Drumming night, and the Feed

Tonight is the regularly-scheduled night of the month to drum and dance around the fire at my church, something I look forward to with great anticipation. I have been involved with percussion in one form or another since childhood, getting my first set of bongo drums at 11, playing the bass drum in marching band and snare in orchestra. I have also been a (poor) dancer almost as long, having my first dance class as a senior in HS, and belly dance for men in my 30s and 50s. I am a creature of rhythm even if I can’t spell it on the first try, ever. (I keep trying to put the voiced short “i” in the written word.) I can’t explain it so I just revel in it…

Up first on a happy note, semi-famous bike blogger Bikeyface has a new bike that she gushes about here LEFT BANK BIKE I’m sure Gigi is as happy for her about this as I am, wherever Gigi is now.

Big story, what is being described by some as a right hook and by others as the cyclist failing to use brakes, with lots of links. Cyclist dies in SF garbage-truck crash and Bicyclist dies after striking garbage truck in the Mission also Cyclist killed in San Francisco garbage truck crash More Clayton Cyclist Hit and Killed By Garbage Truck in San Francisco and Bicyclist killed in collision with San Francisco garbage truck was 21-year-old from Clayton not done yet Cyclist in fatal S.F. crash identified nearly there Bicyclist killed in Mission District identified as Clayton resident Last link Dylan Mitchell Identified as Cyclist Killed by Recology Truck Earlier reports that have since been deleted had the cyclist impacting the truck just in front of the rear wheels on the right side and being trapped in the rear wheels and dragged for almost a block. Now they are just saying “back” of the truck and not explaining how hitting the back of a garbage truck results in massive blunt trauma and crushing injuries, or how a cyclist can be dragged almost a block after hitting the back of the truck. Anyway, right hook, intersection protocols to avoid and infrastructure corrected to prevent. The truck was signalling a right turn but there is some question if the cyclist was in a position to see that signal.

Another story with more than one link is a hit-and-run in AZ. Suspect arrested in Tucson hit-and-run death and UPDATED II: CYCLIST KILLED IN HIT-AND-RUN CRASH; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY last link Sun Tran driver killed while cycling to work Intersection wreck, but at this point it does not appear that intersection protocols would have helped avoid the wreck in any way as the drunk driver appears to have ignored a traffic control when he hit the cyclist. This also strongly implies that any at-grade infrastructure that relied on traffic controls to maintain separation would have been equally unlikely to prevent this wreck and the only thing that could have would be grade separated with a barrier infrastructure which would have been unlikely in this location. I mean there aren’t even any sidewalks for the nearby residences, bike infrastructure would be secondary after pedestrian infrastructure.

An AR cyclist is hit. 7-year-old girl struck and killed while riding her bike Nothing about the mode of the wreck except listing the location as “near” an intersection, so going with intersection protocols to avoid, and getting the infrastructure right to prevent. As the wreck was in a residential area “getting the infrastructure right” would consist of making sure cars were moving at a safe speed and that intersections had good sight lines so that children on bikes could be seen.

A cyclist’s death leads to charges in the Great White North. Vernon cyclist death results in charges The cyclist was struck from behind by a person driving a vehicle in the bike lane at 70 km/hr (44MPH). Given the lack of space to maneuver and the curb to the right hit-from-behind protocols would have been not-very-useful, and the wreck was in bicycle infrastructure the driver was ignoring, so no chance of preventing either except for inventing some way of keeping drunk drivers from being able to start the vehicle…

And those are all the links that gave me fits today… and one that didn’t.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

It’s another Monday, and the Feed

I’m not cooking beans today because we had so much left over from last week. For some reason I just didn’t feel like my usual 3 bowls last week for dinner (I actually had about half that) and nobody had more than a single bowl during the week. So, we have lots that can be put in a 210°F oven in a casserole dish with a dash of soy sauce to spark up the flavor and add a bit of liquid while the mix slowly reheats. Any dangerous microbes don’t stand a chance when I cook because I cook a just enough heat to keep the cooking process going until the food is cooked, thus also killing anything that might be living in the food before I eat it. This also preserves the flavor of my food by not over-cooking it.

Also I have to make a quick run to the local Best Buy to put more minutes on my phone. Apparently the concept of “annual activation” does not mean the same thing to Virgin Mobile as it does to me. To me it means leave my phone turned on for an entire year or until my minutes run out. But to VM it means keep plugging in monthly payment cards or we turn your phone off anyway… I will have to discuss the matter with the VM representative when I get to Best Buy.

I’m not sure if this was a bicycle or motorcycle wreck at this point. Minor Injuries Reported Following Bike Vs. Car Accident The weapon vehicle was reportedly moving at a very slow speed and the bike hit the back of the car which really confuses me as to what happened. And since the video shown with the link never showed the back of the weapon vehicle to have any impact marks (although the right side was never shown) I can only speculate. LEO have not released anything more about the wreck and the reported mode and location (cyclist hit the back of the vehicle mid-block in front of a church) makes me think that this might have been a right hook the cyclist never saw coming. You can see in the video that every space in that parking lot could be reached from the street by making a right turn. But this is just guesswork on my part.

A wreck report that has changed considerably since I first saw it last night in pre-filter. MIT scientist riding bicycle struck, killed in crash The original headline when I first saw the link was “Pedestrian struck by truck in hit-and-run crash” with the existence of a bicycle at the scene mentioned in the second paragraph. Now it’s all MIT Scientist visiting from Japan hit on a bicycle, with nothing about the actual wreck. The pictures indicate an intersection wreck, so maybe intersection protocols to avoid, and get that abysmal infrastructure fixed to prevent future wrecks. Boston streets were never intended for motor vehicle travel, I still say that motor vehicles should be forced to use pilots on foot with waving red flags front and back when driving in the old part of Boston. At the very least it would do something about the unemployment problem in MA.

Another dead cyclist in NYC, at least they aren’t using the “no criminality suspected” line (yet). Cyclist Killed By Livery Cab In Prospect Heights You would think Gothamist would have figured out by now that the driver hit the cyclist with the cab instead of apportioning all the blame to the vehicle… SWSS hit-from-behind wreck, use the protocols to avoid. There was supposedly a center bike lane in the median but I’m still trying to find out how a cyclist was supposed to get to those bike lanes other than at the beginning or end of the lanes. So bad infrastructure may have had a role to play also. More links Cyclist struck and killed near Brooklyn Museum and Fatal bicycle accident in Brooklyn The pictures from that link showed the weapon vehicle was nearly dead-center on the bike when impact occurred, which kinda places the SWSS story in jeopardy. Cyclist struck and killed by livery cab driver in Prospect Heights At least that one managed to mention the weapon vehicle had a driver. The NY Post blames the cyclist for existing Bicyclist stuck and killed after swerving in front of livery cab in Crown Heights At least in that link you get a better look at the impact site just to the left of the license plate with the skid mark from the tire lined up perfectly with the broken grill, and the tail light or rear reflector visible under the seat. Cyclist Struck, Killed By Livery Cab In Brooklyn and Bike Rider Fatally Struck by Livery Cab in Brooklyn last link Taxi Hits, Kills Bicyclist on Eastern Parkway

Salmon cyclist killed in CA. Bicyclist dies in collision with big rig in Industry There’s just not much surviving a head-on wreck with a semi. Don’t salmon to avoid, and it looks like there isn’t much bicycle infrastructure where the cyclist was hit.

The TX fund that’s supposed to take care of people injured in hit-and-run wrecks is depleted less than 5 months into the year. Injured cyclist’s family seeking donations for medical expenses

Another hit-and-run, in VT. 2 cyclists injured in Burlington hit-and-run This one appears to be caused by a driver that did not know where the edges of the vehicle extended possibly combined with under-estimating the speed of the cyclists he was passing. Other than hit-from-behind protocols there ain’t much a human cyclist can do in a wreck like this, but getting the infrastructure right would have prevented the wreck.

A MD wreck that sounds an awful lot like a hit-and-run. Carroll County Man Injured While Riding Bicycle Yeah that hitting the mailbox hard enough to knock it out of the ground doesn’t sound like a single-bike wreck. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @€, Opus

Another Mule Day, and another Feed

Mule day duties look to be light again today as we are still coasting along from that massive buy a few weeks ago and just replacing perishables now; milk, bread, eggs, produce, and yogurt. The weather is looking a bit “iffy” so I have my waterproof ALICE pack and one of the kitty litter buckets has the lid back on it. Stuff that won’t be affected by rain will go in the other bucket. So rain or not we’re cool on the weather.

On the pollen front the allergy meds I took last night eventually did their job and I was able to sleep comfortably sometime around 2 AM, which was a great improvement over the previous 4 AM. I also awoke with considerably less gunk in my eyes and as I could breathe through my nose I also didn’t wake up feeling like the 101^st Airborne had marched through my mouth with bare feet. That alone was a great improvement over the previous two nights.

A far West Canuckistan cyclist is right crossed and then blamed for the wreck. Cyclist hits truck on Gordon Drive, winds up in Kelowna General Hospital The cyclist was hit almost head on when the motor vehicle operator made a wide right turn while driving blind, but somehow it was the cyclist’s fault for running into the motor vehicle. This is a difficult wreck to avoid as standard intersection protocols are not designed for vehicles that are not in the correct lane for their direction of travel. Infrastructure might have prevented this if the infrastructure was barrier protected.

News from the UK that motor vehicle operators are most at fault in bike-vs-motor vehicle wrecks. Two thirds of cyclist injuries following collisions with motor vehicle due to driver, says City of Westminster I also liked the part where they point out the behavior that annoys pedestrians the most is one of the least likely reasons why pedestrians are hit, cyclists proceeding through a pedestrian crossing against the signal. What people don’t realize and that most cyclists have internalized is that when cyclists run into or are run into by motor vehicles, the cyclist will get hurt no matter who is at fault, when cyclists run into or are run into by pedestrians the cyclist will get hurt. Cyclists are for the most part actively looking to not get hurt in spite of what it appears to non-cyclists.

A possible hit-and-run in Oz. Cyclist found injured on Haydon Drive While the cyclist’s injuries could have come from either a bad get-off or a hit-and-run, there is the old saying that when one hears hoofbeats in the western US one should not immediately assume zebras. Hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Still in Oz, a cyclist is seriously injured by an RV. Cyclist hit by car near Huskisson At the time I posted this the mode of the wreck had not been released, so other than making the remark that a bicycle helmet is not much protection against having your chest crushed by an RV, I have nothing I can say.

LifeStyle in Seattle as a memorial ride makes the news. Riders honor cyclist killed in semi-truck accident

New legal infrastructure from Houston. New ordinance aims to protect bicyclists, pedestrians This ordinance (what I can read of it) seems to be a direct copy of the law that Gov. Goodhair vetoed in 2009, so it’s a good ordinance if somewhat lacking in teeth by being local rather than statewide and unable to place violators in confinement for longer that 1 year.

And if you think I’m having a bad day, take a look at this link. N.Y. tow company waits word on disposing 30 dead horses from Shippensburg You can imagine what that is starting to smell like.

Last link, a Summer project you can enjoy all winter. Build A Massive Snowmobile Tank Bike Massive is right, there are at least 3 bikes worth of steel in the machine plus trying to turn a single track when it has any kind of grip is going to be “fun”, but overall I see this as an interesting project if somewhat difficult to ride around on.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Stuff I can’t put in a headline, and the Feed

We have been under a pollen alert here at the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell since Monday, and yesterday and this morning were especially bad for yr fthfl scrb. As in I sneezed my way through most of the ritual planning session yesterday and woke to whiteout blindness after I managed to pry my eyelids apart (a two-handed pry job at that). We are in what one former church president called “tree bukkake” season as tree pollen is approaching toxic level for some people and several ambulance rides are requested for steroid shots and a couple cases of anaphylactic shock every day. Fun! I just personally call it “plants having sex in my sinuses”. Even more fun is that the only medication I can avail myself of puts me to sleep for almost as long as it relieves my symptoms, but at least I wake up able to open my eyes and see clearly. I try to remember to take an 8 hour dose right before I go to bed, but one of the other symptoms of an allergy attack for me is very fuzzy thinking. That combined with the memory loss I suffered via the brain injury makes taking meds that aren’t on my “habit” list to take every day hard to remember. The best I can do is to drink lots of fluids so that discharges are easily removed and not sight-obscuring. For me personally that means coffee, unsweetened ice tea, and sports drinks.

But other than that things are just fine.

First up is the rather rare report of someone that killed a cyclist facing criminal charges in TX. Man indicted in Austin cyclist’s death The driver was passing cars on the shoulder (a major traffic violation in TX) when he killed the cyclist, and I’m amazed they even got an indictment. Getting charges filed when a vulnerable road user gets killed in TX first has to overcome the “why wasn’t he in a car?” prejudice. Also finding a bike-friendly route in any urban area in TX requires either riding miles out of your way to avoid congested high-speed routes, or limiting oneself to a very small riding territory.

This was the first link that popped up in the Feed today. Michigan Bike Accident Lawyers at Buckfire & Buckfire Celebrate Bicycle Helmet Safety Week Aaand another lawyer posts the “85%” lie without checking on the source.

More on the Seattle rider killed by a semi on his commute. Riders honor cyclist killed in semi-truck accident What I have been finding through back-channels is that the pavement in the bike lane there is so bad that a cyclist needs three sets of eyes to safely navigate the route. One set to watch the road, one set to watch for traffic, and a third set to watch the signals to keep from running a red light.

A cyclist is cut off in the Caymans. Cyclist hit by car The narrative in this wreck makes it quite clear the cyclist had the right of way and the driver cut him off. Intersection protocols to avoid, and fix the infrastructure to prevent.

Since the driver died prior to the trial, this is mostly to find out what happened to this UK cyclist. Crash death cyclist tried to wave down her killer, inquest hears and Cyclist killed by lorry ‘waved at driver to stop him crashing into her’

Still in the UK an appeal is planned for the paltry sentence levied against a killer driver. Appeal considered in Audrey Fyfe case, daughter says allowing motorist to drive again “beyond comprehension” Cyclists are the “New Negro” in the UK, and the US as well. The penalties for killing a cyclist on the roads is similar to the penalties for lynching a Negro during the ’50s and early ’60s in Mississippi. More Disgust at cyclist killer’s sentence

From Oz a rare bike-on-bike wreck with serious injury. Cyclist badly hurt in crash Head-on wreck leaves one cyclist critically injured while the other walks away. Someone had to have been too far over to the other side of the track, or just both riding in the middle of an unmarked path. The solution of course is for cyclists to ride to one side of a wide and well-marked bike path, but lacking the wide and well-marked parts when meeting another rider you should slow down and move over (right i most of the world, left in those places where they drive on the wrong side of the road) More. Cyclist seriously injured in head-on crash

Infrastructure! news from MA. After Cyclist’s Death, Wellesley Struggles with Bike Safety The problem is attitudes and space, and there ain’t no space so attitudes are going to have to change.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, less the motorcycle wrecks. Those give me fits too, but they just don’t have a place in this blog.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Bike month getting off to a ripping start, and the Feed

Yea, that is a sarcastic headline up there, minus the HTML sarcasm tags because for some reason WP hasn’t seen fit to implement that particular tag, probably because it hasn’t been standardized yet. If anyone reading this knows what the final standard is going to be on the sarcasm tag, please leave me a comment with an example of the tag in use and a spaced-remarked example of it in use. Seriously, this tag needed to be implemented like a decade ago, or more (just think about the epic USENET flame wars that could have been prevented had this tag been available in the late ’90s, USENET might still be a usable medium of exchange today).

A WA hit-and-run driver gets his almost 2 years after the wreck that killed a cyclist. In brief: Driver who killed cyclist sentenced Not long enough, and no mention of losing his license after getting out of prison.

The big story so far is the cyclist left-crossed in Canada over the weekend didn’t make it. Cyclist injured in Friday collision, dies in hospital and Two men die in hospital days after traffic collisions Left cross, use intersection protocols to avoid, and stop looking for excuses to run over cyclists as part of the way to prevent. “Sun glare” my well-shaped behind.

Also from Canuckistan is this weekend wreck. Cyclist killed in weekend accident Way too much victim-blaming in this article and way too little information. The wreck was a SWSS that the cyclist “swerved” from the sidewalk to get hit.

A little legal infrastructure trying to get installed in the UK. Comment: Driver liability would protect cyclists I don’t think this will get enforced until there is a major cultural swing in the UK, but hey, you gotta start somewhere. And the justice system in the UK is severely broken in regards to cyclists, which was mentioned a few times in the article.

And those are all the bike links that gave me fits today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I went halfway across town for nothing, and the Feed

I was supposed to get together with some people from Occupy Dallas about setting up a bicycle co-op where people could learn how to fix their bikes and borrow tools to do so, but the place we were supposed to meet was very large and I forgot to ask exactly what part of this large place we were supposed to meet at. There was supposed to be a picnic and I waited at some picnic tables for over an hour and did not know there was more than one picnic area in the park until I got on the bus and had left the park when I saw what could have been more parking and picnic tables on the other side of the park diagonal to the place I was waiting. I just checked the web site, and I was at the wrong park the whole time.

A bunch of follow-up links on the Seattle semi v bike wreck. Federal Way man ID’d as bicyclist killed in Sodo and Friends remember cyclist killed on East Marginal Way At this point they are still trying to find out the “what and how” of the 5 Ws and 1 H of news (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How) Right now they have a solid grasp on Who, When, and Where, but What, Why and How are either unknown or a deeply held secret. More Bike riders honor Seattle cyclist killed during commute And Friends hold memorial ride for cyclist killed in Seattle

A cyclist is killed in SC. Bicyclist killed in Raleigh accident and Cyclist killed in Raleigh Thursday was prominent developer The mode of wreck was a left cross as the cyclist descended a hill at what would be a high speed for a bicycle but probably under the speed limit. Intersection wreck means intersection protocols to avoid but that may not have been humanly possible, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. More Cyclist’s death highlights tension between two wheels, four and Cyclist remembered as ‘community servant’

An IL cyclist is killed in a hit-from-behind wreck. Bicyclist killed near Lake Villa Hit from behind is all we know now, so hit-from-behind protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent. More Identity of cyclist killed in crash released

An interesting wreck in ID where the driver was also injured. Cyclist, driver injured in Boise crash It wasn’t clear if the cyclist was riding in the sidewalk when he was hit or just hit after the driver went up on the sidewalk going the wrong way, but either way there was no way for a human cyclist to avoid this wreck when the driver crosses from their side of the road to yours. Maybe infrastructure would help, but as the driver was on the sidewalk when he hit the cyclist I would say probably not.

A MD cyclist gets left-crossed. Cyclist hit in Pikesville Left crosses are always the fault of the driver for failing to yield to oncoming traffic. Intersection protocols to avoid, infrastructure to prevent.

Update on a wreck in CA from a while back. One year after cyclist’s death in North Coast hit-and-run, family searches for answers

A Canuckistani cyclist is injured in a left cross wreck. After serious collision, officials urge drivers and cyclists to take precautions Let’s see, precautions. The cyclist was proceeding through an intersection with the green light when the driver made a left turn without looking, what did the cyclist do wrong? Anyway, intersection protocols to avoid injury if not the wreck, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

Another cyclist is hit in Canuckistan. Injured teen can’t remember possible collision between bicycle, motor vehicle The report sounds like there might have been a hit-and-run with the driver leaving a head-injured cyclist to fend for himself. Without being able to see the bike I couldn’t hazard even a guess about what happened with any assurance.

The other Big Story today is the UK driver that was given community service for killing a second cyclist with a motor vehicle. Motorist given community sentence for causing death of second cyclist also Motorist who caused death of cyclists spared jail A cyclist was fined more than $1300 for punching out a commercial driver Cyclist found guilty of assaulting van driver so one would think that actually killing someone would merit a steeper punishment than just what was given for just punching someone in the face after they almost killed you. But that is not the case. More Daughter of cyclist Audrey Fyfe calls for tougher sentences and Fury at sheriff’s helmet claim in cyclist death case

From Oz comes this report on a pair riding in an SUV who were convicted of assaulting 2 women on bikes. Pair fined $3000 after backside slap leaves female cyclist seriously injured One of the cyclists has not been able to ride her bike since the incident because of a crippling shoulder injury. Again, not the kind of thing a human cyclist could avoid.

Also in the news from Oz, the trial of an accused cyclist-killer has gone to the jury over the weekend. Jury in trial of a cement truck driver accused of killing cyclist Richard Pollett has retired to consider its verdict This was the driver that drove a 2.5 meter wide vehicle through a gap of 3.1 meters and tried to share that 3.1 meters with a bike, or for the metric challenged drove an 8 foot wide truck through a 10’2″ gap with a cyclist in the same space, and says it wasn’t his fault the cyclist ended up wrapped around the back tires of the truck. The standard in TX is anything less than 14 feet of pavement with no other obstructions is too narrow for cyclists to safely share with motor vehicles.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today, less the UK links without any information, and the motorcycle wrecks that didn’t have any bicycles in them.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

The cold weather has arrived, and the Feed

Well as forecast the weather has changed drastically again. The winds are howling outside the door (not mentioned in the forecast BTW), and while not freezing (yet) there is a definite chill in the air that was not there yesterday, in fact it’s approaching noon as I type this and the current temperature is lower than yesterday’s low. So chilly and windy, and we have to go shopping today. Yay! This should be entertaining. Well I guess if it was on TV and I was the buttmonkey character it would be entertaining, but from my standpoint it’s just another Thursday.

Up first today is the Big Story from Seattle with lots of links about a cyclist killed with a semi. Update: Bicyclist killed in crash east of West Seattle low bridge The link with the nicest comments first Bicyclist dies after collision with semi in Seattle and Cyclist killed in collision with truck along East Marginal Way South also Site of fatal Sodo collision a tricky route for cyclists another link Seattle bike rider killed in crash with truck and last link Bicyclist killed in collision with semi truck All those links to say that they don’t know yet how the cyclist ended up under the left side of the truck. at this point they don’t even know which of 5 possible intersections he was hit at, so until them I’m just going to say intersection protocols apply to all intersections between one street or road and any other place where a motor vehicle can come, and use intersection protocols to survive all of them. It was pointed out in some of the links that this area is being considered for segregated bicycle infrastructure because of all the heavy truck traffic, so they already know how to fix the problem and are in the process of fixing it, but you know how fast government works with infrastructure.

An IL man is killed in a hit-from-behind wreck. Bicyclist killed on rural Saline County, Ill., road Charges are pending he completion of the investigation. Hit-from-behind, use the protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent, although I have no idea what could be done in this rural area to get bikes away from motor vehicles. More Cyclist killed by truck in Southern Illinois and Police investigating cyclist death in southern Illinois

Another senseless SUV killing in Oz. Cyclist killed in four-wheel drive accident There is possibility that the cyclist was in the wrong place at the wrong time as the initial report was a rollover wreck, so the cyclist may have been hit by an out-of-control SUV. But the mode of wreck is still being kept under wraps by LEO. More Cyclist killed in Humpty Doo crash

Proof that anti-bike crazies are not limited to the roads. Psychiatrist jailed for booby-trapping Oregon mountain bike trails When I first saw this I thought that Mikey from the old USENET bike groups had taken a jaunt north, but this is a different nut case psychiatrist.

LifeStyle as a cyclist makes a comeback from serious injuries. Santa Clarita cyclist injured in crash now to compete in 620-mile bike race I wish this person lots of luck, but surviving the wreck has shown he already has luck (but a bit more wouldn’t hurt any).

And those were all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Warm day today forecast cold day tomorrow, and the Feed

I just got back from running an errand on Blue, and it was right at 76 out with a light breeze. This is slightly below normal for this time of year here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, but within expected ranges of variation. But tomorrow is supposed to start out at 58 and never get any warmer, then drop to 38 Friday morning. This is insane for May in Texas, where we have averages of daytime highs in the mid-90s and morning lows in the high 50s sneaking up over 60 by the end of the month. And this falls on the heels of the warmest year ever last year, even warmer than the year we had more 100 degree highs than we had days in “official” summer. The seasons seem to be lagging more and more in the last few years with sudden switches from cold to hot weather instead of the gradual changes that have been the norm for most of my memory. I’m told that this will be another consequence of climate change especially for those of us located in mid-continent areas where we don’t have the temperature regulating effects of ocean currents to modulate the weather. Oh, Goody!

And the less said about my allergies, the better. As a former member of my church called it, tree bukakke is no fun, or as I called it last year plants having sex in my sinuses. I don’t object to plant sex if they keep the byproducts to themselves, but this indiscriminate spreading of genetic material about the countryside has to stop. Safe Sex for Plants! (The preceding message brought to you by Prudes Against Public Reproduction)

A scary report from CA. Bicyclist Killed By Hit-and-Run Driver, Cops Say Crash Was Intentional Intentionally hitting someone with a motor vehicle is attempted murder in my book except when the victim dies and then you can drop the “attempted” part off the charges. As the wreck is reported now there is no way for a human cyclist to avoid this wreck, and I’m not sure infrastructure would have helped much unless the driver just lost it over being delayed a few seconds by the cyclist. When they catch the driver I’m of the opinion that he gets to watch his precious car get recycled while chained behind the steering wheel. I should also say that this report brought back a flood of bad memories from my wreck in 2001, specifically the ones about trying to get local LEO to get off their butts and investigate the assault.

From far-West Canuckistan, two more cyclists get hit. Two cyclists hit in separate accidents in Saanich on Monday Two left crosses in the same street within a few minutes of each other, both immediately blamed on the drivers involved, and the drivers get a smaller fine than they would have gotten had they dropped a bag of garbage on the ground instead of nearly killing someone. Am I the only one seeing the problem here? Obviously intersection protocols for the cyclists to avoid these wrecks, but infrastructure and a major attitude change is the only thing that will prevent these in the long run.

A frank discussion of the failures of infrastructure in NC. MOTORISTS’ COLLISIONS WITH CYCLISTS RESULT IN LASTING INJURIES AND ANXIETY The line from the article that causes me the most despair was the first sentence: “It’s not difficult to find a cyclist in Greensboro who’s been hit by a car — just find someone who relies on their bike for transportation.” This implies a 100% chance over time to get hit by a car while just getting from place to place, and that really bothers me. That is an indictment against LEO and infrastructure, and yes active LEO doing good traffic enforcement can make up for bad infrastructure. Not completely mind you, but many shortcomings of bad infrastructure can be erased by heavy traffic law enforcement against the people with the deadly weapons, and the most dangerous infractions of the cyclists.

LifeStyle in GA. Ride for Fallen Officers heads to Savannah As much as I rail against the shortcomings of LEO, they have a hard and sometimes dangerous job.

and those are all the links that gave me fits today, less the motorcycle wrecks and the UK links that didn’t say anything more than a wreck happened and someone got hurt.

Billed @€0.02, Opus (Sorry about raising the rate, inflation you know)

RPG day and maybe mowing the lawn, and the Feed

I finally get to attend another Role Playing Game tonight, and it looks like I will have good weather for the ride to and from the session. Also today is the birthday of our hostess so there may be cake and ice cream during the game. There has been a complaint made about my Eldritch Lesser Pantsing spell so maybe I will have to choose another invocation for my allocation from my level up. The complaint is that the spell/invocation does not follow the rules of magic in the game and is too powerful a spell for a caster of my level. My counter is that the spell is only effective for a few turns and does not provide a major advantage aside from a temporary reduction of AC for the duration of the spell. And I might go buy gas for the mower so I can waste it cutting grass…

Up first a serious reward is offered for the arrest of a hit-and-run driver. $50,000 reward considered in hit-and-run that killed bicyclist I hope they catch this guy, then recycle his SOV/SUV with him in it. More Hit-and-Run Leaves Bicyclist Seriously Injured

From the other LA a cyclist is killed in a hit-and-run assault by another huge vehicle. SPD: Bicycle rider dies after hit-and-run with pickup Nothing official released yet but from the crime scene picture it appears to have been a buzz job or a hit-from-behind. Use the protocols to avoid, and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike 9 years in a row, there was another bicycle collision. Bicyclist, Motorcycle Driver Hurt in Crash at First Avenue North OK I looked at the Street View for this wreck scene and there is no reason why the bicyclist should have been hit except that he ran the stop sign, or as was suggested in the article stopped but didn’t yield. Intersection protocols to avoid and prevent this wreck. Infrastructure only works where people are willing to use it, and this case was one of not using the existing infrastructure properly.

A CO cyclist is injured by parts falling off a truck that was in a wreck. Boulder police: Cyclist injured by dislodged truck topper in multi-vehicle accident This was another one of those wrecks that there was nothing the cyclist could have done to protect himself from. There were 3 vehicles involved and the cyclist was mostly shielded from the wreck by the third one. Unfortunately the top of the truck bed was taller than the front fenders of the third vehicle and the third vehicle was not able to block flying parts off the truck. Infrastructure might have prevented this injury, might not.

Another proposed helmet law gets debated, this time the people proposing the law admit they don’t know how many injuries the law would prevent if any. Bicycle helmet need at odds with county health district records I love it when nanny state regulations are shown to be more intrusive than they are worth.

Still in WA a cyclist argues for more use of their vulnerable users law. Injured cyclist fighting to keep fellow bikers safe The comments section is… interesting

And those are all the links that gave me fits today. Now I’m going to go get gas for the mower… UGH!

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another Mule Day, and the Feed

As I was out of town last week there was no grocery shopping done, and as a result there is a severe shortage of comestibles in Casa de El Poeta. As in no bread, milk, yogurt, or fresh produce… This means I have to get “creative” in finding breakfast and lunch with “non-traditional” foods… I won’t bore you or turn your stomach at what I “found” in the fridge for today’s meals. It was stuff I like, just not stuff I like for breakfast.

And as I was filtering the Feed I started getting news about the explosion in West, just down the road from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. I have both ridden my bike and passed through on the freeway through this town, with a stop at the Czech Stop Bakery for kolaches being a ritual for the recent camping trip. The explosion was not very far from that bakery, but far enough for the bakery to be outside the blast radius, so people I used to interact with twice a year are for the most part OK if they were at work. Prayers and healing energy for the victims, if you would. Fertilizer Plant Explosion In Texas Levels Buildings, Claims As Many As 15 Lives (VIDEO/PHOTOS/LIVE UPDATES) For those wanting some really good kolaches the Czech Stop is located on the east access road on I35 just south of Exit 353. You can tell then that the Witch on a Bicycle sent you, but I think all that will do is just confuse them.

From the “Sucks to live in NY” file come these links. Cyclist Injured by Dog Cannot Sue Owner, though Dog Moved on Owner’s Command and Cyclist injured by unleashed dog can’t sue owner: appeals court No further comments.

A ME cyclist is injured. Cyclist taken to hospital after crash in South Portland No mode of wreck given and also no immediate blame on the cyclist. For this outlet that is a strong indicator that the driver was at fault. But because no mode or exact location was given I can’t tell you how to avoid the wreck, but I can say that infrastructure would have prevented the wreck.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike for 9 years running, another injured cyclist. 76-Year-Old Cyclist Critically Injured By SUV at Cypress Pt. and Belle Terre As of this report it appears the cyclist failed to yield to the left-turning vehicle as he left the sidewalk (unlike the law when the cyclist is in the road where the turning vehicle has to yield).

I’m not sure how to classify this link, only that I really like it. Student designs memorial parklet in honour of cyclist killed on Whyte Avenue in Edmonton

A little crossover between two cultures I love, motorsports and bicycles. Introducing the Long Beach “Ciclovía” That’s right, you get to ride,walk, rollerblade or whatever form of non-motorized transportation floats your boat, butters your biscuits, or rocks your world, on the LBGP course. Except dog-carts or other animal-drawn conveyance, they don’t trust you to scoop the poop.

Last link is a novel form of infrastructure to protect cyclists in the UK. Navevo sat-nav offers cyclist alerts to lorry drivers The idea is to have drivers be especially alert in places where they have killed many cyclists in the past, instead of just banning them completely until their vehicles have been made safe to drive in urban areas.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus