|
Beware
of imposters. People sometimes make fake
websites or Facebook accounts pretending to be me. If
you can't believe "I" said something on another site...you're
probably right, I didn't say it. Just because someone
attached my name to it doesn't mean it's really me.
Last update: January 2024
I'm a writer, publishing lots of websites which have become
semi-popular, such as my sites on saving
electricity, how to buy a house,
bicycle safety, and Vegas/gambling.
My work has been referenced in the New York Times, TIME,
Newsweek, BusinessWeek, NPR, WIRED
magazine, and scores of other magazines and newspapers. I
rarely write for other publications but I did have cover stories
in Casino Player, Australian Cyclist, and Car
Busters magazines.
According to Business
Insider, I'm "famous" (though I'll consider
myself truly successful when and if I become notable enough to
merit a Wikipedia article), and the Austin
Startups
List called me a "raconteur".
I am no relation to the Michael Bluejáy who
appeared in Nature
Cat.
I was born in 1967. The pictures at
right are old. I think I last updated them in 2006, and
most are older than that.
My happiest accomplishments include:
- My websites—many of which have been #1
in Google for things like "saving
electricity" and "how
to buy a house". My article on bicycle
safety has been translated into several languages and
reprinted all over the world. My site Bicycle
Austin garnered a Best of Austin award from the Austin
Chronicle.
- Playing piano with Ben Folds
Five. (Hear the mp3.)
- The #3 ranking for my former band, King
Cheese, in an Austin Chronicle
music poll—as well as the time King Coffey from the Butthole
Surfers sat in with us.
- The activist work I've done (for the environment,
housing co-ops, community radio, and especially my anti-cult
work).
- Finishing my two running marathons (26.2 miles
each) in under four hours for each one (and on track
for a 3:37 until an injury ended my running career), then
doing the Austin Marathon with a handcycle in 3:04.
- Bicycling across
Texas and Louisiana.
- Learning Japanese
and climbing Mt. Fuji.
- Crossing the Atlantic & Pacific oceans by cargo ship,
since I decided not to fly any more because flying
causes climate change.
- Creating what may be the three most difficult
tongue-twisters in the English language: "Rare
real rear wheel." • "Fruit fly problem" • "Patty's porta-potty
party"
Cult experiences.
I was born into a mind-control cult called Aesthetic Realism,
since my mother was born into it. She was born into it as
well, since her own parents were some of the original members. I
had at least one "lesson" with the founder/leader Eli Siegel at
age two years. I ceased to have any involvement around the
time I became a teenager. I feel that telling the world the
truth about this group is some of my most important work, which
I do through my website
about Aesthetic Realism.
My name. Michael
Bluejay is my real, legal name. I changed it legally shortly
after college because I wanted a name that was easier to say,
understand, remember, and spell. There is nothing Native
American about my name, although there is much that I admire
about Native American cultures and I'm glad to incorporate
nature (and my favorite color) into my name. Very few
people know my middle name, but I'll tell you if you write
me.
Geography.
I was born in New York City, and when I was 5 my family moved to
Krum, Texas (a small farming community). I then moved to
Austin, TX to go to college, where I've been ever since.
My activities
- Websites. See above.
- Music. I play piano and guitar, and used to be in
some local bands, including the popular King
Cheese. (I was thrilled when King Coffey from the
Butthole Surfers sat in with us.) I've never gotten
around to recording much of my music, but here's
one song. Here's a video of my
backing Miss Xanna Don't at Hole in the Wall. My
luckiest musical moment was playing onstage at a sold-out show
with Ben Folds Five. I
was a founding member of Club
Whatever and my band Godzilla on Ice performed comedy
songs I wrote such as "Grandma was a Lesbian" and "Masturbate
My Tears Away". I attended a few Rock & Roll Fantasy
Camps, which allowed me to record at Abbey Road Studies (where
the Beatles made their records), and to play with such amazing
musicians as Alan
White (Yes, John Lennon), Jon
Lord (Deep Purple), Roger
Daltrey (The Who), Jack
Bruce (Cream), Michael
Anthony (Van Halen), Ace
Frehley (KISS), and others.
- Volunteerism & Activism
Current projects:
Previous projects:
- Guardian for my neighbor. My 96-year-old
next-door neighbor never married and never had any kids, so
he outlived all his family and most of his friends. I
became his guardian so I could arrange in-home care so he
wouldn't have to go to a nursing home (since he strongly
didn't want to go there).
- Student housing co-op. On the board
of directors, and lots of volunteer work for ICC.
- Co-op grocery store. Various
projects, including analyzing survey data, for Wheatsville.
I still handle the web hosting of Wheatsville.com for them.
- Nursing home. I played piano on
Christmas at the local nursing home, often with my friends
like April Porter or Laura
Freeman.
- Bicycling. I worked on campaigns to
get cars out
of bike lanes and to oppose
mandatory
helmet laws. I hosted a 15-minute radio show
about bicycling.
- Precinct Delegate. In 2002 I was
elected a precinct delegate to the Travis County Democratic
Convention (though I don't identify as "Democrat").
- Earth First! I was proud to be an
activist in this pioneering environmental group back in the
day.
- Polemicist.
In college I did the typesetting for this alternative
newspaper. Though short-lived, the paper was very
popular and of very high quality, and I am very proud to
have been a part of it. After that, I typeset its
successor, The Other Texan.
Bicycling. I rode a bicycle
for transportation for my primary transportation for 27 years
(not owning a car, or even having a driver's license). We
finally got a car after the wife nearly got killed a few times
riding her own bicycle. I rode in Critical
Mass for many years but stopped when the riders became too
confrontational with motorists for my tastes. I biked
from
El Paso to Austin with Bessie Green, and biked
from Austin to Baton Rouge with Lara Millsom. Four times
when I moved, I moved all my belongings entirely with a large,
custom-built bicycle trailer (including all the furniture and
appliances). (see pictures)
Running. On a lark I ran the Las Vegas Marathon
in Dec. 2005, and finished in the top 17% with a time of
3:59:56, even though I didn't have any experience as a runner
and trained for just 3.5 months, running fewer than three
times a week. A few years later I ran a mountainous
marathon in Japan and finished in 3:57:30, and ran a
half-marathon distance in January 2010 in 1:43:26, which
predicts a 3:37 marathon finish, and would put me in the top
1/3 for my age and gender group in most races, but an injury
ended my running career before I could do another
marathon. In 2012 I did the Austin Marathon in a
handcycle, finishing in 3:04.
Travel. I've
traveled to the U.K., Netherlands, Czech Republic, India,
Africa, China, and Japan. Because of the
energy required for air travel, I now generally make
international trips by cargo ship instead of by plane, and
within a country I often travel by train or bus.
Chess. My rating on Chess.com
for Rapid games puts me in the 98th percentile on a good
day. I like to play without looking at the board, though
I usually get lost before 40 half-moves. I took lessons
from a U.S. Women's Champion (Jennifer Shahade), and was
quickly trounced by a Women's World Champion (Susan Polgar) in
a simultaneous exhibition.
Brushes with fame.
I've got a semi-hobby of meeting famous and semi-famous people,
including Paul McCartney and Ring Starr. I also know or
have met lots of local movers and shakers. I have a separate
page with the list.
I've gone to Burning Man five
times, the first time being 1998, before it got huge.
Work history
- 2004-present: Self-publish websites, landlord
- 2002-2017: Website development for others
- 2002: Counting cards at blackjack in Las Vegas
- 1996-99: Musician
- 1992-97: Trainer, Supervisor, Tech Support Agent at
Apple
- 1990-92: Ran a small business doing desktop
publishing, computer training, and resume writing
- 1987-89: Taught continuing education computer classes
at UT-Austin
Lifestyle. I'm
largely a minimalist, eschewing most aspects of consumer
culture, and was lucky enough to find a partner who prefers to
live the same way. I didn't own a car for 27 consecutive
years of my adult life and I've
often moved house entirely by bicycle. We got a car
only when my wife nearly got killed on her bicycle by reckless
drivers multiple times in the same week. (We drive the car less
than half of the U.S. average, and it uses half as much gas as
the average car, so I kind of feel that we only bought 1/4th of
a car). I became a vegan in the 80s,
long before it was fashionable, though one of my best friends is
notable for being an ex-vegan and running a
site critical of veganism. (I actually think he's
right about many of his complaints, especially the cultish
nature of veganism.)
For years I slept on blankets instead of a bed, didn't use air
conditioning unless it got above 86°F inside, or heat until it
got below about 55°. Marriage has necessitated some
changes, though we still buy almost our clothes second-hand,
generate very little trash (we probably take out the trash once
every 3-4 weeks), and have never had cable television. For
years our house was about 1000sf, less than half the size of the
median U.S. home. I think I was in elementary school the
last time I had an aspirin, I've never had a beer in my life,
and I drink soda only twice a year. I don't feel this
simpler life is a sacrifice, it's just what's most natural and
comfortable to me. I'm not depriving myself because I
don't pine for more. Typical lifestyles just feel
excessive and wasteful to me.
I used to live at House
of Commons (a 26-member vegetarian house populated mostly
by college students), and then for a couple of years at its
sister co-op, Royal House.
I have tattoos of pianos.
I like things that are random
and
silly.
My writing
I pretend that I'm a writer, but in reality I'm an
information-organizer. My prose has never
been anything to write home about, but if I have one skill, it's
taking data and organizing and presenting it logically. That's
the thing people usually say about my sites. For instance:
"I am amazed. Usually I read
these and find all kinds of reasons to say, yes good, but
... In this case, this is probably one of the BEST, most
concise, easy to understand articles
on SEO - and it tells it
like it is. I made this a sticky- and think EVERYONE on this
forum should read it.
"I just stumbled across this
site in the pursuit of
answering the question "Why is my electric bill so high?"
and really like how utterly accessible and easy to
understand it is." -- Sig Hafstrom, Tools
'n' Tips
"His quality of
writing, organisation, and explanation are an
inspiration. — Greg Walker, Learn
Me a Bitcoin
"His writing is also great
because he's so straightforward there's no question where
he stands on his topics." -- Bohemian
Revolution.
"Michael Bluejay's comprehensive
explanation of how slot machines work [is], in my opinion,
the best one out there." -- Gaming
the Odds
Though some people just really do like the writing itself.
"I also always include a link
to Bluejay's site on a given topic. His information and
writing are just too solid to leave out." -- Gambling
Hero
network
"I was checking out some of the
articles on [his] site and they are excellent. You don't
see the usual garbage reiterated on multiple gambling
sites but [rather] well thought out and researched
articles. A couple articles that I thought were pretty
awesome and a great read..." -- Casino
Regular
And it's comments like the following that make it all
worthwhile.
"Michael Bluejay is essentially a one
man army of exceptionally informative single purpose
websites. I cannot suggest his staggering array of
eclectic information enough." -- MetaFilter
reader
I am not a blogger;
MichaelBluejay.com is not a blog
Blogs are run by blogging software which require no technical
expertise on the part of the blogger. By contrast, I code
Easy Vegas from scratch. That's certainly not the only
difference. Here's a rundown.
| Blog |
My sites |
| Powered by blog software |
Coded from scratch |
| Content is news |
Content is reference |
| Content presented as posts |
Content presented as articles |
| Posts are generally not updated as information changes |
Articles are generally updated |
| Content presented in reverse-chronological order |
Content organized by topic |
| Difficult to see at a glance what content is available
on the site |
Menus show the bulk of what's available |
| Lots of clicking/scrolling required to find anything
besides the most recent posts |
Access to hundreds of articles with no more than 2-3
clicks |
| Topic tags, trackbacks, user commenting, RSS |
None of these |
| No special content tools, usually |
Tons of unique calculators and tools
such as the Average
Loss Calculator
and the Interactive
List of Vegas Casinos |
Relationship, Friends, &
Social Networking
I've been married since 2011, but don't say much about it
because privacy. Ditto for friends, since I don't see a
need to broadcast about others on my page. But here are some of
my enemies so you can see what people who don't like me think:
On the other hand, I do have some fans... (e.g., Saving
the World and BSwan
Journal)
I don't do any of the online social networks because I don't have
time.
Is the measure of success when people you don't even know
claim that you're their friend? I don't know, but I noted
with amusement when the author of one website referred to "my good
friend Michael BlueJay [sic]". In reality, I met that guy
once, at a convention, for a few minutes. [The web page in
question is no longer up, hence no link.]
Philosophy
- The three traits I admire most in people are selflessness,
honesty, action, and intelligence, in that
order. Unfortunately it seems to me that people with all
those traits are in the minority, so I try to surround myself
with those who do. Naturally I try to exhibit these
qualities myself, and can only hope that I succeed more than I
fail.
- When I die I hope what people say about me was that they
could trust me.
- The true test of integrity is not how well we treat our
family and friends, it's how well we treat strangers. I
try to keep that in mind on a daily basis (though I admit that
I make exceptions for those who try to waste my time for their
own benefit).
- I believe in living the life you want regardless of outside
pressure to do otherwise. Many people claim to have the same
feeling but I'm not sure how much they actually act on it.
- I've treated many people very badly, I regret it, and I
think about those mistakes every day. I sorely wish I
could change the past. I've apologized to the people I
could find. If you think I owe you an apology, let me
know and you'll probably get it. I hope I'm a better
person now.
Other Skills &
Accomplishments
- Got the highest possible score on the SAT's Test of Standard
Written English (no longer part of the SAT)
- Type 100 wpm (on the Dvorak
keyboard)
- Bicycled over 100 miles in one day, twice
- Went to the state finals in debate in high school (lost the
state championship by just one vote)
- Electrical maintenance and installation of ceramic tile
floors
- Speak some Japanese
- Can juggle three balls, and can solve the Rubik's Cube in
8.5 minutes (yeah, that's a long time, I know, but hey)
- Avoiding parallel structure
Other miscellaneous
accomplishments & experiences
- Meeting the two vegetarian Beatles (Ringo Starr and Paul
McCartney)
- Played the title character in the premiere of the stage
musical Who
is Jim Holt?. Also played piano/bass for scenes in
which I wasn't onstage, and co-wrote one of the songs.
- Got dissed by Paul Schaffer in Vegetarian Heaven restaurant
in midtown Manhattan.
- Surreptitiously painted
a billboard with friends.
- Moved four times, entirely by bicycle.
- Got arrested for
playing the piano in the mall, and wore
a dress to a strip club without getting beat up.
- Featured on the front page of The Daily Texan and Abilene
Reporter-News.
- Received award from a Vice-President of Apple Computer when
I worked there for outstanding service or some such B.S.
- Valedictorian of high school class, state debate finalist,
National Merit Letter, Most Likely to Succeed.
-
Previous work.
Chronologically, in the past I've made money from janitorial
work, dishwashing, performing live music, telemarketing,
secretarial work, word processing, tutoring, software testing,
teaching, writing resumes, desktop publishing, technical
support, supervising techs, training techs, real estate
investment, day trading stocks, landlording, counting cards at
blackjack, conference speaking, web design/development, writing
for magazines, selling adspace, writing/publishing on the web,
making subprime housing loans, and trading Bitcoin.
I don't do Facebook, LinkedIn, or any other social networking
sites.
Don't waste your time trying to find or friend me there. :)
Contact me
|
ARTICLES I'M QUOTED IN, OR MY WORK
IS REFERENCED
Anti-Cult
"Deliberations"
podcast on cults, Mar 15, 2019
Soho
group is still preaching, quietly, the principles of Eli
Siegel, The Villager, July 19, 2018
American
Night The Literary Left in the Era of the Cold War
(book), by Alan
M. Wald, 2012
Grant
recipient alleged to be a cult, Albany Times Union,
Apr 21 2008
Saving Electricity
"Michael Bluejay runs the outstanding Saving Electricity site that I've mentioned many times before." —J.D. Roth, Get Rich Slowly
Deep Green (book) by Jenny Nazak, 2018
Small Steps, Big Strides: Building Sustainability Habits at Home (book), Lucinda F. Brown, 2016
How much money you'll save with these common energy-saving strategies, Lifehacker, Sep. 28, 2015
Radio interview about saving electricity, Newstalk 1010 (Toronto), April 21, 2015
How much does your PC cost in electricity?, PC Mech, Nov 21, 2013
How Much Electricity Do Your Gadgets Really Use?, Forbes, Sep. 7, 2013
Can my bicycle power my toaster?, Grist, June 10, 2013
Six summer debt traps and how to avoid them, Main St, June 5, 2013
To convert to gas or electric?, Marketplace Radio (NPR), July 20, 2012
8 Simple Ways to Reduce Household Waste, Living Green Magazine, June 29, 2012
Why is my electric bill so high?, New York Daily News, Mar. 27, 2012
Fight the Power, CTV (Canada's largest private broadcaster), Mar. 23, 2012
How to Cut Your Electric Bill, Business Insider, Mar. 20, 2012
Tips to save energy when using your computer, WPLG Channel 10 (Miami, FL), Feb. 23, 2012
How long will it take an energy-efficient washer/dryer to pay for itself?, Christian Science Monitor, Oct. 29, 2011
10 Easy Ways to Lower Your Electric Bill, Forbes, August 23, 2011
18 ways to save on utility bills, AARP, July 9, 2011
How to Save $500 Worth of Energy This Summer, TIME magazine, June 28, 2011
Hot over the energy bill? Turn off the A/C, just chill, Chicago Tribune, June 24, 2011
Cool Site of the Day, Kim Komando (syndicated radio host), May 29, 2011
This calculator shows how much you spend washing clothes, Lifehacker, May 6, 2011
What you pay when you're away, WCPO Channel 9 (Cincinatti), May 5, 2011
Spotting energy gluttons in your home, Chicago Tribune (CA), Apr. 7, 2011
Walnut Creek author has tips for livng a thrifty life, Contra Costa Times (CA), Jan. 24, 2011
Do space heaters save money and energy?, Mother Jones, Jan. 10, 2011
Energy steps to take for a less pricey winter, Reuters, Nov. 10, 2010
Should you shut down your computer or put it to sleep?, Mother Jones, Nov. 1, 2010
Energy saving tips for fall, Chicago Tribune & Seattle Times Nov. 7, 2010
10 ways to save money on your utility bill, Yahoo! Finance, Oct. 2, 2010
Mr. Electricity Ranks Refrigerators & Electrical Wasters, Green Building Elements, Sep. 8, 2010
The case against long-distance relationships, Slate, Sep. 3, 2010
10 household items that are bleeding you dry, Times Daily (Florence, AL), July 27, 2010
Cold, hard cash, Kansas City Star, June 22, 10
Stretch your dollar, not your budget, Globe
and Mail, May 18, 2010
Auto abstinence, onearth magazine, Winter 2010
2010 Frugal Living Guide, Bankrate.com
Energy-saving schemes yield €5.8m in savings, Times
of Malta, Dec. 20, 09
Four ways to reduce your PC's carbon footprint, CNET,
Dec 2, 09
The day I hit the brakes, onearth magazine, Fall 2009
How Much Do You Really Save By Air-Drying Your Clothes?, The Simple Dollar, 2010
Enjoy the mild weather, low electricity bills, Detroit
Free Press, Jul 18, 09
The most energy-efficient way to heat a cup of water,
Christian Science Monitor, Jun 16, 09
Ten ways to save energy, Times of Malta,
Jan 3, 09
Measuring your green IT baseline, InfoWorld,
Sep 4, 08
Bald Brothers Breakfast (MP3), ABC Adelaide, March 27, 2007
Net
Interest, Newsweek, Feb 12, 07
The Power Hungry Digital Lifestyle, PC Magazine, Sep 4, 07
Net
Interest, Newsweek, Feb 12, 07
Answers to all your electricity questions, Treehugger, Jul 11, 08
Going Green, Monsters and Critics, Jan 6,
2007
A hunt for energy hogs, Wall Street Journal
Online, Dec 18, 06
Personal
Q&A
w/Michael Bluejay, our favorite advocate for safe cycling,
Bikes and Humans, Mar 3, 16
Environment
Beef and the environment, radio interview with Clive
Bull of LBC, UK, Jul 22 14
The case against long-distance relationships, Slate,
Oct 22, 08
How
virtuous is Ed Begley Jr.?, New York Times blog,
Feb 25, 08
How to Buy a House
Renting
v. buying your home: an affordability check, The Globe
& Mail, May 30, 11
Financial
Plan: Accumulating Wealth, Botswana Gazette, Sep
22, 10
How
Much House Can Your Buyer Afford?, Realtor Magazine,
Oct 12, 09
How
Much House Can You Afford?, BusinessWeeek blog,
Oct 8, 09
Gambling
• Sell
Slowly, Of Dollars and Data, Jul 12, 2022
• Three-quarters
of retail Bitcoin investors are in the red, The
Register, Nov. 16, 2022
• My article on the Gambler's
Fallacy is part of the reading for a class at Middle
Tennessee State University. (Dec. 2021)
• Vital Vegas,
the most popular blog about the Vegas scene, retweeted
my Slot
Machine Name Generator on 9/29/21, and tweeted
my Worst of
Vegas article on 8/30/21.
•
How I became a gambling writer, Bradley Retter, Aug 22, 20
• Question
of the Day, Las Vegas Advisor, Aug 16, 18
How are betting odds calculated?, Talk Business (UK), Oct
17, 17
• Best
casino games to play, Reader's Digest, Jun 27, 17
• Gambling
Fans should bookmark these sites, Tribune-Review
(Pittsburgh), Mar 26, 17
• Andrew
W.K. on Gambling, Vice, Oct 20, 16
• Legal
Principles of Combatting Cyberlaundering (book), July 2014
Interview in Gaming
Affiliates Guide, Sep 28, 16
• Sicilian
Corner, WCAP 980, Eagle Radio 1100, interview about slot
machines. Mar 18, 16
• Gambling
with an Edge, July 28, 15
•
WOGL, 98.1fm, Philadelphia, interview about casino
gambling, Sep. 23, 10
• Vegas,
Casinos Lose Their Luster, TheStreet.com, Aug 11,
09
• Rivers
Casino debuts today, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug
9, 09
• How
Vegas lures visitors, even in a recession, Fox
Business, Jul 31, 09
• The
truth about fruit [slot] machines, This is Money (UK),
Jun 10, 09
• Experts:
Electronic blackjack best bet at Sands Casino Resort Bethlehem
Express News (Easton, PA), May 22
09
• Playing,
Paying, and Pain [slot machines], Meadville Tribune,
May 31 06
• Money
management is core of gambling fun, The Star, Dec
1, 05
Bicycles & Transportation
Austin
cyclist group rides in memory of Tony Diaz, Fox 7,
Feb 13, 2019
Being
the Change: Live Well and Start a Climate Revolution (Ch.
8), Peter Kalmus, 2017
Bike Month Continues, AC, May 8, 15
Bikes
& Cars, Access Utah, (radio interview), May
28, 13
10
easy ways to reduce your impact, 20 Something Finance,
Apr 22, 13
Biking
vs. Driving Calculator, Get Rich Slowly, Jun 27,
11
How
to not get hit by a car, William Lake Tribune, Apr
22, 11
Death
by Car Door, Take Part, Mar 10, 2011
Obama
bicycles, The Hill, Aug 29, 09
Critical
Mass arrests, AC, Apr 10, 09
Man
riding bike killed on West side, San Antonio
Express-News, Sep 27, 08
Bike
Lanes: Not Just for Bikes Anymore, (photo only) AC,
Sep 19, 08
New
Study Raises Specter of Helmet Law, AC, Jun 6, 08
[Hungarian
newspaper], Oct 27, 07
Harvest
Moon Ride, DT, Oct 1 07
The
Bicycle Thief, Salon, Sep 14, 07
Riding
at Risk, AC, Nov 10, 06
Mass
of
Arrests, Winnipeg Sun, May 28 '06
Shall
we bike?, AC, May 26, '06
Bike
to Work Week, News 8 Austin, May 18, '06
Bike
Buffs, The Varsity (U. of Toronto), May 16, 2006
Bike Month, DT, Apr 28, 2006
Bike
lanes on Shoal Creek Blvd., AAS, Feb 14, 06
Bike
to Work Week, News 8 Austin, May 16, 05
Shoal
Creek
Frankencurbs, AC, Mar 24, 05
Cyclists
take a back seat to drivers, DT, Jan 19, 05
100
cyclists
are arrested, NY Times, Aug 27, 04
City
Council hopes to add 26th St. bike lane, DT, Aug
6, 04
City
considers
two-way Cesar Chavez, DT, July 28, 04
This
Pedal Pusher calls the tunes, LA Times, Jul 25, 04
World Bike Ride, AAS, Jun
11, 04, front page
Saving the environment, one bicycle at a
time, The Equinox (Keene State College), Dec
3, 03
Web
sites available to give bike riders sound advice, Daily
Herald (Arlington Heights, IL), May 15, 03
Plan helps you divorce
your car, AAS, Jul 8, 02
Road
Raging: The Video, AC, Nov 9, 01
Road
bonds, DT, Nov 8, 01
Road
bonds, DT, Oct 25, 01
Biking
Revolution, DT, Sep 25, 01
Bike
Lane on 26th St., DT, Apr 5, 01
Scooter Injuries: Are Helmet Laws the Solution?,
FoxNews.com, Oct 3, 00
Media
Clips: Standing Up for Cyclists, AC, Mar 24, 00
Stop,
Thief! [bike theft], AC, Nov 26, 99
Yours
Truly, Amy Babich, AAS, Feb 8, 99
Riding
on the Wrong Side, [police harassment of bicyclists] AC,
Oct 17, 97
Activism
on Wheels [helmet law & bicycle politics], AC, May
23, 97
Critical
Mass split-off tries bike advocacy the nice way, AAS,
Apr 27, 96
Batteries
Get
energized by better battery choices, Seattle Times,
Jan 9, 15
The
challenge of recharging just one AAA battery, Times
Colonist, Mar 31, 14
Best
Battery Chargers, Wired, June 2001
Other
Alan
White, longtime drummer for prog rock’s Yes, dead at 72,
Detroit News, 5/26/22.
Integrating Economic and Utility Concepts for a Comprehensive
Bridge Valuation Model, Transportation Research
Record, Jul 7, 2020 (They used a map I drew)
How to Rise above the Chatter, Grow Followers, and Deliver
Rich, Powerful Content on the Web, Black Swan Telecom
Journal, Mar '15
Love
immigrants, hate immigration, The Ecologist, Jun
19, 14
Red,
White, Blue, and Gold(man Sachs) [re:socially-responsible
stocks], Counterpunch, Mar 28, 14
Austin
Marathon Men's Results, AAS, Feb 19, 12
Sustainable
Living, Good Life Magazine, Sept. 2005
Food
Websites, AC, Nov. 5, 04
Page
2 (re: Nader and the election) AC, July 4, 03
PeTA:
Where only women are treated like meat, NoStatusQuo.com,
2001 [I'm not really quoted, but I'm listed in the
acknowledgements. Never thought I'd see my name in the same
sentence as author Carol Adams.]
My old band, King Cheese
Article
about Wheatsville, mentioning our track on the
store-produced CD, AC, Sep 14, 09
Review
of The Wheat Album (3 stars), AC, Apr 23, 99
New
Wave Schtick of the 90's, AC, Jul 18, 97
Music
Good and Cheesy , AAS, Jul 31, 97
#3
Austin cover band 98-99, AC
#6
Austin cover band 97-98, AC
#6
Austin cover band 96-97, AC
KOOP Radio Controversy
Radio
Waves, AC, April 16, 1999
A
Hunger for Hard News, AC, Jan. 15, 1999
Naked
City, AC, Nov. 6, 1998
AC=Austin Chronicle
AAS=Austin American-Statesman
DT=Daily Texan
MY MOST POPULAR WEBSITES
Saving Electricity | How
to Buy a House
Getting listed high
in Google
How to Not Get Hit By Cars
Vegas for Visitors | Cheap
Airfare Guide
BOOKS
Critical
Mass: Bicycling's Defiant Celebration (contributor),
AK Press, 2002
Gambling
102: The Best Strategies for All Casino Games (editor),
Huntington Press, 2005
MY WORK USED IN COLLEGE
CLASSES
Rent vs. Buy Calculator.
IT1020, Integrating Business and Technology at
Central New Mexico Community College, 2009-10
How to Buy a House FIN-101, Personal
Finance, College of Southern Nevada, 2009
My work is used in middle- and high-school classes too numerous
to mention.
MOVIES & VIDEO
Bike Like
U Mean It (documentary about Austin bicycle culture),
2002. (video,
info)
Gifting
It: A Burning Embrace of Gift Economy, 2002
Man of the House, 2004. (played a newspaper
photographer, uncredited)
TELEVISION
KVUE News, Austin, marathon
results (at the end of the video). Feb.
19, 2012
Bike
Like U Mean It (documentary about Austin bicycle culture),
2002. Aired on a cable network in 2004 and KLRU in Austin in
2005.
KEYE-42 News, Austin, about my guide
to cheap airfare. Nov. 4, 2004
KEYE-42 News, Austin, about the questionable
efficacy
of bike helmets. July 31, 2001
ARTICLES I'VE WRITTEN,
PUBLISHED ELSEWHERE
 Secrets
of Money Management, Casino
Player magazine, cover story, Oct. 2005
Reader comment: " It was the best article on
Money Management I've read."
Changing
Domains and Redirecting Pages, High Rankings Advisor,
Jan. 5, 2005
Flip-It
[casino game] The Wizard of Odds website, Mar. 2002
How
to Not Get Hit by Cars. My treatise on this subject for
bicyclists has been reprinted all over the world, including as a
cover story in Car Busters.
Battery
Chargers, WIRED magazine, June 2001
(They left me off the list of contributors, which is
okay I guess, since after they edited the article it bore no
resemblance to what I submitted. I still got my $400.)
Nudist
Camp Owner Arrested, ICONoclast, (before I changed
my name)
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Lights
up (lead letter), Austin Chronicle [AC],
11/24/23
Motorists
also break the law (lead letter) AC, May 23 '08
Chance analysis,
AC, Oct 22, '04
Bike
lanes
blocked by neighborhood, AC, Oct 1, '04
Why
Nader
voters aren't responsible for Bush's election, AC,
Jul 4 03 (note the
personal
mention by the editor in his own column, and reader
responses
the following week
Radicals
steal
KOOP Radio from Austin, AC, Jun 27 03
Critical
Mass: The Real Story, AC, Nov 9 01
Illuminating
the Bike Laws, AC, Dec 1 00
Holier,
Purer, Better, AC, Nov 24 00
Bipartisan
Boondoggle, AC, Nov 17 00
Last
Chance for Change [light rail], AC, Oct. 27 00
Get off
bus, on light rail, AC, Jul 28 00
In
Defense of [Amy] Babich, AC, Jun 30 00
Lacto
for Lassie [vegetarianism], AC, Feb. 19, 99
No
Respect [re: KOOP Radio controversy], AC, Jan 15,
99
Dig
Deeper [KOOP Radio], AC, Aug 21, 98
Cheesed
Off, [my band], AC, Apr 2, 98
On
Free Speech and Choice, AC, Oct 3, 97
Cheesy
Plug [my band], AC, Dec 6, 96
OLDER RADIO INTERVIEWS
KSRO,
1350am, Sonoma County, CA, Marci Smothers Show, about
casino gambling, Aug. 5, 2005 MP3
KSBN, 1230am, Spokane WA, About bicycle helmet laws, July
21, 2004
KVRX 91.7, Austin, About cycling justice issues, April
2002
KOOP 91.7, Austin, Dozens of times between 1996-2002
about cycling issues
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Finances 101, North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO)
Institute, Ann Arbor, MI, Nov. 2004 (see
handouts)
How to Lower Room Rates, NASCO
Institute, Ann Arbor, MI, Nov. 2004 (see
handouts)
Improving Your Co-op's Web Presence, NASCO
Manager's Conference, San Antonio, TX, Feb. 2003
NOMINATIONS, AWARDS, LISTINGS,
THANK-YOU'S
CarBusters
Bulletin, Sept. 2002
Best
Place to Bike the Web, AC, Sept. 15, 2000
Save
KOOP election endorsements, AC, Feb. 12, 1999
1998
Musicians Register, AC, 1998
1997
Musicians Register, AC, Feb. 1997
1996
Musicians Register, AC, Feb. 23, 1996
COMMENTS PART OF THE FEDERAL
RECORD
It didn't occur to me when I wrote to the FDA in 2001 insisting
that they require genetically modified food to be labeled, that
those comments would become part
of the permanent federal record.
The
Military Budget as Cookies
This excellent
animation from TrueMajority shows in graphic detail
(using Oreo cookies) how ridiculously, ridiculously large
the military budget is, and how we could solve many domestic
problems with a modest 10% cut. The animation is slow to get
started but then it gets much better. A must-see.
(Watch
the video...)
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