On Apr 17, 2007, at 2:14 PM, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:
> I think Simon is right on target. Bicycles, at least quality
> lightweights, are largely a middle class "thing" in the US. Indeed
> cycle racing in the US is a largely middle class sport while in
> Europe and UK it has traditionally been a working class sport.
>
> In fact, Mike Barry made that comment to me a couple of years ago
> about the different nature of the sport in the UK versus North
> America. He has a good perspective on the subject having himself
> grown up in UK, while his son Michael, of course, has ridden for
> the US-based US Postal and Discovery teams. (The younger Barry is
> also married to former Canadian champion Dede Demet).
>
> I think Emanuel earlier did have at least a partially valid point
> about the cost of health care, retirement, etc. being built into to
> cost of US frames or paint jobs. Of course, the same costs or
> greater are incurred in the more Socialist European countries (and
> Canada). But they are distributed differently. So an individual
> small craftsman in a country with universal government funded
> health care and retirement benefits, could indeed perhaps charge
> less without affecting his access to these benefits. Of course,
> there being no free lunch, someone else is going to pay for these
> benefits, and prices of some other goods and services will bear the
> burden. Just a matter of how you want to slice the pie.
>
> Regards,
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, TX
Speaking of how to slice the pie. Does anyone on the list have a method of slicing up a pie to perfectly proportioned servings? I've heard that dipping the knife in hot water before slicing helps to make a very clean and appetizing cut of pie. Anyone?
Chuck Schmidt
South Pasadena, CA