefer the light from a flame to a bulb…more of a gentle hue than a bright light. Sometimes I try to imagine what my house was like when it was built (circa 1860, the best I can figure); surely there was no electricity in it then. And being a simply designed house the original inhabitants were most likely working folk, like I am now…they may not have had electricity well into the 20th century, maybe the 1920’s or even 1930’s. I can’t even imagine what they would think of the Internet.
Anyhow, I started thinking about this after reading a short article on Treehugger about the cost of operating a light bulb for a year. While monetarily to the consumer it is nominal, to the environment it is huge (I think). 
Copied from Treehugger:

For starters, it takes 714 pounds of coal to power a single light bulb for a year. Or, 143 pounds of natural gas. Or nearly 9 days’ worth of sunlight hitting a 100 square meter solar array. Or 0.035 pounds of uranium. Or over two and a half hours of a hydroelectric plant operating at 80% capacity.

Yow! I would never have thought it would take so much fuel to power so little light.  The below image was copied from Treehugger as well, and they originally copied it from GOOD which is where they also received their info. The image was reduced in size for easy uploading, to see it in it’s original size (where it will be easier to read) click here.  To read a short but interesting history of lighting, click here. I think I’ll go light a few candles.

My Son’s New Bike

This is my son’s new used bike. It’s a good bike but what makes it really special is that he built it from the frame up by himself. Well not entirely by himself, he attended a workshop at Buffalo Blue Bike with a few friends and the outcome of the workshop is a completed bike. Attendees of the shop choose a frame with nothing on it (no crank, tires, brakes, etc) and with the help of the volunteer workers they build the bike from the ground up. My son chose a mountain bike frame and turned it into a single-speed road bike…pretty cool. He seems really proud of himself (as he should be), but I think I am more proud to be his dad.

Besides offering bicycle workshops Buffalo Blue Bike is a bike sharing organization that has hubs throughout the region. It’s really a great service for this community. If you are in the WNY area, or even if you are not, I suggest (encourage) you to visit their website. Buffalo Blue Bike is part of Green Options Buffalo.

>My Son’s New Bike

>

This is my son’s new used bike. It’s a good bike but what makes it really special is that he built it from the frame up by himself. Well not entirely by himself, he attended a workshop at Buffalo Blue Bike with a few friends and the outcome of the workshop is a completed bike. Attendees of the shop choose a frame with nothing on it (no crank, tires, brakes, etc) and with the help of the volunteer workers they build the bike from the ground up. My son chose a mountain bike frame and turned it into a single-speed road bike…pretty cool. He seems really proud of himself (as he should be), but I think I am more proud to be his dad.

Besides offering bicycle workshops Buffalo Blue Bike is a bike sharing organization that has hubs throughout the region. It’s really a great service for this community. If you are in the WNY area, or even if you are not, I suggest (encourage) you to visit their website. Buffalo Blue Bike is part of Green Options Buffalo.

How to Bake a Really Good Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread

This is a bit of shameless self-promotion on my part…I’ve been trying to get better at this, but being a natural introvert (an INFP or an IFNJ) this is not easy, but I’m trying. Anyhow, this post is actually a link to highlight an article I just published in Artvoice magazine. It’s an article on how to bake a really good loaf of bread using only whole wheat flour. Tons of info and three great recipes (tested by moi). Click here to go to the article.

>How to Bake a Really Good Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread

>

This is a bit of shameless self-promotion on my part…I’ve been trying to get better at this, but being a natural introvert (an INFP or an IFNJ) this is not easy, but I’m trying. Anyhow, this post is actually a link to highlight an article I just published in Artvoice magazine. It’s an article on how to bake a really good loaf of bread using only whole wheat flour. Tons of info and three great recipes (tested by moi). Click here to go to the article.

Heinz Stücke

Photo found here.

I’ve had a link to Heinz Stücke’s website in the sidebar for quite a while but recently paid a visit to his newly revamped site and thought I’d comment a bit about it and encourage you to take a look (click here). If you are not familiar with the man he is somewhat of a bicycling legend. He hopped on a bicycle to see some of the world in 1962 and has not stopped yet; he is seventy years young. Amazing! And I’m trying to get the time and courage to ride the Erie Canal, then to NYC…a mere 500 miles. This guy has probably been doing that distance every couple of weeks for almost 50 years. To go to his webpage, click here. To read about him on Wikipedia, click here. To read what others have to say, click here.

>Heinz Stücke

>

Photo found here.

I’ve had a link to Heinz Stücke’s website in the sidebar for quite a while but recently paid a visit to his newly revamped site and thought I’d comment a bit about it and encourage you to take a look (click here). If you are not familiar with the man he is somewhat of a bicycling legend. He hopped on a bicycle to see some of the world in 1962 and has not stopped yet; he is seventy years young. Amazing! And I’m trying to get the time and courage to ride the Erie Canal, then to NYC…a mere 500 miles. This guy has probably been doing that distance every couple of weeks for almost 50 years. To go to his webpage, click here. To read about him on Wikipedia, click here. To read what others have to say, click here.

A Scary Intersection, a few Geese Flying South, and a Winter Cycling Epihany

People often ask me if I’m not scared to ride on the streets [with cars], especially during the winter. No, is usually my answer. But I’ll add this: I don’t get scared on a bike in traffic very often but today I was. I had to run an errand after work and found myself on the cusp of Buffalo’s East Side. Buffalo is a small city but I don’t venture to the east side on a bike very often, thus I wasn’t sure which was my best route. At any rate I found myself on the corner of Elm and Genesee Streets facing north (red dot on the map above..click to enlarge). I was heading up two blocks to make a left at Goodell, but the problem was that the entrance to route 33 (the Kensington Expressway) is right there. The speed limit on Elm is 30mph (48km/h) but the speed limit on the expressway is 60mph (96km/h). Well you probably wouldn’t notice it unless you were on foot or on a bike how fast the cars were barreling down Elm street, basically using it as an on-ramp for the expressway. And to go north I had to traverse the actual on ramp; cars veered right at 60mph (or more) directly into my path to speed onto the expressway. No one slowed; they just honked. It took 3 traffic signal changes before I saw a long enough break in traffic to make a go for it. What a sight it must have been…an overly dressed (for the cold) middle-aged guy pedaling like hell with an army of traffic behind him, just to make it past the on-ramp of an expressway.

I’ve mention many times how bicycling for me is beyond the physical at times, the same way meditative walking can be or also lap swimming. Speaking specifically about biking it’s about being outside on a crisp winter’s day; it was cold outside today, but other than my fingers I was sweating (I really do need to get better gloves). As I huffed and puffed against the cold wind riding my 40lb (18k) bike it felt good; I was getting a physical workout, saving petrol (and maybe a little bit of the planet), and with the winter sun just about to set I felt alive. And as I stood waiting for a break in traffic, and watched cars zip by (mostly with one person in each vehicle), I was truly glad that I was standing on that corner gripping my handlebars instead of a steering wheel. But I was, in fact, standing in a bicycle wasteland, there was not another bicycle or pedestrian within view.

As I was resting and waiting for the right moment to push off into traffic–I had my right foot poised on the pedal–I looked up and saw a v-formation of geese flying south directly over the city. After a crazy-busy day at work I just stood for a few moments and watched them…they looked beautiful, peaceful; and I wondered what it must be like to be up there with them. Then (and not to sound too hokey) a feeling of peace came over me and I knew that I had nothing to worry about because I had and always will have everything I need. As this thought came to me I glanced over my shoulder and saw the break in traffic, and I pushed hard on my right pedal…

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”     Matthew 6:25-27

This photo was found at WiseAcre Gardens.

>A Scary Intersection, a few Geese Flying South, and a Winter Cycling Epihany

>

People often ask me if I’m not scared to ride on the streets [with cars], especially during the winter. No, is usually my answer. But I’ll add this: I don’t get scared on a bike in traffic very often but today I was. I had to run an errand after work and found myself on the cusp of Buffalo’s East Side. Buffalo is a small city but I don’t venture to the east side on a bike very often, thus I wasn’t sure which was my best route. At any rate I found myself on the corner of Elm and Genesee Streets facing north (red dot on the map above..click to enlarge). I was heading up two blocks to make a left at Goodell, but the problem was that the entrance to route 33 (the Kensington Expressway) is right there. The speed limit on Elm is 30mph (48km/h) but the speed limit on the expressway is 60mph (96km/h). Well you probably wouldn’t notice it unless you were on foot or on a bike how fast the cars were barreling down Elm street, basically using it as an on-ramp for the expressway. And to go north I had to traverse the actual on ramp; cars veered right at 60mph (or more) directly into my path to speed onto the expressway. No one slowed; they just honked. It took 3 traffic signal changes before I saw a long enough break in traffic to make a go for it. What a sight it must have been…an overly dressed (for the cold) middle-aged guy pedaling like hell with an army of traffic behind him, just to make it past the on-ramp of an expressway.

I’ve mention many times how bicycling for me is beyond the physical at times, the same way meditative walking can be or also lap swimming. Speaking specifically about biking it’s about being outside on a crisp winter’s day; it was cold outside today, but other than my fingers I was sweating (I really do need to get better gloves). As I huffed and puffed against the cold wind riding my 40lb (18k) bike it felt good; I was getting a physical workout, saving petrol (and maybe a little bit of the planet), and with the winter sun just about to set I felt alive. And as I stood waiting for a break in traffic, and watched cars zip by (mostly with one person in each vehicle), I was truly glad that I was standing on that corner gripping my handlebars instead of a steering wheel. But I was, in fact, standing in a bicycle wasteland, there was not another bicycle or pedestrian within view.

As I was resting and waiting for the right moment to push off into traffic–I had my right foot poised on the pedal–I looked up and saw a v-formation of geese flying south directly over the city. After a crazy-busy day at work I just stood for a few moments and watched them…they looked beautiful, peaceful; and I wondered what it must be like to be up there with them. Then (and not to sound too hokey) a feeling of peace came over me and I knew that I had nothing to worry about because I had and always will have everything I need. As this thought came to me I glanced over my shoulder and saw the break in traffic, and I pushed hard on my right pedal…

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”     Matthew 6:25-27

This photo was found at WiseAcre Gardens.

Lake Effect

Well the snow has finally hit and it seems a bit early this year, at least for this type of snow. This is actually the second heavy snow of the season. The most recent was just a few days ago which was classic lake effect. If you are not from this area of the world you may not be familiar with the term but lake effect snow hits suddenly and heavy, and often in distinct bands (the photo in the previous post was just taken yesterday and the pavement was dry). In lesser amounts this is sometimes called a snow squall. An area can be pelted with snow while a couple miles away it may be clear. This was the case the other day when the area just south of Buffalo received 3 feet of snow but the city center only had a few inches. The picture below is an aerial view of the snow coming in off Lake Erie last week. I personally have never seen this look so dramatic; most likely it was shot from an airplane. But you can see the intensity of it. Unfortunately I do not know the author of the picture to give credit where credit is due. I downloaded it from Facebook, where it was shared and copied, etc. We actually only received about 7 or 8 inches today but we are supposed to get more tonight. Our city has been famous for snow for more than a century apparently but it really made the spotlight during the never forgettable Blizzard of ’77. I was 16 at the time and had a blast (we could literally walk up a snow bank onto the roof of our house). At any rate, the snow made for a slow-go today on the bike. The picture above was when I arrived home from work. The snow was not too deep so it wasn’t too bad riding, but when the roads are not plowed I am more worried about the motorists than I am staying on my bike. So tonight when I went to the health club I actually drove my truck…I may be crazy but I’m not stupid. The roads should be better tomorrow.

>Lake Effect

>

Well the snow has finally hit and it seems a bit early this year, at least for this type of snow. This is actually the second heavy snow of the season. The most recent was just a few days ago which was classic lake effect. If you are not from this area of the world you may not be familiar with the term but lake effect snow hits suddenly and heavy, and often in distinct bands (the photo in the previous post was just taken yesterday and the pavement was dry). In lesser amounts this is sometimes called a snow squall. An area can be pelted with snow while a couple miles away it may be clear. This was the case the other day when the area just south of Buffalo received 3 feet of snow but the city center only had a few inches. The picture below is an aerial view of the snow coming in off Lake Erie last week. I personally have never seen this look so dramatic; most likely it was shot from an airplane. But you can see the intensity of it. Unfortunately I do not know the author of the picture to give credit where credit is due. I downloaded it from Facebook, where it was shared and copied, etc. We actually only received about 7 or 8 inches today but we are supposed to get more tonight. Our city has been famous for snow for more than a century apparently but it really made the spotlight during the never forgettable Blizzard of ’77. I was 16 at the time and had a blast (we could literally walk up a snow bank onto the roof of our house). At any rate, the snow made for a slow-go today on the bike. The picture above was when I arrived home from work. The snow was not too deep so it wasn’t too bad riding, but when the roads are not plowed I am more worried about the motorists than I am staying on my bike. So tonight when I went to the health club I actually drove my truck…I may be crazy but I’m not stupid. The roads should be better tomorrow.

Things That Can Be Carried On A Bike (#250)…with an edit.

Two plastic crates containing sundries and groceries from two stores.
A box of Nag Champa incense.
A DVD (front rack).
A St. Nicholas gift for my son (obviously I can’t reveal that until tomorrow in the event he reads this blog).

This part of the post is an edit, an add-on, because I meant to–but forgot to–relate it earlier when I originally posted it.

Anyhow, as I was in the first store of my evening ride there was a man there returning recyclables for cash...you know the type, not sure if they are homeless but they are definitely “rough around the edges.” Now I am in no way trying to sound disparaging towards this man because I have a deep respect for people who can partially support themselves by collecting cans and bottles and I think I am a little rough around the edges myself. And truth be told I really question whether or not I will eventually be collecting cans and bottles to buy flour to bake bread (no joke). At any rate, he was on a bike and we both happened to exit the store at the same time. He saw my bike and was immediately taken by it and struck up a conversation about it…how it would be great to have a bike like that to carry stuff, etc. (I concurred). The bike rack where I had it locked to was at the corner of the building and we talked as I loaded and secured the items. In the middle of our conversation he turns away from me, sort of at the corner of the building, pulls out his penis and begins to urinate against the building…he continued to talk as he urinated. Now I’m all about living simply in the city but in a somewhat more dignified manner. And as I pedaled home I said a silent prayer for that man and hoped for myself that while I really feel it’s OK to ride a bike and collect bottles for money at any age, I really hope not to lose touch so much that I urinate on a building in public.