Anybody's Workout Plan

I am going to start doing some strength training exercises for my abs and lower back every morning. Most of what I have learned about exercising has come from my high school weight training gym class such as how to do proper crunches, push ups and so fourth. Starting up an exercise regimen can be very confusing and is foreign to many people. Many people will read countless books or buy expensive equipment to try and figure out what it is they are supposed to do. I have found the best way to get back into exercising is to take some classes at a gym, rec center or YMCA. Making time for strength training classes is the hardest part because of the travel time to and from a gym, but once you learn the routines they are easily duplicated at home. Once familiar with the workout routines, you can pick and choose areas to work on and make your own chart. Expensive, bulky machines are usually not necessary as most strength exercises can be performed using dumbells and free weights and a comfortable mat. Used weight sets are easy to come by and so obtaining fitness equipment is cheap. Of course this post only focuses on strength training because if you ride your bicycle places you already have your cardio taken care of ;).

Auto Industry

Its funny to me, the fact that our the big three automakers are struggling to make ends meet. There is the Chevy Volt, another empty promise. I remember reading one of those science magazines back in the 90s promising we would have electric cars on the road by the year 1997. The automakers are choking themselves because of their stubborness to not improve fuel efficiency and affordability. Instead of offering people cheap, fuel efficient cars they tell us we should be driving light trucks. Fuel efficiency is not high tech or new, a Geo metro from the 90's could get 50mpg. Tata motors of India is now manufacturing a vehicle that costs $2000 and gets 50mpg. There is no American automobile that can compete with the Tata. But what about hybrids? Hybrids get 50mpg. The problem comes with a steep price tag of about $20k. Most people will never even break even on their investment, even at $4/gal. It is not economical to buy a $20k car when anyone can buy a $10k car that goes 32mpg. I guess what Im trying to say in this post is many people want affordable and efficient cars and the industry is not responding to that demand. If the industry dies thats their own problem, because free market means you either win, or you die. Its called natural selection.

Eye Candy

So I was checking out a Popular Science magazine a few days ago and I came across an article called "The Green Megacity".  One of the things that struck me was the absence of a bicycle in their futuretropolis, I guess they arent technological enough /sarcasm.  Something really did catch my eye however, and this was the SkyTran by Unimodal.  SkyTran is an awesome concept with one major problem: no working prototype.   SkyTran is a PRT or "Personal Rapid Transit".  Basically PRT is a low capacity vehicle on elevated guiderails that is computer controlled.  I hope within my lifetime I can see PRT systems come into reality.  PRT systems are efficient because they are powered by electricity and they save space because they are elevated and do not need parking spaces.  It is these advantages which make PRT suitable for dense urban areas.  Since tracks are elevated there will be no conflicts with pedestrians and cyclists making cities safer and more welcoming.  The full benefit of a PRT system will be realized in a car-free metropolis, freeing up street space for the people and not the vehicle.  This is the future I want to see.  Skytran isnt the only PRT system, it just looks the coolest.  Check out the other ones in the Wikipedia entry!
Here are some links for you to enjoy:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit
  
• http://www.popsci.com/futurecity/plan.html   (pie in the sky)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njdfz75P65U

People surprise me sometimes. It surprises me that driving has dropped 3.7% over the past year because this is the first time I have ever seen a decrease. Americans are actually being serious about *gasp* not driving their cars everywhere. The majority of Americans already spend upwards of $5000/yr on car ownership and it keeps climbing. With each dollar increase people are letting go of their car-driven lifestyles and moving to a more car-lite one. Our transportation policy needs to reflect the change. We need to stop building new highways and start taking care of our old ones. We need to start putting more money into our transit agencies and Amtrak. Why are will still funding our dying airlines so earnestly when we could be building high speed rail? Why are we making it so hard for people to change? Build the new transportation infrastructure now and give them transportation choice!

Off the cuff Apple rant

It seems funny to me that Apple inc. is such a praised corporation.  Why do people clamor over an Ipod and shun a common Mp3 player?  Why do graphic designers demand an apple as industry standard?  Why is the Iphone considered so innovative when PDAs have been around for years?  To answer all these questions: its marketing.  Steve Jobs always gets it right and hits all the right notes.  Itunes was not the first online music store, but it was the first music store with the Apple brand.   It was the Apple name that won the trust of the RIAA to sell music online.  Ipod was not the first Mp3 player, but it was one of the first to feature a decent menu system.  Ipod shuffle is just pointless because an Mp3 player for a third the price has the same amount of memory and can shuffle just as well.  Macintosh computers cannot boast better PPC processors anymore, because they are now under the same x86 arcitecture as intel.  Iphone looks pretty but it really isnt all that innovative, just another touch screen PDA.  It would seem the only claim to fame of owning anything made by Apple is for the bragging rights of having something your friend cannot afford.  I will give the Apple design team credit for making all the products really shiny, because everyone is drawn to shiny things.

Intro

Most of this blog will be about alternative transportation (mostly bicycling) and other topics I feel like talking about. As of this post I have been a full time bicycle commuter for three years and I recommend it for everyone. The reason bicycling is so important to me is that it is quick and dependable. During my childhood, my bicycle was my primary means of getting to school, and now as an adult I see no reason to stop. I live in a relatively bike-able area. I love talking to other people about cycling and I’m trying to put myself out there. I ride a recumbent most days but I have a standard diamond frame for winters and crappy weather. Maybe I will post some pictures later.