Calling Roger Green! I spent some time on my vacation planning and writing up several posts for the blog, but decided to hold off on posting any until I was back at work. I figure that it’s better to have a little bit of a stockpile built up. I’m not likely to ever become a daily blogger at this late in the game. Hell, it’s not even a goal of mine at this point. Still, having several things I can put up with a little tweaking here and there can’t hurt anything.

Every solstice, Roger Green, much beloved blogging figure and presidential candidate, opens his blog up for questions from his readers. I actually had several things I wanted to ask him this time, but the timing didn’t work for me. However, I know that by the time the next solstice rolls around, I’ll have forgotten what it was I wanted to ask. So, I’m going to try and call him out with a post.

It’s all for you and it’s all about you, Roger! You can answer in the comments or on your own blog.

You’ve done some writing about biking, including a really good post a while back with tips and such. As someone very new to biking, I had some additional queries I wanted to bounce off you. I started riding again last year, and currently ride just about every day, usually to work and back, if nothing else. I’ve started doing lots of my errands and running around on the bike as well. Anyway, I’ve had some questions related to things that come up when I ride. So, here goes:

1. Distance-wise, how much do you ride on an average day? What is the most you’ve ever ridden in one day? (Either all in one stretch or in smaller increments with stops in between?) When you ride a lot in one day, how tired are you the next day?

2. Speed-wise, how fast do you go, on average? Do you feel pressured to try and go faster than you are able to or than you feel is safe when you are riding in traffic?

3. How do you deal with nerves when you’re riding in traffic? Do you ride on streets that are typically very busy? Do you try to plan routes around heavy traffic areas?

4. Do you look at weenies like me, who will ride on some streets but not the ones that are really busy, with contempt?

5. I have a hard time keeping a steady course when I have to look over my shoulder to check traffic and sometimes when I signal turns. It’s gotten better the more I ride, but do you have any advice? I’m afraid of drifting into a parked car or into the other lane on narrow streets due to this.

6. Does Carol ride too? Keith and I have a lot of fun riding together.

7. Why is it on windy days, that no matter which way I turn, I'm always riding directly into the wind?

And, in the spirit of your post a few days ago, a list. You just did the EW "modern classics list" this morning, forcing me to re-write this part of this post at the last minute, but there's another recent EW list I'd love to hear your opinions on. If you’ll do me the pleasure of looking it over and devoting a post to them, with notes indicating which ones you own and what you think of them, I’ll do the same in return, for both lists. Deal?

EW’s top 25 country albums you have to hear, even if you don't like country music


I will say in advance that there are some choices that I find highly dubious, but I’d like to hear your thoughts too.  ¶ 7/09/2008 08:04:00 AM