I still have the lump on my neck, and the Feed

I had to call and cancel my MRI because we don’t have the co-pay. So I had to put off the MRI to a point late in April when I should have money to cover the co-pays for everything. The co-pays on this policy are out of proportion to income. Seriously, the ER co-pay is like 50% (+/-) of my monthly budget without medical expenses. The co-pays for a visit to the PCP, the MRI, the consult with the surgeon, and the surgery itself combine to about 2 months of my income, about half of which will not apply to my Out Of Pocket (OOP) maximum. This is one of the results of Gov. Goodhair deciding that Texans would not get expanded Medicaid. Rick, I hope you can sleep at night knowing that there are people who will die because of your decision, that’s all I have to say.

After that heavy intro, something light. The bike lanes in NYC are some of the heaviest used in the US. Including this guy. Ain’t he a hipster?

And as always there is one law for the plebes and another law for the elite. De Blasio’s Position On New Car Idling Bill Remains Hazy

Our Daily Ted almost didn’t make the post today. April Fool-free Morning Links: Maintaining Griffith Park for the many; traffic planning problems in Calabasas Those pedestrian crossing flags are about the stupidest thing I have ever seen, not because they aren’t needed, but because someone thought they were.

Simpsons ride many bikes. #ciclavia

What’s worse, losing $341,000 a year in parking meter revenue, or killing a cyclist or pedestrian a year? Comm. Ave. bike lane plan draws ire: ‘Outrageous’ loss of parking

Portland is using every source to embrace Vision Zero. Bike/walk advocates unveil plan for Oregon to zero out road deaths

And even car-crazy Houston can haz bike lanes. Biking through downtown Houston just got easier thanks to new protected green lane

One of the more dangerous places in NYC is getting an overhaul. “Boulevard Of Death” Will Get Protected Bike Lanes, Pedestrian Walkway

Sounds like this woman missed her Pikes Place latte that morning. Seattle Driver Blocking Bicycle Lane to Cyclist: “I Literally Don’t Give a Fuck About Anything You Say” And instead of just moving one car width to the left to get into the parking lane, the bike lane parker drives off without doing whatever it was that made her park in the bike lane in the first place as she leaves in shame.

Well, what do you know? Finnish drivers don’t yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk either. Police step up surveillance of pedestrian crossings And they also don’t yield to cyclists using the crossings when there are MUPs connected to the marked crossings. Yep, they’re drivers alright.

London’s financial elites are switching from sedate golf to more active cycling, but the roads are still a problem. Bankers swap golf for bicycles but still fear London’s roads

And one of the reasons why they are uneasy “sharing” the roads. Stars’ fashion designer deliberately knocked cyclist off bike after he kicked her Audi TT She cuts off a cyclist, cyclist kicks in the side of her car, she chases down the cyclist and commits assault with a deadly weapon, measured and reasonable responses to the situation. /s

Is it really “bike friendly” if it’s only friendly to commuters? The Web Monkey Speaks: A “Bike-Friendly” city? Let’s redefine that

I liked the comment someone made about this stuff on another link: Like a fraternity selling rape whistles. Cyclists Shine at Night Courtesy of New Reflective Spray This is victim-blaming, pure and simple. It enables drivers to drive faster than they can stop in the distance they can see clearly at night.

All you graphic designers who participated in my tattoo contest might want to get involved in this. IT’S BACK … USA PRO CHALLENGE OFFERS FANS CHANCE TO DESIGN OFFICIAL COMMEMORATIVE POSTER FOR 2015 RACE AND WIN VIP RACE PACKAGE Yeppers, a $50K or more design contest with a grand prize worth a few hundred to a couple grand tops, travel not included… Well if you were going anyway, might as well enter the contest.

Moots restores one of their bikes involved in a fatal wreck. Forever Forward: Sally Bell’s bike rides again If it was anybody else’s bike it would have been scrapped.

And I’m outta links again tonight.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the (very poor) Poet (I’m still an unkillable badass though)

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What a party, and the Feed

Actually that should be “what parties”, because there were two of them this weekend. OK so “party” is less accurate than “extremely exuberant religious service”, but what is the difference between “strictly enforced theme party” and “religious service”? And the Sumerians know how to party with their deities, masculine and feminine. They have a service that celebrates the divine gift of making beer by consuming lots of beer in service, fer cryin’ out loud. The White Elephant exchange was a bit of a madhouse, and the present I thought was going to be fought over didn’t go until the last round and hardly anyone got to see it. The gift I got was a deck of meditations to shuffle through for relaxation purposes, and the other person that went with me from the house got a trio of wrought iron candlestands.

The next service/party was the Veritan service with good food and no booze, but still lots of fun. And yes, we have two groups that do services at SJF for us. The “bread” for the Veritan Yule service was made with cranberries and nuts, and there was mulled cider for the cup. Add in a bunch of seasonal songs sung by the congregation and you have another religious service that feels like a party. And it was a party in a manner of speaking, we were celebrating the return of the sun from its descent into darkness. We moderns understand that the change in the seasons is caused by the 23½° tilt of the Earth’s axis and the sun will return regardless of what we humans do or don’t do. But our ancestors thought the seasons were caused by the interference of gods with the travels of the sun since they made the sun move across the skies anyway, why not make the sun go higher or lower at a whim? So those whims must be appeased to bring the sun back from wherever the gods took it. That’s what makes Winter Solstice services so vital to most European peoples, from their perspective lives were on the line if they didn’t get it right. Nowadays we just see it as a reason to party because, “Hey Party!” but back then they were celebrating continued survival of the planet, so more like “Thank the Gods, Let’s Party!”

Up first is a story I got through several links. Remember that Volvo story I had yesterday about the phone app? There is more to the story. Volvo To Introduce A Cyclist Anti-Collision Warning System and ‘World’s first’ smart bike helmet alerts drivers and cyclists, aims to reduce accidents And again I’ll say, what if you don’t have a compatible mobile phone? You’re basically screwed.

Second big story is from Oz. From mosque to memorial: Sydney cyclists’ tribute ride and Sydney cyclists hold commemorative bike ride for Martin Place siege victims Yes, cyclists can have human sympathy with people that are not cyclists. But you guys knew that already.

Trying to make a difference in the infrastructure in Houston. Pedal forward Seriously they need to get the laws and the attitudes changed to make cycling in TX safe without spending about a billion dollars on infrastructure. And then they need to go ahead and spend that billion dollars because even those laws and attitudes are not going to make people feel safe riding a bike on the roads with multi-ton killing machines inches away from fragile bodies. You can ask Dave Hembrow about “subjective safety” .

NYC still refuses to see the elephant in the room. NYPD: 1,295 Pedestrians and Cyclists Injured, 14 Killed in Traffic in November How many of those were killed or injured by bicycles? Zero killed and an unknown (but low) number injured that are not included in this report. But in spite of this information they are still dedicating way too much time and manpower to writing tickets to cyclists. And they still don’t investigate all the wrecks. NYPD Still Doesn’t Investigate All Fatal Traffic Crashes

And not far from NYC (just across the river) car people take away the only safe bike infrastructure in the entire city of Newark. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to Rip Out City’s First Protected Bike Lane Right, they tore out the bike lane because people couldn’t park illegally. Who does a guy have to kill to get and keep bicycle infrastructure?

The SF cyclist killed by a truck turning right across her lane had earbuds in her possession at the time of the wreck. Cyclist Killed In 2013 SoMa Collision With Truck Being Blamed For Wearing Earbuds No evidence she was wearing the earbuds when the truck turned across her lane and into her, but there was a lot of video evidence the truck turned and ran the vehicle in the next lane over killing the operator.

Still in the SF area of CA, it is hard to ride a bike you no longer have. BART + Bike East Bay Theft Prevention Program This is a lesson I have learned first hand.

Still in CA, the woman who deliberately rammed a LEO on duty as a bicycle cop was out of jail less than 4 hours after she was sentenced. Woman who rammed sheriff’s officer released after serving half of jail sentence She somehow managed to get credit for time served after she violated her probation and was put back in jail. As I pointed out in the BikingInLA post that mentioned this story assaulting an officer goes right out the window when the officer is riding a bicycle.

Speaking of BikingInLA, here’s today’s Daily Ted. Morning Links: CicLAvia sued over Wilshire hit-and-run; LaBonge keeps Glendale-Hyperion Bridge dangerous

Infrastructure! news from America’s Amsterdam. The Life and Times of Clinton Street’s Guerrilla Diverters Nothing like a little DIY documentation of DIY infrastructure.

Still in Portland, the only city with a full-time unicycling bagpiper with flaming bagpipes. Unicyling Darth Vader Santa Claus Plays Flaming Bagpipes at Night There should be a program that pays people to ride unicycles playing flaming bagpipes in every major city…

And my daughter’s new home town alerts cyclists that it’s dark out and drivers can’t be expected to actively watch out for them. Five things you need to know today Edinburgh!

And those were all the links I could find that didn’t give me flashbacks to wrecks.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Celebrating Mrs. the Poet surviving another year, and the Feed

Today is Mrs. the Poet’s birthday. She’s a bit on the old side having memory of all the characters on “The Howdy Doody Show” from when it was on TV the first time. I’m only old enough to remember the Captain Kangaroo premier and JFK’s funeral on TV, Howdy Doody is just a bit before my time. Actually I could have remembered that show except for being out of the country when it was on… Anywho, we celebrated with delivery chinese food and cheesecake, and I bought a special bottle of wine for Mrs. the Poet’s dinner. It cost a whole $0.75 at the corner grocery store 😉 (and I paid for the dinner).

Shared with me from The Slow Bicycling Facebook group. LIMITED EDITION T-Shirt ONLY for Cycling Grandpa I’m the cool grandpa at the grandkid’s place because I ride a bike and give the kid a pedal car.

This bit of HiViz hardware was posted to the article about requiring pedestrians and cyclists to wear HiViz when walking/riding. Lifehammer emergency window breaker You think they’ll see that?

They caught the perps in a series of gang-related bike thefts. Arrest Made In Panhandle Cyclist Attacks This was armed juveniles stealing bikes, using swarm techniques.

It’s hard to solve a problem without getting a handle on exactly how big the problem is. DeFazio leads trio requesting GAO investigation into bike/walk safety I’m really hoping this is only the first step in reforming US transportation policy. not the last one.

Our Daily Ted is good news. Breaking news: LACBC hires Tamika Butler as Executive Director

Really need to work on one of the “E’s” of NYC infrastructure… Woman Fatally Run Over In The Bronx, Driver Not Charged Did you guess which “E” I’m talking about here?

In case you didn’t get the point from the previous paragraph. Unlicensed Driver Who Killed UES Pedestrian Gets $400 Fine, No Jail Time Seriously, if you can’t charge someone in illegal possession of a deadly weapon when they kill someone with it, WTF can you charge people with?

The “best” rail trail. New River Trail State Park

And those were all the links I could find for today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Would you know what day it was absent external cues, and the Feed

Seriously, I am having difficulty remembering what day of the week it is without Mrs. the Poet being at work. A big part of that is her uniform shirt changed based on the day of the week, which reflected the menu for the day. Days when there was red sauce on the menu (that was likely to also be on the people preparing and serving) they had red shirts as part of the uniform, with different colors for other days, and a spirit shirt for Fridays. So I would know what day of the week it was by looking at the clothes Mrs. the Poet put out the night before. Now she doesn’t wear a daily uniform, and nobody knows what day of the week it is without consulting a calendar. Old People’s Problems, amirite?

Up first is this report from Houston. Woman found guilty in hit-and-run death of bicyclist in 2013 That headline could be better worded. Punishment phase underway for woman found guilty in fatal hit-and-run I think the second video is the first time I saw the victim’s bicycle, notice the damage is consistent with a straight from behind impact and that there is a broken reflector mount under the remains of the seat on the seat post showing the bike was visible from behind had the driver been looking in front of the car for a cyclist.

Including this because I build bikes and it is absolutely true. Welcome to Atomic Zombie’s Murphy’s Moments For those not in the know A. Z. is one of the largest vendors of bicycle plans on the Internet.

More infrastructure news from NYC. New MTA Victim-Blaming Campaign Is the Opposite of Vision Zero Again, I want to know how many cyclists have died as a result of running into the back of a stopped bus, versus hit from behind or right hooked.

More NYC infrastructure. New York’s pedestrian and cyclist safety is still a long way from “Vision Zero” More links to the tone-deaf MTA videos.

Remember that MO Mayor who told a cyclist to get off “his” road right before he ran the cyclist over? So does the DA. Sunset Hills Mayor Accused of Striking Cyclist Faces Grand Jury, Impeachment If you were harassed by a red Mercedes convertible with MO plate 3636 please contact the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney with the deets… We might get this one, just like we got Dr. Christopher Thompson in CA. And as I was posting this a refresh of the page brought this to light: “The grand jury has indicted Furrer on one count of second-degree assault, a class C felony, and one felony count of first-degree property damage. Next stop: trial.”

Legal infrastructure news from the most deadliest state in the US. Roman & Gaynor Sponsors the West Coast Cycling Team Lawyers sponsoring a bike team/club, what could possibly go wrong? XD

Canadians are so polite. Passersby lift pickup off injured Canmore cyclist after crash

A little lifestyle from the UK. Family pays tribute to killed Horsham cyclist

The cyclist in this video has about zero reaction time when the car pulls into his lane. This is just a reminder of why I quit doing wrecks. I like my sanity. Cyclist catches crash horror on camera

Will your next bike have a built-in smartphone dock? Upgrade your bicycle into a smart bike with this connected bike system

The best thing about this is there is already a theme song. Oh the shame of being married to a MAMIL (that’s a Middle Aged Man In Lycra) And the theme song: You And Me Baby Ain’t Nothing But Mammals Video I like the machiname on this particular video. I never could get my video game characters to dance, I could barely get them to run in the right direction most of the time.

And those were all the links I could stand to read today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet

Welcome to December, and the Feed

You may have noticed things floating across the blog today, that’s just the “snow” that comes to WP every December to acknowledge that in the northern hemisphere this is the beginning of Winter. We actually had some snow already, but it didn’t stick so we didn’t have anything to show for it. Just as well, people in Dallas go absolutely apeshit when there is anything wet on the roads, and things get even worse when “wet” is also “frozen”. Things are just so strange here in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell… XD

Why was the freeway shut down last week? Shut’em Down for Michael Brown

A little NY Infrastructure! news that is not good. Suffolk residents concerned about cyclist safety This one county is the most deadly county for cyclists in the US, even worse than FL.

The most annoying infrastructure problem ever. Get Your Cameras Ready for Half-Empty Black Friday Parking Lots All those acres of pavement doing nothing, except destroying the tax base.

First they decided it was a great idea to put pedestrians on the bike path, then they start thinking about banning bikes, from the bike path. Push to shut Clover Moore’s City of Sydney shared cycleways: No risk assessment of city’s shared paths increases threat of law suit Here’s a suggestion: ban pedestrians from the bike path instead of bikes.

Our Daily Ted from CA. Morning Links: The Times looks at rising bike hit-and-run rates; and the year’s most inspirational video

Remembering a cyclist that slid under a truck after falling in a mixed experience peloton. More than 200 take part in bike ride in memory of Kendall cyclist This is one of the most dangerous things about riding in a mixed group, one mistake and you’re in traffic. Then you’re under traffic.

NHS is feeling the budget crunch, and the crunch catches injured cyclists. Woman cyclist in her 60s ‘left lying injured in road for an hour and a half’ Yep, this blows the “Golden Hour” all to heck. For those unaware, getting an injured person to medical attention in under an hour from getting hit by or with a car substantially increases the survival rate and reduces the incidence of complications.

Preparing for the change in the weather presaged by the “snow” in the blog. DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW: WINTER BIKE COMMUTING BASICS The biggest thing for riding in winter is keeping warm, dry, and upright… Take care of that and you got it beat.

And those were all the links I could find without wrecks today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the unkillable badass Poet