I love rants. Allow me to continue! I lived downtown for 16 years. I left the vehicle parked and walked everywhere I needed to go. The exercise was great. From the days of marching the military 6 to 5 (six strides = five yards), my pace of about 96 bpm (beats per minute... imagine a Sousa march = 120 bpm) covers about 80 yards per minute. That's just under 3MPH. Great exercise cardio thing. I still took the bus sometimes but only around downtown in the free zone. Why stand at a bus stop for the hourly bus to spend $.60 when an hour's walk you'd be there anyway?
This summer I took a six month contract in the mountains doing a job I used to do twenty-five years ago. I was younger then. Before signing the contract I walked the length of the valley each evening (seven miles) for two weeks just to imagine I was in near the physical condition as I was when I was 24 y/o. (NOT) Still, it was a great "training" and it adjusted me to the altitude. (We're talking about 4,400 ft. above sea and the mountain top where I worked just under a mile.) Weeks into the contract I had lost some added pounds, my blood pressure and general well-being was greatly improved. "And this IMHO is the true key to making any real difference - just a little > change or two in the behaviors of us all." This evening I visited some friends. They had gas logs in three fireplaces in their home. They "enjoy the warmth of the hearth" yet they had the air conditioning running so the house "didn't get too hot." I just noted the excess as they discarded food in preparation that I would have made meals from. Consumer electronics have been discarded as obsolete for the "latest models," the kids are learning these same values, "it's only money. dad!" Oh, the "fitness center membership" for the whole family? How was little obese Johnny earning his allowance this summer while you paid $75.00 a week to someone to mow your lawn? OK... now I am ranting. > From: "Zoltan Finks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Reply-To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > Date: Sat, 15 Dec 2007 23:45:28 -0800 > To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com> > Subject: Re: [MBZ] Knock on wood... 300D > > And this IMHO is the true key to making any real difference - just a little > change or two in the behaviors of us all. > > No tree hugging here. But I do shake my head often at what I see around me. > Maybe folks don't have to give up their Suburban or big 4x4 - I mean that's > not going to happen. (heck, even here in the "socialist state of > Washington", I see more full sized 4x4s and SUVs than efficient cars - this > has been a surprise to me) But maybe people could, once a week, forego > driving. And maybe they could wake up and not mash the accelerator by > default every time they take off. > > Okay, slipped into rant mode there. > > I have taken a much closer look lately, though, at what is sold to us as > environmentally friendly. I hear the deeper issues surrounding bio and > ethanol and hybrids, and I just revert to my belief that just a few little > behavior mods are the real key. > > Oh, and someone mentioned that their 123s were keep-forever cars. I feel > that way too! But just last night my wife reiterated her stance that we > should drive these cars 'til they go belly up and then we should move on to > something else. Well, actually, she did say that we should hang onto the > 240D. I argue that these are classics (I even feel that way about our 190D) > and nothing is going to come along that is going to be better in any true > sense. I say let's just rebuild the engine or tranny when they go. Heck > isn't that more enviro. friendly compared to contributing to the manufacture > of new cars? > > Brian > > Timothy shared:I like to think I'm enviromentally responsible. That's why I > pulled out of > traffic last night, stopped the engine and killed an hour at the auto parts > place... because I conserved another trip. > _______________________________________ > http://www.okiebenz.com > For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ > For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: > http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new parts see official list sponsor: http://www.buymbparts.com/ For used parts email [EMAIL PROTECTED] To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
