Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Krabby Patties and winter biking

I'm watching the one where Squidward talks a lot of stuff about how bad Krabby Patties are, and then SpongeBob makes him try one and he discovers that he loves them. Like he's addicted to them. But he acts like he still hates them, and then he has a problem. He dreams about marrying a krabby patty and having a weird krabby patty squid child.

SpongeBob apologizes, and talks about how he was only trying to make Squidward happy but he recognizes that not eveyone likes the same thing, and though he disagrees with Squid's choice but isn't going to make him like something he just doesn't like.

Squidward sneaks into the Patty Vault to get a krabby patty, and when SpongeBob catches him he is forced to admit that he likes krabby patties.

So I also just read a post on Jeff's blog that was a link to Joe Soucheray's article Not cold nor sludge can stop the morons where he just hates on winter cyclists. He claims that "in the winter, a cyclist is a menace to himself and the motorist" and goes on to say that "It must be a combination of extreme poverty, misplaced virtue, environmental theology, stubbornness and a contrarian nature that compels the winter bicyclist to navigate the rutted shoulder, or worse, just take up a lane and slow down the cars."

Masculine language aside, this is just straight up hating on cyclists and little else. How do you respond to that? I can yell as loud as I like that I pay taxes and have every right to use the roads, or that snow in the bike lane means that we bike in another lane, or that I think it's asinine that we worship the car in this country and don't seem to value any other method of transportation. We could even get philosophical and talk about how it's dumb that people are always in a hurry and we should live slower, and have more peace of mind.

It's easy to just say that I can't talk to people who think like this guy, and just stay in my camp and yell louder.
Bike laws and roads are not like Krabby Patties. I can't just say that people like different things and we have to accept that and move on. Because I have to share the road with Those People, and they have to share it with me and My People.

I think that I am finally starting to understand what policy is, and why it is important. It's about time! If I had my way, we would have more roads only for cycling or walking, and better public transportation so people don't have to drive everywhere. I get the feeling that if this guy had his way, cyclists would have fewer rights than the required three feet that every motorist graciously provides us on the road.

SquareRant #3: Krabby Patties and corporate agriculture
Of course, one of the reasons that Squidward claims that he doesn't like krabby patties is that they are made of crap. Perhaps they are similar to burgers made from unsustainable corporate farmed beef. SpongeBob acknowledges they are not good for the body, but claims that they are good for the soul.
What's more important than the soul of a consumer?

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