For what it's worth (What to do with $100)

This morning the gas gauge of my pick-up truck came close to the empty mark again.  5 or so days since the last fill-up. Those newfangled gas stations want you to preset an amount of gas money before they start pumping. This one suggested $100, and I agreed.  A few minutes later $100's worth of gasoline has been sunk into my tank, which still was not all the way full.

And where are my 100 dollars going?  Into making the nasty owners of the nasty Alberta Oil Sands even richer. Into giving more tax income to the daft government in Ottawa. And of course, into a tad more global warming.

So: Not only am I out a hundred bucks, but it's going to all the wrong places !!!









As mentioned already, the weather forecast calls for RAIN.   And my GoreTex jacket is resting peacefully in my saddle bag in Schiphol Airport due to the double incompetence of Air Transat.  So before the Air Umbrella (watch this LINK here) has been perfected for use on bicycles (Kudos to Denise for having that brilliant idea), I will need a rain jacket. 







Years ago, my friend Yiman pointed out to me the Stormtech Factory Outlet on Boundary Road and that is where I go.  After about 15 minutes of browsing through their clearance room I leave with 2 brand-new water-proof rain jackets.  One even has a colour-matched long-armed fleece sweater zippered into it.  My bill (before sales tax) comes to $80. They even had another jacket with a zippered-in fleece for $12, but that was too warm for me and came in the wrong colour.  Thanks again, Yiman !

I also dug my rain-proof pants (Mountain Equipment Coop) out of my storage locker, so I am now able to ride the bike in pouring rain. Or wear a fleece sweater when it gets cold.  All for $80.  What will those $100 of gasoline allow me to do?  

See...  One could say the gasoline was a bad investment.

OK, if you drive a TDI Jetta, you'll get waaaaay more out your $100, but in the end it's still a bad investment (unless you're driving to Mountainview (Inside joke)).










Anyhoo, I'm starting to ramble. So I'll end with a Hats Off to those idealistic and well-behaved young Hong Kong protesters (I'm not saying that they have Truth & Wisdom on their side, but I was young once) with this link to a VERY good song with the same title as this post:   For what it's worth (and yes, DO LISTEN to the lyrics).

Buffalo Springfield

'There's a man with a gun over there
 telling me, I got to beware ...

... Paranoia strikes deep, 
into your life it will creep, 
it starts when you're always afraid,
step out of line, the men come and take you away ...'