Great insight! Thank you!

One of my favorite books, "The Father of Spin," written by Larry Tye---reveals the history behind "Public Relations" and various public perception and advertising campaigns--not to mention foreign policy spin campaigns.
My daughter was using the book, "The Power of Persuasion," by Fresno State Professor Robert Levine, last night to finish an essay on persuasion techniques. In this book, Levine describes going undercover as a car salesman--as you have done above.
In the May issue of Discover there is a fabulous interview with Philip Landrigan who is a Harvard-trained physician, "who has fought the world's most powerful corporations and bullied bureacrats to protect the public from poisonous pollutants for nearly 30 years."

The point: Too many people know and understand that we are killing ourselves by driving gas and diesel-driven cars, not to mention other culturally-accepted and encouraged lifestyle of convenience choices that we make every day and that ARE having a harmful impact on our children...and their children.

Profit before People! (Noam Chomsky)

If people would turn off their TVs and tune into reality--they would be pissed off.

Its not only the rising cost of fuel that makes cycleing more beneficial. The Car Dealerships in Clovis ie Nissan of Clovis are extremley aggressive about taking the life out of you. I worked for the company for a little over 2 months and found out the way things really work behind the desk. In sales meetings the managment would encourage little white lies to the customer ie the famous "an old lady owned this car and took very good care of it" rental car. The management behind closed doors urges sales reps to and I quote "Rip their Fucking Heads Off" refering to taking full advantage of any and all consumers. It was common practice to call customers to have them come in and look at a car they were searching for, (the one they needed) when the car was never in inventory. I know of an occasion where a sales rep sold a family a neon priced at 6,999.00 but when they went to pring up the docs and everything they switched the 6 to a 9 thus adding 3k to the purchase price of the car. Don't let the managment fool you, they will take full advantage of anyone with a pleasant smile. And when the customer leaves "God Bless America" that this type of practice is legal. The Sales Manager likes to be addressed as Little Hitler need I say more?

The Manchester to Downtown coffee ride is one of the Fresno events
that marks the beginning of summer for me. I love this ride! I have wonderful memories of past years--all of the excitement before the ride at Manchester Center and the wonderful coffee at Kern Street Coffee at the end (Not to mention all of the interesting slips and spills and fun and laughter in between).

I, too, would like to cruise around downtown, but broaden it to the area south of 99. Wasserman, a former columnist for the Fresno Bee, once upon a time, wrote an intriguing column about taking a bike ride in that area with a friend of his that was an historical architect. Wasserman vividly described various houses--but the memorable aspect of his story was inviting nature of the streetscapes. If I remember correctly, the two men did not get very far because they met neighborhood folks who had wonderful tales to tell--and pie to share. This sounds like a Diana Marcum story, doesn't it.

Hey, maybe we should ask Bill McEwen and Diana Marcum to go on a downtown ride. We could mosey along, meet people, have lunch and let these fine folks weave a narrative of the adventure.

My tires are pumped and ready....

AntiMusick,

greetings from Hamburg, Germany! I had the pleasure of cycling in Fresno for 8 weeks last year. I did enjoy it very much it will be back next year, probably. I had not expected
so many bike lanes and almost no cyclist around( maybe just for me?). When you see how car-driver behave over here: You are the lucky ones.
I am wondering if the rising gas prices make more people switch to bikes?
Just watchout next year for red bike with the stainless steel cane!

talk to Chris Eacock (Tower Velo) up near where RE-Cycle used to be...
He was always wanting to put together just fun group rides and such...perhaps enough folks now want this.

stay up on two...

wait, who's telling us this? the guy that drives two blocks to work. just kidding, josh. thanks for the update.

i rode yesterday, and will again today. it's a nice time of year to ride in fresno. i'm still a sweaty mess when i get there, but it's not as bad as june-september.

as for the manchester bike to downtown, that sounds cool. wish i could do it, but sadly i have to be at work that day @ 7. and it's not even remotely close to downtown.

one question, anyone know of a downtown cycling club? i was riding the other day and thinking, "wouldn't it be cool to have a downtown cycling club? a group that gets together every so often and goes for a little ride around the area, and then hangs out @ an establishment there." anyone know if anything like that's going on?

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/

Annual FCBC Bike to Work Ride
AKA - Manchester to Downtown Fresno coffee ride.

7:30am Manchester to Downtown Bike to Work Week Ride

Wed, May 14, 7:30am – 9:30am
3636 N Blackstone Ave Fresno, California 93726

"Meet at Manchester Center near the Fresno Area Express (FAX) site on Blackstone at 7:45 for an 8:30 group ride to downtown Fresno. Clovis riders, meet at the rest stop on the Old Town Clovis trail (near Ashlan Avenue and Clovis Avenue) at 7:00 am for a group ride to Manchester Center to meet other cyclists. From Manchester Center we will be escorted by the Fresno Police Department Bike Cops. Free refreshments will be provided by Milano and Café Corazon on Fulton Mall. Then head off to work. Tell your friends."

There maybe an earlier ride from Manchester to Edison High School.