Cyclists v. Motorists

Brief Views: Bicycles v. Cars for Transport

                In recent years, a very large debate has simmered among larger cities and even suburban towns over a life-altering possibility, getting out of the car and on a bicycle for commuting. As lawmakers, civil engineers, and construction crews quite literally pave the way for cyclists to have more of a presence on the road, a rather strange debate has arisen over how the paving is being conducted. Motorists and cyclists, instead of harmoniously sharing the road as lawmakers have aimed in areas such as San Francisco, Portland, southern California and even many areas in Colorado, a great battle has begun in a variety of locations over who deserves to have the road. Cyclists in multiple locations display socially aggressive behaviors and, in spite of better judgment, choose to disobey the laws of the road. While granted, these behaviors are unacceptable, these are not treated as isolated incidents, but as something upon which prejudice is produced towards anybody that uses two wheels instead of four to get around. Copious amounts of variables have, in one way or another, downplayed the idea of using roads for anything beyond driving a motorized vehicle, in spite of the benefits bicycling has for those that do it responsibly. In today’s society, a few cities have decided to change such as San Francisco and Portland, causing a variety of changes, among said changes is a new drive and passion for alternative power sources, namely human-produced power sources for transportation.

                When arguing for the position of using the bicycle as a method for commuting, there is no denying that there is a health benefit involved. The problem is, that while it is indeed healthier for the rider, it is also healthier for their community, both economically and atmospherically. In the US government’s declarations of goals for a cleaner country, and the goal of ‘carbon zero’ as some chemists have called it, there are some communities that have considered performing a far more active approach to the overhauls required for such change as opportunities arise. According to The Infrastructurist, Seoul, Portland, and San Francisco have, in place of repairing highway systems, demolished them and in place of them, gave them a new image (Infrastructurist.com). “Imagine getting a $3,000 to $12,000 tax rebate every year… that’s [about] how much you’d save by ditching your car (Elly Blue, Grist.org).” This economic benefit combined with others, namely the saved money on biking roads in place of automobile-based roads, and the physical benefit of bike parking (more bikes to a space), more and more are catching on that for local business, the best method of improving is by introducing bicycles to the roads.

                Some of the physical benefits of biking are a no-brainer, such as “riding a bicycle can make you really fit… You can avoid the rush hour traffic… It’s cheaper… better for the environment (Lam Bong, ezinearticles.com)” However, other benefits include the amount of space a bike requires, both on and parking off of the road, the weight of a bike, the lack of accidents caused by biking (and their long-term effects compared to automobiles),  and even how portable the vehicle is. A little math also provides some extreme reasoning for a bicycle being used in place of the automobile for commutes, “Bike lanes cost anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 per mile… Freeway construction in Michigan’s countryside clocks in at $8 million per mile (Elly Blue, Grist.com).”  One way streets in many cities have been turned into two-lane bikeways; a single parking space can store 10 bikes (Elly Blue, Grist.com). Your average vehicle is roughly 7’ long x 4’ wide with 1000-2300 lbs of driving force. That’s without considering the driver. Your bike, on the other hand, is on average, one-tenth of that weight, with rider in tow. When dealing with force, which is equal to mass times velocity, the car has a lot more force behind it than a bike. In both cases the bike is incapable of overcoming the car unless on a downhill run on a mountain. Should an accident happen, your typical pedestrian has only a chance of being injured by being run over by a bike, if they get hit by a car, they are definitely injured if not dead.

The argument that has arisen is that cyclists have not obeyed the laws of the road, that they don’t obey the laws of the road. “San Francisco’s Cyclists Facing Backlash for Flouting Rules of the Road (Scott James, nytimes.com).” Articles such as this, depicting anti-social, non-defensive driving by cyclists has resulted in a battle between motorists and cyclists. In some cases, bike lanes are considered a mistake, “’Wilbur is the wrong street for this kind of improvement,’ said Smith, his sarcasm clear. His district office is on Wilbur, at the bike lane's southern terminus (Sandy Banks, latimes.com)”, causing heavier traffic flow due to people’s lack of planning or something along those lines. Yet, the issues consist of either individual cases or poor planning on the behalf of a Civil Engineer or lawmaker, the lack of foresight has resulted in a slowed movement for cyclists’ numbers to improve. There is no reason to admonish all for the mistakes of few, but various legal problems have caused just that.

In the end, what anyone does is a product yielded by their various choices as an individual. Using a bike on your commute to work may in fact aid the traffic problems you experience in your area. One less car on the road, the rules do not change, the only thing that changes is your health and the speeds at which you travel. Exposure to the elements is, of course, among one of the elements hindering someone from using a bicycle, and while it is undeniable that winter’s cold winds are not meant to be braved, that does not mean someone cannot go out during those sunny and warm days of summer. The only factor stopping anyone from ditching their car for a bike is their own personal choice. Your choice, as an individual, is one for you to make.

Works Cited

Aligue, William. "William Aligue | Battling over Bike Lanes - Los Angeles Times." Featured Articles From The Los Angeles Times. 09 Oct. 2010. Web. 20 May 2011. <http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/09/local/la-me-banks-20101009>.

"BBC NEWS | UK | England | Bristol/Somerset | Bristol Named First Cycling City." BBC News - Home. Web. 20 May 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/7462791.stm>.

Blue, Elly. "Bikenomics | A Grist Special Series | Grist." Grist | Environmental News, Commentary, Advice. Web. 20 May 2011. <http://www.grist.org/article/series/bikenomics>.

"Huh?! 4 Cases Of How Tearing Down A Highway Can Relieve Traffic Jams (And Save Your City) » INFRASTRUCTURIST." INFRASTRUCTURIST. Web. 20 May 2011. <http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/07/06/huh-4-cases-of-how-tearing-down-a-highway-can-relieve-traffic-jams-and-help-save-a-city/>.

James, Scott. "Barbary Coast - San Francisco’s Cyclists Facing Backlash for Flouting Rules of the Road - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 20 May 2011. Web. 20 May 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/us/06sfmetro.html>.

Rough Draft of Cyclists v Motorists.

Brief Views: Bicycles v. Cars for Transport

                In recent years, a very large debate has simmered among larger cities and even suburban towns over a life-altering possibility, getting out of the car and on a bicycle for commuting. As lawmakers, civil engineers, and construction crews quite literally pave the way for cyclists to have more of a presence on the road, a rather strange debate has arisen over how the paving is being conducted. Motorists and cyclists, instead of harmoniously sharing the road as lawmakers have aimed in areas such as San Francisco, Portland, southern California and even many areas in Colorado, a great battle has begun in a variety of locations over who deserves to have the road. Cyclists in multiple locations display socially aggressive behaviors and, in spite of better judgment, choose to disobey the laws of the road. While granted, these behaviors are unacceptable, these are not treated as isolated incidents, but as something upon which prejudice is produced towards anybody that uses two wheels instead of four to get around. Copious amounts of variables have, in one way or another, downplayed the idea of using roads for anything beyond driving a motorized vehicle, in spite of the benefits bicycling has for those that do it responsibly. In today’s society, a few cities have decided to change such as San Francisco and Portland, causing a variety of changes, among said changes is a new drive and passion for alternative power sources, namely human-produced power sources for transportation.

                When arguing for the position of using the bicycle as a method for commuting, there is no denying that there is a health benefit involved. The problem is, that while it is indeed healthier for the rider, it is also healthier for their community, both economically and atmospherically. In the US government’s declarations of goals for a cleaner country, and the goal of ‘carbon zero’ as some chemists have called it, there are some communities that have considered performing a far more active approach to the overhauls required for such change as opportunities arise. According to The Infrastructurist, Seoul, Portland, and San Francisco have, in place of repairing highway systems, demolished them and in place of them, gave them a new image (http://www.infrastructurist.com/2009/07/06/huh-4-cases-of-how-tearing-down-a-highway-can-relieve-traffic-jams-and-help-save-a-city/). “Imagine getting a $3,000 to $12,000 tax rebate every year… that’s [about] how much you’d save by ditching your car (Elly Blue, Grist.org).” This economic benefit combined with others, namely the saved money on biking roads in place of automobile-based roads, and the physical benefit of bike parking (more bikes to a space), more and more are catching on that for local business, the best method of improving is by introducing bicycles to the roads.

                Some of the physical benefits of biking are a no-brainer, such as “riding a bicycle can make you really fit… You can avoid the rush hour traffic… It’s cheaper… better for the environment (Lam Bong, ezinearticles.com)” However, other benefits include the amount of space a bike requires, both on and parking off of the road, the weight of a bike, the lack of accidents caused by biking (and their long-term effects compared to automobiles),  and even how portable the vehicle is. A little math also provides some extreme reasoning for a bicycle being used in place of the automobile for commutes, “Bike lanes cost anywhere from $5,000 to $60,000 per mile… Freeway construction in Michigan’s countryside clocks in at $8 million per mile (Elly Blue, Grist.com).”  One way streets in many cities have been turned into two-lane bikeways; a single parking space can store 10 bikes (Elly Blue, Grist.com). Your average vehicle is roughly 7’ long x 4’ wide with 2300 lbs of driving force, not considering the driver, your bike, on the other hand is, on average, one-tenth of that weight, with rider in tow. When dealing with force, which is equal to mass times velocity, the car has a lot more force behind it than a bike, in both cases the bike is incapable of overcoming the car unless on a downhill run on a mountain. Should an accident happen, your typical pedestrian has only a chance of being injured by being run over by a bike, if they get hit by a car, they are definitely injured if not dead.

The argument that has arisen is that cyclists have not obeyed the laws of the road, that they don’t obey the laws of the road. “San Francisco’s Cyclists Facing Backlash for Flouting Rules of the Road (Scott James, nytimes.com).” Articles such as this, depicting anti-social, non-defensive driving by cyclists has resulted in a battle between motorists and cyclists. In some cases, bike lanes are considered a mistake, “’Wilbur is the wrong street for this kind of improvement,’ said Smith, his sarcasm clear. His district office is on Wilbur, at the bike lane's southern terminus (Sandy Banks, latimes.com)”, causing heavier traffic flow due to people’s lack of planning or something along those lines. Yet, the issues consist of either individual cases or poor planning on the behalf of a Civil Engineer or lawmaker, the lack of foresight has resulted in a slowed movement for cyclists’ numbers to improve. There is no reason to admonish all for the mistakes of few, but various legal problems have caused just that.

In the end, what anyone does is a product yielded by their various choices as an individual. Using a bike on your commute to work may in fact aid the traffic problems you experience in your area. One less car on the road, the rules do not change, the only thing that changes is your health and the speeds at which you travel. Exposure to the elements is, of course, among one of the elements hindering someone from using a bicycle, and while it is undeniable that winter’s cold winds are not meant to be braved, that does not mean someone can not go out during those sunny and warm days of summer. The only factor stopping anyone from ditching their car for a bike is their own personal choice. Your choice, as an individual, is one for you to make.

The comments are as follows:

Kelsey Born: Some incorrect citation, run-on sentence in the first paragraph
Kim Phillips: Good work
Jeffery Soderborg: Commas needed in some areas, overall good, think a citation might be bad

The Secret, Miracle of Water, and my theory

Vibrations, the key to any miracle

In String Theory, everything down to an atom is made up of a bunch of strings. These strings interweave among each other to create a fabric, which we see as our world in dimensions; there’s length, width, and height, or some variation thereof in which we see, however, String Theory accounts for other dimensions, time being among them, to where our realm is actually comprised of 11 dimensions. Each of these dimensions or ‘strings’, aid our universe in vibration, and without that vibration, we would not have energy of any form; String Theory accepts the concept that everything, from atoms, to human beings, even the stars, vibrate on this small scale that the other dimensions exist within, and that those vibrations contribute to the universe that we see. When you look at yourself in the mirror, you see a human being and it is quite likely, that what you do not see, is what can help you most. You do not see yourself vibrating, resonating with the energy inside of you, all you can see is the result of all those vibrations and all that energy, but if you were to use those vibrations to your advantage, you could see an entirely different result. The way to ‘weave’ those ‘strings’ into your ultimate design, into your proper universe, is to do what you have always done; think about the world you want, send energy into the world, and receive the energy of having it.

Within the lectures defining “The Secret”, the ‘law of attraction’, a common theme is heard, that theme being that you are responsible for your own life. “All power is from within and therefore under our control (Robert Collier, The Secret To You Lecture).” Robert is explaining that what your focus is on, what you put your energy into, is what you get. Be it thoughts of a rainy day, or a perfect day, it is best stated by Prentice Mulford, “A person who sets [their] mind on the dark side of life, who lives over and over the misfortunes and disappointments of the past, prays for similar misfortunes and disappointments in the future (Prentice Mulford, The Secret Lectures).” If you have ever had a bad day turn into a bad week, you understand this statement. All it took was waking up saying to yourself, “I hope today is not as bad as yesterday was.” and suddenly what was one bad day becomes a bad week, the car broke down, you wound up sick, you failed a test. Anybody is subject to this problem, the only issue is, that it could be fixed as easily as it began. “That a man can change himself and master his own destiny is the conclusion of every mind that is awake to the power of the right thought (The Secret Lectures).”  When you focus on the wrong thing, the ‘what you do not want’ section of your brain, then it happens, when you focus on things you do want, eventually, they happen. When you eliminate the ‘do not want’ and focus on the ‘do want’, your world is bound to change. In mathematics, when you add a negative with another negative, it just creates a bigger negative, there’s no reason to allow your life to have such a result, no matter how great the ‘negative number’ on your life is. By thinking positive, you add positive numbers to the equation of your life, so even if you start out negative, eventually, so long as you stay positive, the sum of your life becomes positive. In the end, that is what we all seek, a positive, abundant life. The Secret is the power of a thought; Masuru Emoto is amongst one of many who can attest to a thought’s power, with his research in water crystals as proof.

                Masuru Emoto, author of The Miracle of Water, is very reverent to the power of thoughts in and of themselves. His research in water crystals over a decade, involving the power of a thought on water crystallization, has yielded results that are unexplainable by modern physicists and chemists. Water exposed to any thought, conforms to that thought. “Water exposed to beautiful words forms beautiful crystals, while ugly words form ugly crystals… when water is exposed to a word from [any] language with the same meaning, crystals in similar appearance are formed (8, Miracle of Water).” Many pictures and videos are available online in support of the concept that a single thought, affects the crystallization process of water, Emoto earlier states that the most deciding factor in water, is not its’ quality or purity, it’s the vibrations the water contains. Many photos and some videos are in support of his research, go ahead and search ‘Masuru Emoto water experiment’ on Google and Youtube that is the best way to explain the effect thoughts have had on water. As many know, water composes much of the human body, so if the water in a glass is affected by mere thoughts or words, it is not far-reaching to say the water in our bodies is affected similarly. “If vibration is energy, then resonance is the reverberation of energy, and resonance is thus capable of relaying energy (33, Miracle of Water).” Your voice is resonance of the vocal chords; the energy of your thoughts is relayed through your voice, affecting everyone else’s vibrations in its wake. “The greatest form of energy results from the harmony between the energy of giving and the energy of receiving (x, Miracle of Water).” Masuru Emoto is referring to the energy of love and gratitude, these emotions are states of mind, these states of mind resonate most powerfully and beautifully out of all of the emotions in the human spectrum; these emotions, this energy, provides us the building blocks of a better life through resonance, through being in harmony with others. If you have ever had a bad day and come home to your family, you understand this concept already. When they are simply happy you are home, loving you for who you are, you feel happier inside, soon the energy of their love begins to fill you, and you just reciprocate that love, grateful to have it. Eventually a ‘resonance’ of sorts occurs between you and those you love, a cycle of loving and being loved and happiness for all of it. This is what Masuru Emoto most values, this cycle of loving, being loved and happiness, because in that cycle, harmony and peace are achieved and more people are made happy by your happy attitude. That is where the element of ‘resonance’ comes in; Masuru Emoto himself offers the example of you acting much like a tuning fork. When the ‘tuning fork’ resonates at a specific pitch, another ‘object’ begins to develop a similar vibration and with such vibration, offers even more resonance.  Such is the case when you ‘resonate’ love and gratitude, when you focus on those states of being, the world becomes more positive, even if only at a gradual pace.

                The theory of Controlled Electromagnetic Vibration is a theory of my own design, incorporating the messages of The Secret, and Masuru Emoto’s theories. In this theory, the world is of your own design, using technology in order to aid your vibrations, along with your family. Within our society, technology has become one of the many staples to our existence. We are bombarded constantly by subliminal messages, electromagnetic fields, and people in general by means of our various devices of communication. This interconnecting web of technology unites the entire world in all of its cultures, habitats, and so on. The focus of controlled electromagnetic vibration is upon the control of what you are exposed to electronically. Masuru Emoto touches on the problem of electronics, “When we are constantly exposed to the electromagnetic fields of computers, our bodies and our nervous systems begin to harmonize with the machines… However, when our bodies begin to harmonize with [technology] we lose our ability to harmonize with other people around us (60-61, Miracle of Water).”  When our ability to harmonize with those around us is lost, then an addiction of some form is developed. This is not about becoming addicted to technology, but to use it as supplement. If you focus on positive thoughts, supplementing to it with media in moderation, then you can not only develop a positive world in which you live, but strengthen your ability to help others in their pursuit of happiness. I have noted, even in classrooms, that when the teachers play upbeat, vibrant, and overall positive music even during a passing period, the students enjoy that class more, their involvement is greater and they feel more comfortable within those classrooms; This supplements their learning ability along with overall attitude to a class. When the teacher uses media and negativity however, a result in a negative direction is contributed towards, eventually resulting in the students detesting the class. By using electronics to aid you in controlling your feelings and thoughts, you cause your body to vibrate, to resonate with that media, be it positive or negative. Moderate the impact of technology on your life, use it as a supplement to your thoughts, and you can become the master of your universe.

                When in control of your thoughts, you can control your life; your thoughts are the vibrating force that most affects what you become. Whatever you have now is the result of past thoughts, but that does not mean you are not capable of changing what you have with better thoughts now. We are mostly made of water, voice your thoughts and dreams, and you can achieve them, simply resonate with that energy and those dreams will come. By using media and technology as a supplement to your positivity, you can cause even more resonance in a positive direction, resulting in a happier world for people to live in. You are the controller of your own life that is why it is your life. All it takes is a little playlist of upbeat songs, and you can start heading towards that which makes you most happy. So go ahead, dance like a fool to a song that makes you happy, there is no shame in enjoying life. The key to enjoying it in the long term though, is to keep enjoying it, to keep celebrating, even when it is hard to.

Works Cited

Emoto, Masaru. The Miracle of Water. New York: Atria, 2011. Print.

"The Secret Lectures." Video. Apr. 2011. Lecture.