Miami's Critical Mass

For two years now I've enjoyed the monthly congregation of Miami metro's bicycle community at Miami Critical Mass. Meeting on the last Friday of every month outside the Stephen P. Clark Center in downtown Miami, around 7:00 pm, Critical Mass is my near-mandatory, public expression of a deep enjoyment of the act of bicycling.
Unlike most group rides which keep a rather difficult pace and go distances in excess of 20 miles, Critical Mass is an opportunity for the entire community of cyclists to gather and take to the streets. The ride, which when I began garnered participation of around 300 people, has in recent months expanded to average over one thousand.
The meaning is quite clear, the people of the Miami metropolitan area enjoy riding bikes! The ride has no particular end other than enjoyment.

But while cyclists enjoy themselves, many car drivers find the ride a nuisance. It can be a long wait if one is caught at an intersection in which the mass passes.
What's more, any unsuspecting police officer we pass often immediately tries to stop the mass. On a few occasions that police efforts have successfully halted our progression, they demand to know who the leader is. I've heard it said, "someone's getting arrested for this!"

Critical Mass has a unique meaning to each, but most generally it's simply the opportunity for enjoyment. At a somewhat more controversial level, though CM is an active recognition that the streets of Miami belong to the people of Miami, regardless of their mode of transportation. While few would think twice about being stuck in a Miami traffic jam, something about a jam caused by bicyclist induces a tremendous range of thoughts.
Some cars honk in pleasure, happy to see such an occasion, but few others honk in impatience. There have  been incidences of drivers getting out of their car to physically threaten cyclists, and others of drivers cutting into the mass.
While personal threats are short-lived due to drivers being severely outnumbered by participants, those driving into the mass put cyclists in a very dangerous situation, particularly those inexperienced with biking in vehicular traffic.

Despite the few instances of danger, the overall experience is pleasant, perhaps even wonderful. On the rare occasion the mass gets stuck at a drawbridge the sight is beyond words.

What an occasion!

in an age of austerity

with virtually all municipalities teetering on the brink of bankruptcy or collapse, attempts to cut spending should normally be accepted as necessary, but it's precisely where these cuts are proposed that one should worry about. while pay cuts to public sector employees may ultimately be necessary, one should look into the complicated bureaucratic structure of these governments to find corruption and inefficiencies before putting the burden upon those manning the front lines of oublic service. administrative pay and responsibilities should be thoroughly re-evaluated. we should decide what public service means to us and find creative new ways for commu ities, raer than governing bodies, to self-determine the means by which their needs are met. these governments should also look at their expenses objectively to find excessive spending on services from third parties. and most of all, conflicts of interest and corruption should be ropted out from these governing bodies, implementation of transparency methods should be finally addressed, and open source solutions should be used whenever they meet the needs that otherwise cost thousands, sometimes millions of dollars.

a problem with politics

While mainstream media would have us believe the ills of modern governance are simply the product of citizenry choosing the wrong officials to lead, even a cursory look in to generations of two-party politics tells a quite different story.

I first learned of the commission on presidential debates (CPD) during the 2004 election when the Green and Libertarian party presidential candidates were arrested while attempting to get into a presidential debate being held in St. Louis. A supposedly non-partisan organization, the CPD took over control of presidential debates from the League of Women Voters, their parting words on the matter were, "the demands of the two campaign organizations would perpetrate a fraud on the American voter."
This was in reaction to Bush Sr. and his opponent creating a secret deal to help orchestrate the debates. Since then though the fraud has been institutionalized by the CPD, controlled by Democrat and Republican back-room dealers. Most alternative parties are unknown to Americans, due to their total exclusion from national discourse.
We don't reap what we sew for our food is harvested far from home. I've lost a lot of my interest in national politics.

explain this to me

Around two minutes and thirty seconds into the video one of the journalists in conversation with others says, "See this room? Two-thirds of us will be laid off when Ron Paul is President?"

Occupy Miami, occupy yourself/together

A spot of trouble getting the ball rolling, some of Occupy Miami hope to move towards phase two with the coming new year. Hoping to make a splash at the King Mango Strut in Coconut Grove on December 31, Occupants aspire to establish relationships with the Miami-Dade County community.
The county has been more tempered in its response to occupation than other areas, but those harsh responses are partly credited with increasing community support for the movement.
Lacking an easily targeted oppressor, the local Occupation suffers the growing pains and internal turmoil of any modern family. With the symbolic changing of years Occupy Miami may refine its intentions, thereafter its actions.

Ongoing

Much to discuss, least of which:

• 2012 presidential election; republican candidates, Ron Paul; Obama, breaking promises, perpetuating war and destruction
• US-Iran conflict; how USFG cultivates influence on media to weave a fictitious narrative of  
• Occupy Wallstreet and Occupy Miami, activism in Miami-Dade County and its role in the future of miami.
• Homelessness in Miami and the circumstances of the Homeless; pottinger v. city of miami; public space/property more generally
• Greatest Depression, ongoing economic destabilization and the disintegration of the market as we know it; bailouts, inflation

I should try to focus on some more local issues, let me mention my community service issue of 2012--banning military recruitment in public schools.

a problem?

although surely not the explanation for every instance, it occurred to me that some may be bums because of how little exertion it requires.