Free Bikes To The Polls

Since February began, 32 US States have held primaries or caucuses to determine who the Democratic and Republican parties will nominate as their Presidential candidates.

Today Wisconsin will join them.  The Badger State is also holding elections for State Supreme Court justice as well as a number of local offices.

Commentators have lamented the relatively low voter turnout thus far in other primaries and elections.  Campaign workers for all of the candidates have tried all sorts of things to encourage people to go to the polls.  

Bublr bikes in Milwaukee

Kevin Hardman has, perhaps, one possible solution.  He is the executive director of Bublr, Milwaukee's bike share program.  Today, he announced, everyone in the city is entitled to one free 30-minute ride on a Bublr bike.  To redeem it, a rider has to enter the code "1848" (the year of Wisconsin's founding) at any Bublr station.  As with most bike share programs, a credit card is needed to check out a bike; rides over 30 minutes will cost $3 for each additional 30 minutes.

According to Hardman, eight of Bublr's 28 stations are located within two blocks of a polling station.  The other twenty, he says, are "convenient" to places where people can vote.

So let's see...The bikes are blue.  Who do you think cyclists will vote for?

Even They Wouldn't Get Free Advertising From Me

Once, when I was a kid, someone gave me a T-shirt with the Coca-Cola emblem on it.  I always liked Coke; I drink it (the Mexican version) on the rare occasions when I drink soda.  So, I thought nothing of wearing that T-shirt until someone--an uncle, I think--told me I should be paid for wearing it.  "It's advertising," he explained.

He was right.  Still, I sometimes wear T-shirts or other items with the name of some product or business on it--as long as I don't have to pay for it.  I try, though, to wear only those products and companies I actually know and like.

But I don't think I'll ever get a tattoo with a business trademark.  For one thing, I don't think I'll ever get inked:  It's just not my thing.  For another, I wouldn't want to be marked more-or-less permanently with a business or product name.  At least you can take off the T-shirt or hat or whatever if you don't want to be a billboard for Al's Garage or whatever.

No, I wouldn't get a "tat" even for this esteemed company:

From:  Cycling Tattoo Gallery

as much as I've always liked their flowing-script logo (especially the one with the "globe" around it).

What The Wind Could, And Could Not, Stop

This is one of the first signs of spring.  It always warms my heart.

However, the cherry blossoms could not warm the sky.  In fact, I marveled that those buds were still on the branches:  When I opened my door this morning, the wind took it right out of my hand!

Here's another tree with delicate flowers that can stand in defiance of the gusts, and of the unseasonable cold. (The temperature was exactly at the freezing point of water.)

As you can see, the tree behind it, perhaps because it's bigger and, maybe, older, is a bit more cautious:  It still hasn't exposed its buds.

Tonight, according to the weather forecast, we might have snow mixed in with the showers.  The snow will probably melt as soon as it touches the ground.  Still, it's odd to know that it's coming nearly two weeks after the official start of spring--and just days after the temperature reached 25C (77F).

I rode to work in rain the other day.  So did a few other cyclists.  However, I haven't seen anyone, save for restaurant delivery workers, riding bicycles today, even though it's Sunday.  Riding in 30KPH (50MPH) gusts is one thing:  tiring.  All right, it's also exhilirating.  But getting knocked over by that same gust blowing at your side--especially in traffic--is scary, if not dangerous.  I know:  It's happened to me.  And I don't blame anyone else who wants to avoid the same.