Are you talking about internal hubs? There are many bikes with internal hubs available in the US, far more than bikes with Pinions. Even department/sports stores like REI sell bikes with internal hubs. I have 4 bikes with internal hubs, one is a CVT which is a hoot to shift but heavy as heck.

Does the company that bought Osprey still honor the warranty?

Keen Newports have the finger loops on tongue and heel. I think Blundstone boots do, too? I’m sure someone with Blundstones can confirm or refute that.

Those loops are so handy, I agree.

Bicycle. No gas expenses, no tabs, no loan, free parking. I understand how it works and can mostly fix it myself for very little money. I can take quiet side streets and arrive in a much better mood, plus my fat lazy ass gets some exercise.

I’m finding the opposite. Books that I loved when younger are even better as I re-read them now. Ursula le Guin, Terry Pratchett (their YA and their adult books) have so much more nuance and subtlety than I was aware of when I just read them for the adventure and story. There are some profound bits of wisdom and wry observation tucked in those books.

Billy Connolly

“The universe danced towards life. Life was a remarkably common commodity. Anything sufficiently complicated seemed to get cut in for some, in the same way that anything massive enough got a generous helping of gravity. The universe had a definite tendency towards awareness. This suggested a certain subtle cruelty woven into the very fabric of space-time.”

• Terry Pratchett, Soul Music

If you don’t want to use a real luffa made from the luffa gourd, you can use a simple cotton washcloth to scrub. They can last for decades, wash in the laundry with your towels, and biodegrade/compost after a long and useful life.

And petting wildlife. Or trying to take selfies with wildlife. Or feeding wildlife.

No, no, and no.

Even a cute lil’ chipmunk is a no-no. Bison, moose, and their sweet huggable calves are serious no-nos.

Learned to drive stick when I was 12. You can get away with a lot when you live on a farm/ranch…

If she won’t jump through that hoop, how many others will she refuse down the road?

“Taking this anti-rejection medication offends my conscience. These drugs are chemicals!”

“Getting an hour of cardio a day offends me, I should decide what activities I perform.”

“Being told to keep my BMI in the healthy range to keep my transplant healthy is offensive and is implying I’m fat.”

Transplant teams want compliant patients. Refusing a vaccine right off the bat means you are the non-compliant type who likely won’t be a success.

It’s a Mars exploration vehicle!

• most people I know

Snyder Spindles are my favorite! https://www.snyderspindles.com/

Some people view sex as a means of expressing affection and connection, rather than as a means of having an orgasm. They would have no issue buying a sex toy to get their physical needs met, however hiring a person wouldn’t make sense to them because of the lack of emotional connection.

They don’t want to date a man who is regularly going to sex workers?

Schools, get the schools some serious ventilation upgrades. Petri dishes full of cootie factories…

But at the end he sees behind the curtain of the “utopia” he grew up in and realizes the truth about it. Hence the title of the book.

Terry Pratchett. It was at a book signing. He stayed very late, until every last person got their book signed. Generous and warm with everyone in line.