This is why I hate republicans

Some jerk-store from the from the Oregon House of Representatives named Wayne Kriger (email here) wants to make bike's register in order to be able to use the roads. Read about it here.

It should come as no surprise that this guy is not a bike rider. Only a car loving republican would propose something like this. He wants to take something that should be encouraged (biking is good for traffic, personal health and wellness and the environment) and he wants to discourage it. Plus, here's some big news for this idiot, bikers already are paying for the roads with their taxes and car registrations. Just because they have a bike doesn't mean they don't have a car, too.

I don't usually blog at 8:30am, but I'm so pissed off about this I had to let it out while it still burns in my veins. We should be thinking of ways to encourage people to bike. If the republican party wants to really start making a difference I think it would be a good start if they pulled their heads out of their asses. Ugh, I know this guy doesn't stand for every republican, but it so clearly illustrates their thought process that I can't help but dump on the whole party. And I'm not fan of the democrats either (politicians in general are a hindrance to actually solving problems), but at least they aren't trying to take away my bike.

To quote the famously un-liberal Charlton Heston, "You can pry my bike from my cold dead hands".

25 minutes of 60 Minutes that I'd recommend

Like my grandfather and a large majority of the older people in our country, I watch 60 minutes pretty regularly.

This week had a fantastic episode about the faultiness of eye-witness testimonies in trials. The science behind it and the doubt it places in the justice system are both interesting, but it's the personal story of the accuser and the falsely accused that led me to blog about it. If you've got about 25 minutes I'd highly recommend checking it out. You can watch the video below (it actually took up two segments on the show).

I've always had an interest in innocent people who go to jail because I just can't imagine what they most go through. For every case that has a "happy" ending (as happy as it can be considering the tragedy) there must be so many more that never get exposed. I hope the lessons learned from this case are being applied throughout the justice system.


Watch CBS Videos Online


Watch CBS Videos Online

I would actually say that the first segment of the show about how the FDIC takes over banks was worth watching too. In fact, even Andy Rooney's usually nonsensical and unimportant ramblings were thought provoking. Overall, tonight's episode helps explain why the old people love 60 minutes. Now, can someone explain to me why they like Matlock?