Well it’s Yule, and that means the annual Poet family bitchfest about setting up the fake tree even though we don’t have anything to put under it (everybody is getting gift cards this year except for the people I made home-made gifts for). Add to that the fact that this year we have 2 trees, a potted live tree that is already decorated that Mrs. the Poet won at her school district Christmas party and I think is perfect for us (think the tiny tree in “A Charley Brown Christmas” post “love”). I don’t want to fight with setting up the fake tree when we already have a perfectly good live tree that was sitting where we set up the tree anyway.
And because of the weather conditions reported in the headline the tree removal has been postponed because Mrs. the Poet doesn’t want me to drag the extension cord through the swamp that is our back yard after a rain. The extension cord is needed because the chainsaw is electric rather than gas powered. So I would be holding an electric appliance in the rain with the power cord getting dragged through a swamp, what could go wrong with that? 😉
Up first is the final word on a DUI homicide in west TX. Jury chooses probation for Capellan for striking cyclist in July 2012 There was a substantial fine, and a potential 10 year prison sentence that has to be served in its entirety should the driver violate probation.
Closer to home both physically and emotionally. Update: It took Dallas police one day to find Mary Suhm’s stolen custom-made Dallas-themed bicycle Might I remind people that Blue was stolen in August and LEO refused to even accept a picture of me with the bike so they would recognize the bike if recovered.
After a spate of dead cyclists who were hit from behind Austin PD did a sting. APD Cracks Down To Help Bicyclists I could use a law like that to protect me here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. And LEO willing to enforce it.
An unusual report from OH. Grand jury indicts man in bike crash Apparently even hitting a cyclist makes people angry if you do it while drunk. I don’t know that hit-from-behind protocols would be of much use in this one as the second rider was sent over a guard rail, meaning no escape route to make the protocol work. Infrastructure to prevent, like putting the guard rail on the left of the cyclists with clean pavement to the right of the guard rail.
The most deadliest state to walk or ride a bicycle in the US puts another notch in the steering wheel. Cyclist dies in Putnam County crash Thursday evening Apparently the weapon vehicle has deficient headlights so they blamed the cyclist. And since the direction of travel was not given for the weapon vehicle I can’t say what would be the best thing to do to avoid this wreck, but more than likely infrastructure done to the Dutch standard would have prevented it.
A MO wreck that killed a cyclist is called “no criminality suspected”. Police find no wrongdoing in Mo. cyclist’s death
A report on an entitled driver in far West Canuckistan. Hit and run driver asks victim to help free bike from under car The cyclist was hit by a car violating the right of way of the sidewalk as the driver crossed in a driveway, also the injured cyclist was young enough to be legally riding on the sidewalk in Canada. Remember every driveway and parking lot entrance is an intersection and be ready to use intersection protocols at every one. This would be the case even with Dutch style infrastructure.
Umm, I know how angry you get after a hit and run with injury, but taking an axe to the weapon vehicle after the fact is generally frowned upon. Use the axe on the driver 😉 Gold Coast cyclist pushed off his bike strikes back with axe attack on car at Isle of Capri I mean seriously, the guy had been assaulted with a deadly weapon and was still bleeding from the attack and yet he’s the one that got the worse penalties.
An Aussie gets shot in the face in Enn Zed for riding a bike. Australian cyclist injured by paintball Yep, attempted murder, it is.
A IL lawyer says the hooraw over wearing plastic hats could be damaging the cases of injured cyclists. Hysteria Over Bicycle Helmets Could Subvert Justice
Infrastructure in MA. Boston Cyclist vs. Cranky Driver: Who’s To Blame?
SFFD claims pedestrians are a “special interest group”. SFFD Responds to “Special Interest Group Allegations” on Street Safety Also bicyclists, and everyone not in a fire department vehicle.
Infrastructure from Jolly Olde. Boyfriend of cyclist Deep Lee & driver of lorry that killed her criticise TfL & road layout at inquest
And those were all the links that gave me fits about bicycles today.
Billed @€0.02, Opus
Witch on a Bicycle 