Dear So and So

[bmccasland]

Dear Pharmaceutical Company,
So you're the sole source of a med, no generic available yet, even though it's been in production for years. So why have you "temporarily" stopped production?? I know I've been needing to wean myself off (hormone therapy for those wondering), but 2 pills notice was not exactly what I had in mind. Good thing I happen to have 7 more pills stashed from an office sample my Doc gave me last year. So I have 9 pills to stretch out. Meanwhile my pharmacist will try to find the Rx at another chain.

Don't tell me let me guess, when you start production again it'll be more expensive and with some small change that means it won't be available in generic form. Was this the ulterior motive for the long list of meds that are nearing their original patent, stop production, make a small change, then protect them under a new patent with a new price?

grumble mumble grumble

[Biciclista]

to whom it may concern
Besides woolweenies, this IS my favorite thread; it's where ALL of us go to get stuff off our chests. I don't really like the spotlight, especially with this situation.
I am not going to start a thread for this; if someone else does, it's fine with me, but I'd just as soon go here and read all your gripes and tribulations too, makes life more interesting.

[Owlie]

((Mimi))

Dear whoever:
I officially hate cars. I like the idea. I just don't think it's worth the ~$100 in title transfer and sales tax (and it would have been more if my parents hadn't sold me the car at about a quarter of its KBB value), the $500 in insurance (granted, about half of that was also renter's insurance) because I miraculously get less responsible because I'm not an undergrad (and will equally miraculously get better at driving on my 25th birthday?), and the $70 for (ugly) new plates...not to mention the new socket wrench and WD40, the time I've spent trying to get the old ones off to no avail, and whatever the visit to the dealership will cost to remove the things because the bolts haven't been moved in 12 years and are rusty.

This also doesn't include gas, maintenance, parking and all that other stuff.
P.S.: If I didn't have to ride on a really busy road to get to campus, or have to come back from class at ~9pm (who thought that was a good idea?) on non-lit roads, I just wouldn't bother. Everything I need on a daily basis is in a four-mile radius. I'd rather spend the money on something like a second-hand Coda or FX and a rack and panniers. And a really beefy lock!

Dear TE:
There isn't a community out there with a major research university with sidewalks, public transit, and grocery stores and apartments nearby, that's bike-friendly with reasonably weather, is there?

[jessmarimba]

Dear TE:
There isn't a community out there with a major research university with sidewalks, public transit, and grocery stores and apartments nearby, that's bike-friendly with reasonably weather, is there?

Define reasonable weather? U Wisconsin-Madison comes to mind immediately when you mention bike-friendly

Dear self -

Go pick up your new bike already, dammit!

(Also, Mimi, my cat also sends hugs. Or at least I think that's what she intends by crawling onto the keyboard every time I check the forum!)

[jobob]

Dear TE:
There isn't a community out there with a major research university with sidewalks, public transit, and grocery stores and apartments nearby, that's bike-friendly with reasonably weather, is there?

Berkeley? Santa Cruz? Riverside?

[Trek420]

Berkeley? Santa Cruz? Riverside?

Davis, Seattle ...

[jessmarimba]

Dear whoever decided to keep my favorite water bottle that I left on the office bathroom counter after work yesterday -

Really??

[channlluv]

Dear whoever decided to keep my favorite water bottle that I left on the office bathroom counter after work yesterday -

Really??

Do the office cleaning staff have a lost and found?

Roxy

[jobob]

Davis, Seattle ...

Doh, Davis, of course! (slaps head)

[Trek420]

Doh, Davis, of course! (slaps head)

Chico has great cycling, club cycling at least and I think the town and university are pretty good. My personal bet would be on Santa Cruz.

[channlluv]

Dear TE:
There isn't a community out there with a major research university with sidewalks, public transit, and grocery stores and apartments nearby, that's bike-friendly with reasonably weather, is there?

I forget what your actual field of study is, but UC San Diego is in La Jolla and we have great weather, lots of apartments, grocery stores, a major mall, a 12-plex movie theater, and so on, all within a bike ride. And yes, lots of bike paths. You won't be the only cyclist on the street.

Roxy

[Owlie]

I should have also added "reasonable cost of living for someone living on a grad student stipend (ie, poverty)!"

Actually, UCSD and UC Berkeley have programs I'm interested in. But they're both really expensive, and with the current pickle that California's in, I've heard things are not so great for grad students. I've also looked at Oregon State, but don't know enough about the area (or the program) to say "yes, I want to go there."

Also, we finally got the plates off the car. After 2 hours.

[tulip]

Dear TE:
There isn't a community out there with a major research university with sidewalks, public transit, and grocery stores and apartments nearby, that's bike-friendly with reasonably weather, is there?

UNC-Chapel Hill comes to mind. Free busses.

[emily_in_nc]

UNC-Chapel Hill comes to mind. Free busses.

I read through the thread to see if I needed to post this. I see tulip already has. Chapel Hill/Carrboro has a lot to recommend it per your requirements. I wish when I was a student here, oh so many years ago, that cycling had been "big". As it was, I didn't know a single person (male or female) who rode a bike while I attended UNC ('79 to '83), so it wasn't something I even thought of. If I were a student here now, I'd so ride everywhere. I do that as much as possible even as a 50-year old alumna!

And the free busses are great.

[tulip]

I read through the thread to see if I needed to post this. I see tulip already has. Chapel Hill/Carrboro has a lot to recommend it per your requirements. I wish when I was a student here, oh so many years ago, that cycling had been "big". As it was, I didn't know a single person (male or female) who rode a bike while I attended UNC ('79 to '83), so it wasn't something I even thought of. If I were a student here now, I'd so ride everywhere. I do that as much as possible even as a 50-year old alumna!

And the free busses are great.

by the time I got there (1985), there were a few bikes, but by 1987 (my sophomore year because I took a year off after freshman year) I had one of the first mountain bikes around. It attracted alot of attention. My freshman year I lived in Morrison (9th floor) and there was no way I was going to lug a bike up all those stairs. The elevators either never worked or smelled like a frat house. Either way, I took the stairs.

When I went back for grad school (1997-99), everyone had bikes. It was great. But the busses weren't free until later.