[Groop] Sergio's upcoming Con appearances

[Tone]

Eric,
	From the way you worded that I would think I already erred. :)

1-	Actually, the reason why I did not drive both ways is because I
do not drive. Remember I am originally from New York City, and most
NYers never need to learn to drive due to subways and buses, so I never
needed to get a driver's license. Instead for ID I have a passport,
which allows me to also travel to far off places via a public bus,
train, boat, or plane, then ride my bike to more local destinations. It
is actually a great way to travel because you can get around a lot
easier, cheaply, and independently while still being able to see things
at your own pace.
2-	Apart from not having a driver's license I am also a bit of a
hard-core bicyclist. A normal person, who rides their bike every weekend
for exercise or recreational purposes, would not work as a bike
messenger in NYC traffic for several years. I on the other hand did, so
I am not a normal cyclist. Of course, most "normal" people do not read
Groo, so I am doubly weird. :)
3-	Another much more serious reason I prefer not to drive down to
Baltimore and back or (in my own legal case) have my wife drive me is
due to environmental reasons. Personally, I feel that driving should
primarily be used out of necessity rather than convenience. Even though
I LOVE Groo, (Gary hold your breath...) I do not need Groo to live, but
I LOVE Groo so much I am willing to make the extreme effort of biking
116 miles to see Sergio in person, possibly buy some new Groo items, and
possibly have things signed/sketched. (...Gary, you can breathe again.)
If that does not demonstrate how much of a fan I am, I have NO IDEA what
would. Besides, the money I would save on gas could be used for more
Groo stuff!
	I hope this is not getting too political or social for Groop
members, but obviously some of the stories in Groo have definitely dealt
with some heavy issues, so I hope this is ok. These days the unnecessary
use of fossil-fuels not only pollutes the air we breathe and contributes
to global warming, but it also upsets any natural balances we might hold
in our economy and society. Has anyone heard of the peak-oil Crisis?
Oil, which is used in the production of gasoline as well as numerous
non-automotive products, is literally going to run out. Apart from the
pollution and global warming reasons, why do you think so many
auto-manufacturers are trying to switch over to alternative fuel and
hybrid vehicles? Do you realize having such a demand on corn-based
ethanol fuel raises the cost of the corn humans and livestock eat, which
in turn causes the price of meat and dairy products to increase?
	So many things in our complex society are interconnected, and it
is difficult to see how our own actions affect the results around us.
Thus, I personally choose to think globally by acting more locally in a
practical daily manner. Therefore biking as a method of travel whenever
I can, especially for a recreational trip such as a comic convention, is
something I would prefer to do. I hate to sound preachy, but if anyone
is interested in learning more about the population growth issue or
peak-oil crisis, etc. a good friend of mine recommended I see a new
documentary called "What a Way to Go - Life at the end of Empire." It is
an independent film, so it probably is not viewable at your local
theater, but this is the film's web site, which has two viewable
trailers:
http://www.whatawaytogomovie.com/trailers/#

_TONE_