I cooked dinner tonight, and the Feed

Well most of it anyway. We splurged and bought ³/₄ of a pound of chicken livers because I haven’t had chicken livers in years. Part of the reasons for that is Mrs. the Poet refuses to go through the mess and bother of cooking them, primarily because she can barely eat them. I wrapped about half a pound of bacon around the livers and fried them up, a preparation method that leaves the livers so that I love them, and Mrs. the Poet will at least have a couple of ounces total uncooked weight so she gets some protein in her meal. Anyway that takes a while to cut the bacon strips in half, wrap them around the livers, and fry them up. So I ended up losing about an hour from the filtering process preparing the blog post, but as this was Friday and I have to wait until after midnight to finish filtering I could afford to take the time out for cooking. And they were goooooood…

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bike beats car in race to beach, Calbike wants your take on bike politics, and BMX legend dies

Still in CA. Bicyclist Suffers Major Injuries in Head-On Crash Near Jalama A person claiming to be the driver in the comment section said she was to the right of the centerline and the cyclist was on the wrong side of the road.

And speaking of that BMX legend, here’s a link off of my Twitter feed. Dave Mirra, BMX Legend, Dead At 41

Down in Houston a 3YO cyclist is run over by a driver that did not know he was there when the SUV started moving. Former UGA star Danny Ware fighting for body of son killed in Texas Again this is more of an issue with the blind spots of the SUV around kids.

In WI a kid-authored bill would make cycling the official state exercise. Kids Advocate for Biking to be State Exercise With two bike manufacturers in-state (Trek and Volae), this is really a no-brainer choice to make.

A bill presented to the FL legislature would strengthen the state 3-foot passing law and extend it to other road users. SPEAK UP FOR SAFETY OF PEOPLE ON BICYCLES, PEOPLE ON FOOT One of the major changes proposed is to put teeth in the law when a driver hits a cyclist from behind (or a pedestrian or any of the other classes of “vulnerable users”) substantial fines are levied against the driver.

More infrastructure news from FL. Recent accidents raises concerns for local cyclists It’s worth noting that of the recent wrecks listed none were the cyclist’s fault and would have resulted in the enhanced penalties in the proposed bill mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Update on an injured CO cyclist. Fort Collins cyclist hit by car remains hospitalized I do wish they would stop saying drivers don’t get hurt when they hit cyclists with their cars.

Death-defying report from NY. Police log: Dogs chase man on bike

Another link to the saga of the unlicensed driver in an HGV running over a cyclist wearing HiViz and blinky lights waiting at a red light. Lorry driver who killed cyclist jail appeal rejected Did he seriously expect to get a reduction in his sentence after having multiple driving convictions and driving without a license or insurance when he killed the cyclist? He’s lucky they didn’t find a way to increase the sentence.

Infrastructure-related wreck in Oz. Cyclist falls on deteriorating Bellarine Rail Trail amid calls for repairs It seems they can’t decide if the cyclist wrecked because the surface was bad, or because the surface collapsed underneath her.

New gadgets for the tool geeks out there. The 6 coolest accessories we’ve spotted this week That suction-cup bike carrier looks interesting.

And I think I don’t have any more links (checks) Nope, no more links.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Advertisement

Another huge Monday Feed

I took a look at the Feed Folder today and at a quick glance it looks huge (or YUUuuge). Now how many of those links are duplicates is an open question, there are some duplicates without a question. If I’m lucky most of the links will be dupes, otherwise I may be sitting at this computer for a long time tonight.

Up first because of proximity a cyclist is hit from behind by a driver making an illegal pass on the shoulder. Cyclist killed in Highway 12 crash The driver got impatient and tried to pass a car by driving on the shoulder, which is semi-legal in TX if the car being passed is stopped and there isn’t anyone to hit on the shoulder. There is nothing a cyclist can do in a situation like this.

Still in TX we get a six vehicle pileup that sends a cyclist to hospital without a single motor vehicle involved so far as we know. Six bicyclists involved in crash in Fulshear

Ted had Too Much Fun at CicLAvia in the first half of Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Images from Sunday’s CicLAvia, and a NY cyclist is bumped by an SUV, then threatened with arrest

Daily Ted part 2. Huntington Beach bike rider has died following last week’s bike lane collision

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike takes another victim. Man on bicycle dies after being hit by car SWCC wreck, except there were two people inside the weapon vehicle.

People who have never been chased by a dog are blaming the cyclist for shooting a dog outside of a fence in rural Wyoming. Decorated combat dog killed after allegedly attacking cyclist and Army Vet Mourns the Loss of Service Dog and Retired Military K-9 After He Was Fatally Shot by Cyclist From the various stories I have read that I can’t link to the cyclist carried a .41 Magnum revolver in a holster on the top tube of the bike loaded with .410 shotgun shells to be a mostly non-lethal means of dealing with feral animals and snakes while riding and does not understand how the bird shot in the shotgun shell could have killed the animal.

Back in CA a cyclist is injured “running” a red. Cyclist fighting for his life after Miramar crash That intersection is huge! There were “only” 6 traffic lanes, a left turn lane, and a right turn lane but I measured the width the cyclist had to cross at between 105 and 110 feet. Even going with the smaller of the two measurements that’s still an average lane width of more than 13 feet. If the cyclist was watching the oncoming traffic for a left cross more than the traffic signal he could have entered a second or two after the amber and been caught in the middle or outer through lanes when the light changed.

More on the CO cyclist critically injured in a hit-and-run. State Patrol Releases Name Of Cyclist Seriously Injured In Hit & Run Why in so many of these wrecks is the weapon vehicle a ratty pickup truck?

Not sure exactly how this wreck happened, just that it did. Cyclist killed by tractor-trailer in Botetourt County The driver left the scene but came back. So there is at least a hit-and-run charge involved, right?

A couple of states over from that wreck we get another serious wreck in DE. Delaware troopers investigating fatal crash in Long Neck that killed a cyclist Another fatal SWCC wreck. I would like to see the bike wreckage. The nose of the car was messed up by whatever else it ran into after hitting the cyclist, so the only possible reliable evidence in this wreck is the bicycle.

What is the best way to prevent winning the door prize? Not having anyone trying to give you one! Oregon Attorney Releases Bicycle Dooring Video PSA “Look For Cyclists” I think making dooring a cyclist a crime commensurate with the possible consequences would also help a lot. “If I open this door without looking I could possibly kill a cyclist and go to prison for a long time. I better take two looks just to make sure.”

Back in CA for a non-wreck story with two links. Injured Veterans Cycle Through Central Coast to Los Angeles and Palo Alto: 200 cycling vets take off on recovery ride As always WoaB suggests getting out and supporting these veterans.

A little MI infrastructure changes going on as Northern cities start to downsize after all their jobs were shipped overseas. A Plan in Progress for a Bike-Friendly Detroit Metro Area There seems to be an abundance of space even on the “Boulevard of Dreams” now that so many cars just flat aren’t there any more.

And in OH they are having the same situation, an excess of road capacity. A 40-Block Bike Path Could Be Coming to Cleveland “Back when Lorain Avenue was built, we had a million people in the city of Cleveland,” Tom McNair, director of the west side development group, Ohio City Incorporated, told WCRN. “We now have 400,000.” So with less than ½ the population you need less than ½ the street capacity that already exists, time for some quick road diets.

A Ghost bike goes up in SD. Local cyclists honor crash victim with ghost bike The driver of the weapon vehicle crossed a sidewalk fast enough to kill a cyclist…

Cyclist right-hooked in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in collision with vehicle Sunday

Aftermath of a hit-and-run in Jolly Olde. Cyclist narrowly avoided death after hit-and-run in Sunderland It’s a good thing the cyclist was able to crawl out of the road after getting hit and breaking his spine. It’s a bad thing that he had to.

Whee! The weapon vehicle burst into flames after hitting the cyclist. Cyclist critically injured, car in flames after collision This is the first time I remember a car going up in flames after hitting a cyclist. Did the broken bike tear loose a fuel line underneath the vehicle?

Last link is from Oz, as a cyclist and a van have a “meeting of the minds”. Cyclist, van in serious city crash near Victoria Park racecourse Any time a cyclist is hit it’s “serious”. Well almost any time, there’s “horrific” and “deadly” at one end of the scale, and “minor injuries” at the other, but how often do you see “minor injuries” in report about a motor vehicle and a bike wrecking. This report seems to be about the second half of the wreck as …”Early investigations indicate the man lost control negotiating a high kerb and veered into the path of the van, which was travelling east on Wakefield Rd.” Why would the cyclist have been trying to negotiate a high curb (American spelling) unless he was run off the road or trying to avoid getting hit?

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

It’s (almost) cold in Texas in August, and the Feed

I had to get up early for some church business and a chunk of arctic air has made it all the way down to the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, leaving the morning low at what feels like 0°F but what was really 65°. I mean it was just a couple of days ago that we were experiencing 100°F temperatures, going from heat indexes of 109 to 65 is similar to stepping into the walk in freezer from a 72° room. Unfortunately since all the screens are torn out of the windows we can’t open any windows to enjoy cool air that hasn’t been artificially refrigerated, so the AC units are still running every so often to rid the house of the excess heat produced by two adult bodies, the computer and fridge. Add to that the heavy overcast means we have to turn on the lights to see where we are walking inside the house and we are still using more electricity than we should. Once again this is life in Texas. Update, today’s high was only 78°F.

Up first is the sad evidence of what a toll affluenza takes on a community. Teen who killed cyclist in DUI hit-and-run sentenced to 1 year, 10 days Kill a human while you drive drunk and stoned and rich and you get a lesser sentence than a poor person who kicked and injured a dog. Congratulations judge, you have now made human life worth less than an injured dog.

After that I need a palate cleanser to keep me from putting a fist through my laptop. Photos: Until Dogs Can Bike, Here’s The Best Use Of Dogs And Citi Bike The dogs (except the lazy little white one in the lower right corner) are dragging the cyclist down the street.

Still in NYC, NYPD says FU to a pedestrian killed by with a bus. Woman Fatally Struck By MTA Bus Driver In Midtown This Morning The picture is of a different wreck than reported in the article. It’s a stock picture for this outlet.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: The Mobility Plan bikelash has begun, and I go off on an unintended rant

A NE cyclist is killed at an intersection. Lincoln man dies in bike-van crash No word on how many “witnesses” who saw the cyclist running the red light were not driving the van that killed the cyclist.

More on the MI cyclist killed while on a charity ride. Memorial ride planned while investigation into Muskegon-area death of Lake Orion cyclist continues Still no word on a suspect, nothing on a weapon vehicle being processed.

A NM cyclist survives impact with a motor vehicle. Roswell boy riding bike injured in collision with car Hit from behind, cyclist blamed for not having “enough” lights or reflectors. “Police said the bike did not have adequate reflectors and lighting.” So in other words the cyclist is blamed for the driver not looking for bicycles.

A ME cyclist is left-crossed and then blamed for the wreck. Woman injured in bicycle-car accident in Belfast Note the narrative, the cyclist “ran into” the car, not the car cut off the cyclist.

Two years after a cyclist is killed by bad infrastructure in SC there are still no plans in place to fix the infrastructure. Mother pleas for changes to Carolina Forest Blvd. after cyclist is hit “The plans to add those bike lanes and walking paths and make Carolina Forest Boulevard a four lane road still have to be approved and added to a referendum that voters will see next year.”

Important infrastructure news from Portland OR. Portland Police now making Vision Zero part of standard procedure

First of two cyclists killed in OH. 14-year-old struck and killed while riding bike It appears to have been a hit-from-behind wreck, possibly a SWSS.

Second death wasn’t a crash. Teen Riding His Bike Shot and Killed in Linden Neighborhood Nothing you can do about getting shot riding in your own ‘hood.

The absolute worse thing that can happen short of death or dismemberment. Help injured North Providence cyclist who lost his bike to thieves Vultures, that’s the most complementary thing I can say about the thieves. There is a special sub-circle of Hell for bike thieves, where they are always late for getting out of Hell because someone stole their bike…

Why are they giving this scum any air time? Gainesville cast member Brian Bunting recently jailed, has multiple arrest history “In late March of 2011, Bunting was involved in an accident that took the life of an Arizona cyclist participating in a Bike Florida event.” He “dropped” his cell hone and drove his F250 into a crowd of cyclists. “(A)nd in February of 2012 was fined $1,000.” And this is why FL kills more cyclists and pedestrians per capita than every state almost every year.

Part of the reason why bicycle commuting is getting bigger in the Crescent City. New Orleans’ transit system still hasn’t recovered, 10 years after Katrina

Good infrastructure from the Great White North. Spotted: A utility vehicle blocking the bike lanes created a temporary bike lane

Also from the Great White North. Quebec City officer charged with dangerous driving causing death of cyclist Hey, it’s not like anyone actually told him that doing the PIT manuever on a cyclist could result in running over the cyclist, and you were supposed to actually catch the cyclist with your hands instead of chasing him down alone in a car.

More crap infrastructure in the UK is blamed for a cyclist’s death by semi. Tollbar Island inquest: Family of dead cyclist do not blame lorry driver Good thing about the infrastructure being blamed is you are allowed to sue the responsible government body for damages in the UK.

Now he’s sorry, at the scene he was blaming the cyclists for getting in the way and being slow, in the bike lane. Sydney driver Thomas Kerr apologises in court to seven injured cyclists I’m sorry, but when you hit 7 cyclists riding single file in the bike lane you are not allowed to say “Oops, I’m sorry!” and get away with it.

Last link is from Enn Zed. Tech savvy triathlete plotting safe cycle routes My fear is knowledge of these routes is going to be used against an injured cyclist in court.

And that’s all. I’m tired, my everything hurts, and I think I just cussed out my wife by accident. The semi-lethal cursing, the one that causes smoking hair and burning synthetic clothes. Remember, stop, drop, and roll. Then call for help because a woman in her 60s isn’t supposed to be dropping or rolling.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

Happy Thanksgiving, and the Feed

There was no post yesterday because I was out buying a TV to replace the worn-out SD TV I have been watching the last few years. There was a huge sale going on at a local retailer prior to Black Friday, so I went down to peruse the products. The 20″ TV I was looking at in the ad was sold out (not surprising in that the sale started on Sunday and I went shopping on Wednesday) but there was a 32″ also on sale for the same price (without the rebate) that was a name brand that still had a couple of boxed units in stock. So I got the 32″ HD TV to replace the much smaller SD TV I had been watching for last few years after the other room mate decided to get rid of it and rather than chunk it in the trash. And as the SD TV still works (except for the color bands that go up the screen), I passed the old TV to the room mate that doesn’t have a TV any more. One thing I’m looking forward to is plugging the laptop into the TV so that I can type with the keyboard lower for better ergonomics while holding my head higher that reduces neck strain. All that will take is a few feet of HDMI cable (and maybe an audio adapter).

The inhabitants of Casa de El Poeta sat down to a traditional Thanksgiving feast this afternoon complete with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce. Pie will be later after dinner has time to settle. We said a traditional Pagan grace over the meal, “We thank the creatures of the forest and field for the sacrifice of their lives to sustain ours.” We also had a dry white wine to accompany our meal which I didn’t like much. I prefer sweeter wines or dark beers to dry whites or red wines.

One thing we didn’t have was football. Instead we watched Mythbusters minimarathon on the Science Channel. I have always like Adam, Jamie, and company and this extended batch is like being a kid in a huge candy store, so yeah, fun.

Up first has NYPD totally lost their minds? NYPD Will Crack Down On Cyclists Because Of Dubious Math While this crackdown was going one three pedestrians were killed, none by people riding bicycles, and one cyclist was killed by someone running a red light as the cyclist had the green…

And more data on the NYPD’s total disregard of what causes death and dismemberment in NYC. NYC Motorists Have Killed Five Pedestrians and One Cyclist in 10 Days That’s actually even worse than it sounds, because two pedestrians and the cyclist were killed within 24 hours. By cars… And the only driver getting charged was the one that left the scene.

Yesterday’s Daily Ted. Pre-Thanksgiving Morning Links: SaMo begins enhanced enforcement; stop bike thieves with a handlebar bomb

It was a good thing this wasn’t published early in Spring, or someone might mistake it for an April Fools’ Joke. Stealing your bike will hurt. This is either a prank, or someone is terribly mis-informed about bicycle handlebars. Check the size specs, these things will never fit into a normal bicycle’s handlebars at 1.25″ in diameter. Also how are you supposed to recharge the battery via USB when the units are sealed behind a plug cemented in the handlebars? Also it would most assuredly be fatal to the thief and probably anyone within 30 feet as “The M67 grenade has a spherical steel body that contains 6.5 oz (180 g) of composition B explosive.” or roughly the same amount of explosives as the Vengecycle.

Infrastructure! news from NC. More bike lanes planned for Raleigh, which had 98 car-bike crashes in a year I got news for you guys: Paint stripes on a few roads will not prevent cars from running over people on bicycles.

More NC infrastructure news from the same media outlet. After three deaths in two months, cycling advocates call for new bike plan, education, enforcement You want another toothless bike plan, or do you want proven infrastructure that gets a 30% bicycle mode share with fewer wrecks?

Why did it take over an hour to recover a cyclist from a wreck after getting hit by a car? Call for inquiry as ambulance responds after 72 minutes to injured cyclist in East Oxford The chances for a bad outcome go up exponentially after an hour from a wreck, the ambulance in this case was 12 minutes past that.

E-assist news. Electric Bicycle Innovations Helping Propel Global Bike Market

This looks like fun… Friday’s Tour de Tryptophan benefits injured SoCal rider If you have a few bucks that you don’t feel like fighting Black Friday crowds to spend, this would be a good one.

I think I did this story once already, but not this outlet. Big hearted Scots cyclist wins legions of fans after halting world tour to save badly injured stray dog The poor doggy has to live with only 3 paws on the 4 legs…

And those were all the links that didn’t have bicycle wrecks in them (except that ambulance one).

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet