I just opened the Feed folder in my inbox, saw how many links I have to open and filter to decide if I want to include them that I knew I was going to get at least one computer crash from excessive flash animated ads and wanted to get at least one paragraph saved to WP before I Filtered. After weeks of wearing long pants and sweatshirts (yes I know it was only a few days, stick with me on this one) I’m now sweating in shorts and a (ANSI Safety Lime green) wicking polo shirt in my office. Seriously, it went from 59°F to 77°F in my office in 3 days and I normally turn the AC on when it hits 78. I haven’t had time to acclimate to being warm yet, it wasn’t even this warm yesterday when I was doing that trouble-shooting ride on the new trike. We went from deep winter to summer in a long weekend, with the sounds of lawnmowers filling the air where only last week people were shovelling snow and sleet off their sidewalks. I hope you are enjoying this, because I think it would be freaking hilarious if it was happening to someone else.
Also the entire house is permeated with the smell of corned beef and cabbage cooking as Mrs. the Poet prepares our traditional St. Paddy’s Day dinner. I think I may have mentioned that I am descended from a long line of Irish bards and scholars (for a while that was a redundant phrase as bards were the keepers and purveyors of History among the Irish) so of late we have been getting a little more into our roots, at least culinarily. I have a recipe for Irish Soda Bread that is basically a one-pound buttermilk biscuit made from whole wheat flour, we have about a hundred ways to prepare potatoes, and every March 17 we have corned beef and cabbage for dinner.
Up first the story that is reverberating across the Internet about a callous hit and run in the UK. Teenage Cyclist Hit By Car Told ‘Sorry, I Can’t Stop, It Would Upset My Kids’ and Mum releases shocking photo of cyclist son’s bloodied face after motorist ‘failed to stop’ also UK teen cyclist hit by car told: Sorry, can’t stop, your blood would upset my kids, we’re late for school The blood would upset her kids? What about the kid shedding said blood because of her (presumed) husband’s bad driving? Things like this are what places the category “people in cars” on my version of Sydney Scoville’s “List”. My elder daughter has a much shorter “list” : “I hate people.” followed by a short list of exceptions.
And a stark reminder of where the real danger comes from on the roads. Homeowner cheats death after driver lost control of car and ploughed into KITCHEN Hey! was that house properly painted in HiViz so the driver could see it? And this is the part I really liked: “The building was deemed structurally unsafe and the property was evacuated along with a neighbouring house.” The house was so dangerous they had to get people out of the house that was hit and the house next door in case it collapsed. This is why I compare motor vehicles to artillery in degree of danger.
Another story that is gaining momentum but not at the same rate is a “joke” hate-filled rant by a purveyor of artisanal meats on his company blog. BiteClub: Sebastopol butcher’s cyclist rant sparks outrage and ‘I hate cyclists’ blog post ignites Internet firestorm I did have three more links to this story but they have been deleted since I initially filtered the links. Suffice it to say that the links that were deleted were very hot responses to the also deleted blog post.
Or Daily Ted. Morning Links: NoCal meat man meets justified anger from cyclists; getting ready for Sunday’s Valley CicLAvia
One wonders if this person just does not like people spending time (and money) in her town. SAUSALITO LEADERS CONSIDER CAP ON BIKES ENTERING CITY STREETS First of all, there is the logistics of the proposal, how would they even enforce it? Second, why bicycles that take up little space, are quiet, and non-polluting, but not cars that are none of those?
If you want to kill someone in this country look for someone riding a bicycle. Novi man gets 1 year for killing bike rider and Novi man gets 1 year for killing Port Huron cyclist This point has been made many times, if you want to get away with murder, don’t drink, and hit a cyclist from behind and claim blindness (“I didn’t see him”), and stay at the scene of the wreck.
A little good infrastructure news from OR. Bill in legislature would legalize safe crossings against unresponsive red lights I can’t tell you how many times I have waited 5 or more minutes at a traffic light that does not sense my presence but there is too much cross traffic to run the light…
Community news from where my brother lives. Hundreds turn out for ‘Come Clean for Jae’ community bike ride
Legal update on a wreck in the UK. St Margarets-at-Cliffe van driver Philip Sinden knew fatal crash cyclist Daniel Squire, jury hears And he persists in the SWSS “rode off the pavement (sidewalk) right in front of me” narrative. Stupid git.
Aww, the killer is sad. Is he sad because he killed a little old lady, or because there is a slight chance he may get a small prison sentence? Worcestershire trucker fought back tears at Dudley woman’s crash death inquest
More on the idiot cyclist that almost killed a couple riding a tandem when he ran a red light and crashed into their bike. Cyclist who hit tandem after pulling wheelie while going through red light pleads guilty to dangerous cycling Dollars to doughnuts the cyclist will get a stiffer sentence/fine/community service than a driver that killed.
Less than 4% of traffic, but killed more than 50% of cyclists killed, and most of those were women. Why are lorries responsible for so many cyclist deaths? There is something going on here, and I suspect it is vehicles not suited for the purpose (The HGV).
A little lifestyle in Oz. Close encounter led to long road back
And another Oz passing bill hits their legislature. Drivers to leave cyclists a one-metre buffer when overtaking, under proposed road rule change
And I’m done, and nearly done for.
Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet
Witch on a Bicycle 