I’m Schrodinger’s Millionaire again, and the Feed

Yes I am once again simultaneously filthy rich and dirt poor until 2045 local time when the Powerball drawing takes place. Seriously, Schrödinger didn’t need to use a cat in a box to illustrate something being two things at once, he just needed a lottery or sweepstakes drawing. And he could have saved the trouble of building a cat-killing chamber triggered by radioactive decay for his random event. But I suppose Schrödinger’s Sweepstakes wouldn’t be as memorable as the cat experiment. And I know that Schrödinger’s Cat was a thought experiment, not an actual physical experiment involving a real cat. That would be silly, and cruel to the person that had to put a cat in a box with all its claws. OK and cruel to the cat in the box too.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: 75-year old cyclist cuffed and ticketed for riding legally on I-15; Specialized says they’re sorry

Still in CA. DEVORE: Ghost bike honors cyclist killed in crash with car

This is going to be a major theme in today’s post. Parents of children killed in DUIs call for tougher laws Incredible as it may seem more than 40 years after the founding of MADD it is still only a misdemeanor no matter how many you get in the state of PA.

And over in AK, they’re having hearings in reaction to the death of a cyclist. Daughter of cyclist killed in 2014 hit-and-run testifies against bill to soften sentencing laws

And Bike Portland weighs in on language used to describe bike wrecks. Dear fellow journalists: This is why you should use #CrashNotAccident

And today we get 4 days of wrecks from NYC. Hit-And-Run Driver Fatally Struck Man Who Was Allegedly Lying In East Harlem Crosswalk Video of the crime scene posted showed the victim just “appearing” in the intersection. One second he’s not there at all, the next he is lying on the street, having been dragged from someplace as he slides into the intersection.

And another NYC ped is hit and killed in another crosswalk. City Blames Pedestrian After Cop Fatally Runs Him Over In Crosswalk The video of the fatal wreck is just nauseating when seen after reading NYPD blaming the victim for his own death.

Well one out of 3? Hit-And-Run Taxi Driver Says He Thought He Hit A Pothole, Not A Person I’m sure every pothole makes your car go up first instead of falling down into a hole.

A KY girl misjudges the speed of the cop car that stops in front of her. Young girl injured after riding bike into the side of a police cruiser Yeah, this has happened to me minus the impact. Approach the intersection with the belief that slightly slowing will cause you to pass behind the car, and the car stops. I had to slam on the brakes to prevent a wreck, the girl had no place to go and hit the car.

More on a wreck in Scotland. VIDEO: Tributes left at roadside for tragic teen cyclist killed on Moray road

More on an Oz truck driver who saved a cyclist. Ettalong Beach truckie recognised for heroic act on M2 motorway

And possible fun times. Polish Moon Ride Registration Open The post-ride festivities look to be as much fun as the ride. Enjoy!

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

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Another Grocery Day! and the Feed

Yep, time to buy mass quantities again. This time we have a bit more money in the budget, and more than 10 minutes to shop. Also I need to get some really salty snacks…

While I was there I checked my BP and weight with the health tester in the store. I lost another 2 pounds, and managed to get my BP all the way up to 109/75. Woo!

Up first, Houston has a problem. Transportation officials to revive safety council They had several bicycle death or serious injury wrecks, and now they decide they have to “do something”. And one of the major impediments to “doing something” that might actually work is TX speed limit laws. The CROW manual suggests a 20 km/hr speed limit for streets where bicycles and cars share the lane, that’s 12.5 MPH, while the TX laws are that you need to have a dispensation from the legislature for any street or road to have a speed limit less than 30 MPH, which they will let you reduce to 25 MPH or basically twice as fast as the CROW manual would allow. And the laws only allow a limited number of streets to get the 25 MPH speed limit. And unless you tame cars, people on bikes and foot will continue to get killed.

Out Daily Ted. Morning Links: Effing around on the Orange Line, JSK at the Hammer, and LA cyclist guilty of pimping PEDs At least the guy driving the ³/₄ ton PU was backing away from the cyclist instead of blocking the bike path because “I’m bigger than you”.

Still in CA. Cyclist killed in Carlsbad crash and Cyclist Killed in Carlsbad Crash, Roads Closed When I read this story yesterday I didn’t have any pictures so I pronounced this a SWSS, but now I don’t think that’s true, partially because the wreck was in the lane next to the median between the bike lane and a left turn lane. Now I say that the cyclist misjudged either the speed or the distance away from the intersection for the weapon vehicle. Or maybe both, and either thought the car would pass before she got to the turn lane or that she would get to the turn lane before the car got there.

Also still in CA. Fresno burn center chief William Dominic, seriously hurt on bicycle, seeks help to find hit-run driver I think I might have mentioned once or twice about how much I hate hit-and-run drivers. If the victim lives then I can allow the driver to live and watch their vehicle go through the car shredder from the driver’s seat. This would actually be a very humane method of execution because by the time the pain sensations from the driver’s feet reached his brain, there wouldn’t be a brain there to interpret them as pain. It would be nearly instantaneous, unlike the lingering deaths many hit-and-run victims suffer through waiting for someone to find them.

Continuing with the theme of my least-favorite kind of wreck in MD. Driver spared jail time in hit-and-run with cyclist in Annapolis The cyclist was extremely lucky in this wreck. and so was the driver not to get charged with attempted murder for deliberately hitting a cyclist at a red light. This was not a typical hit-and-run this was a road rage assault. And the driver was very lucky the victim was so forgiving.

Another OH cyclist death. 79-year-old Lancaster man on bicycle killed in crash The cyclist was hit from behind with the sun just barely to his right, not in driver’s eyes at all. This was totally the driver’s fault, there is nothing in the conditions to even remotely excuse the driver for hitting the cyclist from behind.

This MO wreck just has no excuse either after the initial impact. Cyclist injured by semi during hit-and-run in South County WTF!?! You hit a guy with a semi and then leave him laying on the side of the road after you get out and look at him?

Wreck in FL. 71-year-old cyclist dies in Collier crash Things really are changing in FL. Not too long ago they would have blamed the dead cyclist no matter who was really at fault, because cyclists “didn’t belong” on the streets. Now if the driver is at fault they will be blamed just like any other kind of wreck.

Up in NYC there is “no criminality suspected” in a pedestrian getting hit in the crosswalk in spite of a law making hitting a pedestrian in the crosswalk a crime. No ROW Charge for Garbage Hauler Who Killed Woman in UES Crosswalk The driver’s excuse holds up about as well as wet facial tissue for anyone except NYPD, who have a bad cultural case of windshield bias. There’s no excuse really, the driver had to have had a clear view of the crosswalk if he could see out of the vehicle at all.

NYC infrastructure. Citing FDNY Concerns, DOT Removes Two-Block Protected Bike Connection It takes years of public hearings to get one of those put in, but only a few hours to get them removed? TANJ!

MA infrastructure. After Cyclist Death, Brother Pushes For Truck Side Guards Not only do the side guards prevent pedestrian and cyclist injuries and deaths, they also save fuel, so win, win, win, win!

Va. Beach infrastructure to enhance the experience of an arts district. Virginia Beach’s arts district could get $4 million infrastructure makeover Bike lanes and sidewalks to go with improved storm drains.

Infrastructure from West Canuckistan. Bike infrastructure pays off: SFU researcher Induced demand works for bicycles just like it does for cars, only there is also the factor of “latent demand” where people want to ride but won’t or can’t because the infrastructure isn’t safe.

From Jolly Olde, this driver was none too jolly. Woman accused of hitting a Chinese cyclist and a leaving him to die in a ditch overnight ‘hated Asians,’ her family tells inquest I would call this a case of murder, because the cyclist died from exposure caused by being left, and would have recovered had he been treated for his other injuries he got in the wreck. IOW the “run” part of “hit-and-run” is what killed him, not so much the “hit”. And she may have done it on purpose, both the hit and the run.

A little UK infrastructure that I’m not sure I like. Major plans to make Tamworth a ‘no-go zone’ for boy racers to be considered First of all there is the freedom of association aspect, second is the use of the commons aspect. I don’t like the hooning about, but this reeks of the “anti-cruising” ordinances from the late ’70s and early ’80s that were found to be unconstitutional here in the US. I do like the part about getting them to not drive like maniacs.

Still in Jolly Olde, still not very jolly. Four year sentence for driver who killed cyclist while driving at double the speed limit The perp was smiling at the light sentence he got for cold-blooded murder of a random person on the street.

This is just mean, but funny. Exploding saddle prank catches thieves unawares, and more of the best cycling videos I mean how stupid are these guys (and every last one of them was a guy) not to see the explosives duct-taped to the bicycle seat? They were lucky that stupidity only hurt a little and didn’t cause any serious injury, even if a couple of the bike thieves got racked up by the exploding air bag.

Moving north in the UK, are cobbles worth the effort when your streets are mostly used by cars? Edinburgh Aims to Fix Cobblestone Street Repair First of all let me say that when I was a kid I rode my bike on a street that still had the original paving from when the Romans built it around 100 CE, because they never let anything heavier than a light cart drawn by an ox drive over it, making it over 1800 years old and still in good shape. But roads built the same way are destroyed in a decade when motor vehicle traffic pounds them to rubble.

A truck driver in Oz pulled over and administered first aid to a fallen cyclist until paramedics arrived to take over. HANSON TRUCK DRIVER AWARDED FOR HELPING INJURED CYCLIST This was the exact opposite of a hit and run, a help and run. As they say,”Good on ya!”

The guy that helped a driver commit the run part of a hit-and-run in Oz gets charged. Second man in court over cyclist Gordon Ibbs killed in Anakie crash

Last but most definitely not least, a recall on hubs. High-end bicycle wheel hubs recalled for crash risk This was in the Daily Ted, but I thought this was too important to risk you not clicking from Ted’s article.

And I have to get up early again tomorrow.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Things are a bit somber here, and the Feed

Even the cats are a bit subdued as we here at Casa de El Poeta were informed that Mrs. the Poet’s youngest sister died this morning from respiratory arrest. This was totally unexpected to everyone except the deceased sister who had been telling people she wasn’t going to be alive to see any of the festivities this summer ever since last summer. She leaves behind a bereaved partner of more than 2 decades whom she never married. Mrs. the Poet will be leaving for the memorial service Wednesday, and the cats and I will hold down the fort here.

Up first is a driver left crossing 8 (eight!) cyclists down in Austin. Bicyclist team hit by van in Lakeway Three cyclists were injured while many bikes were damaged. Driver given ticket… Lawsuits to follow.

On the other side of the state from that wreck a cyclist is hit by a train while waiting for another train to clear the tracks. Bicyclist struck, killed by train in Canyon Wrecks like this are why I state in the protocols to NOT BE ON THE TRACKS when there is a train in the area, you can’t hear the other one coming if your attention is absorbed in the one crossing first.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: New women’s hour record, Ed Begley Jr. bikes the Oscars, and no more $10k tech bikes

Daily Ted Part 2. Bike rider killed in early morning Victorville collision; SB County deaths already exceed total for all of last year

Still in CA. Montclair police search for hit-and-run driver that struck, killed bicyclist and Candlelight vigil held for Montclair bicyclist killed in hit-and-run My opinions on hit-and-run drivers are well-documanted on this blog. The driver deserves no mercy when caught, as he showed no mercy on the deceased.

Also in CA. Fontana bicyclist’s death serves as reminder of how drunk driving can cause tragedies There are tags for this blog that explicitly convey my opinions of drunk drivers. That would include the tags for this post.

Hit-from-behind wreck in WI, multiple links. Lena bicyclist killed after struck by truck and UPDATE: Bicyclist struck and killed by SUV in northeast Wisconsin is ID’d also UPDATE: Man identified in bicycle crash this too Cyclist’s death warns drivers & riders to share the road At this point there has been nothing released on the mode of the wreck other than both vehicles were going the same direction. So it might have been a buzz job or punishment pass or the driver could have just failed to process the existence of the cyclist in the road.

Serious injury wreck in MO. Carthage cyclist sustains serious injuries in accident The wreck is being blamed on a ninja cyclist.

From CO comes a plea for drivers to pay attention to cyclists on the roads. Letter: Cyclists have right to be on Fort Collins’ roads Comments typically blame the cyclist for being on the road where he was killed.

A UT hit-and-run driver is seriously undercharged. Collision injures cyclist, driver cited for leaving scene The driver removed the weapon vehicle from the scene and then tried to hide it from LEO, why wasn’t she charged with interfering with an investigation?

Memorial service in WA. Memorial ride honors Yakima bicyclist killed in crash This wreck was caused by a driver believed to be impaired and charged with vehicular manslaughter.

We have a bunch of links to a very busy NYC wreck factory this weekend. 3 Killed and 2 Injured in Hit-and-Run Crashes Across New York City and Three People Killed In Separate Hit-And-Run Incidents also NYPD Releases Video Of Hit-And-Run Driver Who Killed Cyclist In Park Slope this too UPDATED/CORRECTION: Pedestrian Killed On 5th Avenue This Morning In Apparent Hit-And-Run, Cops Say not done yet Man Killed By Driver Who “Felt A Large Bump” You will have to just read the articles in the links. There are way too many wrecks with no actual cyclists involved.

Memorialization of a cyclist killed by another drunk driver. Family, friends dedicate ‘ghost bike’ to cyclist struck on Richmond Road See the tabs, again, for what I think of drunk drivers.

Last NYC link is infrastructure. Councilman Admits Mischaracterizing Prospect Park West Bike Lane During Battle Over It This remains ridiculous.

Infrastructure from West Canuckistan. Stanley Park Causeway improvements complete three years after tragic death of cyclist This wreck was caused by a pedestrian pushing a cyclist in front of moving traffic.

Legal infrastructure in Oz. New cycling laws come into play today including increased fines Highly questionable legal infrastructure changes making cycling infractions more expensive than driving infractions. I mean when you think about how many people get head injuries in cars, why don’t they have helmet laws for drivers and passengers in motor vehicles? And have $300 fines for not wearing them?

And final link is a repeat that needs repeating. How to Pass a Bicyclist

And I’m all out of links, now I have to console Mrs. the Poet about her sister’s sudden demise.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I hope the cats are happy, and the Feed

After picking up the parts to build the new railing for the church steps, we discovered that the drill bit we used to make the holes in the concrete for the anchors had gone AWOL. After spending almost an hour going through the church tools looking for the bit, we decided that we didn’t have the time to get another bit and install the rail that I had just assembled, so we come back Sunday after morning service and drill holes and pound in anchors then run the nuts and bolt down the rails.

After coming back from the failed attempt to install the rails, I had to walk to the store to buy cat food. “The store” in this case is a mile away, resulting in a 2 mile round trip. On the to the store leg I found some bad infrastructure, beg buttons that failed to trigger the pedestrian crossings, so I called Garland Streets to complain aboutnotify them of the situation. On my return trip all the beg buttons functioned perfectly. So that was a win.

Speaking of win, I bought two quick-picks for the PowerBall tonight, one annual payments and the other cash option. Should I be so lucky as to win tonight there will be a major shift in tone and subject matter for this blog as I will be spending my money on getting bike infrastructure done to CROW Manual specs installed in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. That would be Monday-Thursday. Friday-Sunday would be building my Sprint-T and Mini Sprint-T, a step-by-step recounting. So my two favorite subjects, keeping people safe from cars, and building cars, in alternating segments. Crossed fingers. XD

Up first is a SWSS down the road a piece from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Cyclist killed in Killeen fatal accident At least this was a more sophisticated way of saying “swerved”: “began riding his bike diagonally“.

Our Daily Ted, Part 1. Morning Links: Expo bike path meeting tonight, and bikes may or may not be banned from Camp Pendleton

Ted part 2. 47-year old bicyclist killed in collision with semi in Downey Wednesday am Surviving a collision with a semi is really dicey.

Still in CA. Family of cyclist killed on Page Mill seeks witnesses I place at least half of the blame for this wreck on infrastructure that had cyclists crossing highway traffic to get from one bike lane to the next in the same direction.

Infrastructure from America’s Copenhagen. Martin Greenough died one month ago: Here’s the latest from ODOT, the BTA and his girlfriend

Also from Portland, the battle for trail access continues. With River View access in the balance, NW Trail Alliance urges attendance at council meeting The vest reason why this is improtant is this quote: “Commissioners Fritz and Fish trashed an inclusive public process to remove cycling from the list of approved activities in the Park. There’s no scientific evidence against allowing bikes, and the community listening process clearly showed that there is very high public interest in allowing them.”

From NYC we finally find out what it takes to get a killer driver thrown in jail for more than a few days. Serial Reckless Driver Who Killed UWS Woman Sentenced To Up To 3 Years The dude drove from 1982-99 without a license, and gathered in the following convictions: 1 hit-and-run, 3 speeding (including 2 aggravated speeding in excess of 30 MPH over the limit), 5 disobeying a traffic control, 1 failure to yield to an emergency vehicle, 2 no license, 2 running red lights, 2 no insurance, 1 unsafe lane change, 1 improper signalling, and a separate conviction for aggravated unlicensed driving. “In the six months prior to the killing, Mercado had hit three other pedestrians, including a 13-year-old boy in Queens.”

Then again they have “stuff” like this. Driver Who Killed Fort Greene Pedestrian Doesn’t Even Get His License Suspended Yeah, it was suspended when he drove into the sidewalk to avoid hitting a bus, but they took the car so it won’t hurt anything to give him his license back. /s (where is that sarcasm html tag? It has been promised for years)

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike comes news they are going to “Do something about it”. St. Pete Police trying to prevent pedestrian, cyclist deaths So they are apparently criminalizing splitting the crossing to make sure you can get from one side to the other by waiting for traffic to clear on the other side after crossing in the gap from the near side. You know instead of criminalizing hitting pedestrians and cyclists.

More on a MD cyclist killing. Neighborhood activist grapples with son’s alleged role in murder

You may be forced to connect your car to a device that sends your driving data on things like braking and acceleration to your insurance company. The big data of bad driving, and how insurers plan to track your every turn Forced as in sure they will “sell” you insurance, but only people who can afford to pay someone else to drive will be able to afford it.

Serious infrastructure news. New Mode Choice Model Helps Officials Make Stronger Case for Transit Improvements Better transit means fewer drivers means better cycling even without infrastructure improvements, but it also mean infrastructure improvements to handle the “last mile” problem.

Your assist bike might really be able to die some day. IU scientists develop biomaterial for fuel cells That’s right, living fuel cells that are more efficient than what we have now. Just add hydrogen and get electricity.

And it might be made by this company. Yes, Ford is Serious About Electric Bikes (Still)

From the Great White North is another report on that ridiculous sentence for killing a cyclist. Cyclist’s parents rip sentence for driver in hit-run and Driver who hit and killed cyclist Tom Samson sentenced to six months in jail I keep seeing “3 months served on weekends” and I also keep seeing things like 15-22 weekends and they just don’t mesh. By my math 3 months is 46 weekends. Just saying.

I really don’t know how to classify this tidbit from Bermuda. Retro-style bicycles prove a St George’s hit The only comment was a complaint about the bikes blocking the sidewalk outside the store.

More on the ridiculous sentence of a driver assaulting a cyclist with his car. Angry war vet who mowed down and killed cyclist jailed for nearly 5 years Five years for a deliberate murder? TANJ!

Another SMIDSY wreck only this one actually got prosecuted. Man avoids jail after hitting cyclist who came ‘close to being killed’ with his lorry Nothing near enough for the seriousness of the wreck, but better than nothing which is what it would have gotten a few years ago.

More on the situation in Malta. Cyclists and motorists The driver blames all road sins on cyclists, or the fact that cycists exist.

And it’s not your imagination, drivers really do think that all cyclists break the law on a regular basis. What Do Drivers Really Think About Cyclists?

And I’m outta links again.

Billed @$0.02, Opus the Poet

I think we haven’t had any mass shootings today, and the Feed

Yeah, it’s been that kind of day today. My Feed has been about ²/₃ filled with reactions to the latest shootings and ¹/₃ with bike stuff. It was depressing, even more than usual. So to lighten the mood here’s a picture of Mrs. the Poet in her new career as a cat bed.

I got 2 bits of good news not bike related. First off was notification that my cars shipped from CA this afternoon and are expected to arrive in 5 days. Second was a vendor for the engine I want to put in the Mini Sprint-T. When you click on this link click on the LS Engine kits button and you’ll see the LS7 kit (with a manual transmission) but they also sell a slush box that mounts in place of the manual tranny. If you click on the engine kits button you can see that kit listed.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Update: Bike rider killed in San Diego’s Mission Valley Thursday night; ; 12th cyclist killed in SD County this year

More on that wreck in Ted’s link. Bicyclist hit, killed by BMW in Mission Valley and Cyclist hit, killed in Mission Valley From all the information I got from all three links including the video linked in Ted’s post I kinda know what happened but not why. The cyclist was going as fast as he could across the road because there was limited sight distance and he estimated that he had just enough time to get to the other side. The damage done to the weapon vehicle shows a strong directionality from the right front corner to the center of the windshield, and a totally smashed windshield that testifies to a high rate of speed between 60 and 70 MPH. The bicycle showed the impact was to the side on the front of the bike.

Infrastructure news from GA. Seems backlash has killed plans for Peachtree bike lanes Enjoy your traffic jams and fatalities, you earned them. Instead of getting bike lanes that relive congestion and reduce speeds during periods of light traffic, you get more of the same.

If you want to reduce traffic fatalities which group do you do enforcement actions against, motor vehicles or bicycles? To Make NYC Streets Safer, Focus on the Cause of 98 Percent of Harm NYPD acts like all wrecks will go away if they ticket enough bicyclists, but given the relative lethality motor vehicles are where they should be concentrating their efforts.

Remembering a cyclist killed in the Great White North. Memorial Walk up Claremont to Commemorate Cyclist and ‘Ghost bike’ march calls for safer streets after cyclist killed The most telling quote from both links, “Noting the excessive lane capacity on the Claremont Access, memorial participant John Neary wrote, “Claremont was totally closed for [approximately] ten minutes. Nine minutes after one lane reopened, it’s empty again.”” One. Lane. Ten Minutes. And that handled all the traffic of a lunch hour rush. It’s no wonder traffic moves at freeway speeds in spite of the 70 km/hr (43.5 MPH) speed limit.

Over in Jolly Olde a young cyclist is killed when the way was blocked by parked cars. 11-year-old cyclist killed in crash with roadsweeper Hit from behind when cars blocked the road parked on a double yellow line when according to the law “Double yellow lines indicate a prohibition of waiting at any time even if there are no upright signs.”

Another law-breaker gets “severely” punished. Derek Cheney, 63, who killed cyclist on the B3147 near Dorchester gets banned from driving Yep, he killed a man while driving and gets “banned” from driving. I use the quotes because unless he gets caught the ban is worthless. Meaning he has to break a traffic law in the presence of LEO to the effect that he attracts their attention enough to stop him and ask for his license to make the ban mean anything.

A stupid cyclist has a wreck on video. Video: Cardiff cyclist hit by car as he rides through red light and from the Daily “we hate bicycles for no reason” Mail. Dashcam catches the horrifying moment cyclist was thrown into the air after pulling in front of a car without looking I lost count of how many times I looked at the Daily Mail version and TBH I couldn’t say for certain if the cyclist was running the red at that intersection or hit from behind crossing with the light. But people with access to the video with higher resolution say the cyclist ran the red.

More on the proposal to make traffic claims under £5K go up against insurance companies and their lawyers without representation. Injured cyclists could be big losers from Osborne’s autumn budget

Aaannnd another hit-and-run. Hit-and-run driver left cyclist with severe injuries after Epsom collision Including this because the mode of wreck was given as hit-from-behind, and y’all know where to find how to avoid a wreck like this in the protocols section at the top of the page.

Another hit-and-run in Oz this time. Champion hit-run cyclist suffers spinal damage as police reveal new lead Again, I loathe hit-and-run drivers with a purple passion.

And in Enn Zed a pinball wreck with a cyclist as the pinball. SUV knocks cyclist into traffic, flees scene AFAIK the cyclist was walking her bike through a dangerous intersection when hit by the first vehicle, that then left the scene.

And I’m finally out of links, and patience.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Yay, I mean OUCH! I have a cat, and the Feed

This is what happens when your kitten starts to fall off your lap while you’re trying to type. Warning, it ain’t pretty.

Front claws in the thigh, back claws in the calf and he still ended up in a pile of fluff on the floor. Fortunately it didn’t hurt that bad initially, until I started to disinfect the scratches with hand sanitizer. Then it really hurt. But as you can see there is no infection, so the pain was worth it. The kitty hugs and kisses are worth it too.

Up first, a cyclist is killed by a driver in a stolen car he didn’t know was stolen. Cyclist and driver killed in crash on NW 12th Avenue in Miami and Bicyclist, Driver Killed in Fiery Crash in Miami also Video Shows Aftermath of Fatal Fiery Wreck in Miami this, too Bicyclist, stolen car driver killed in violent Miami crash, police say not done yet Questions arise after new details released in fatal car crash with cyclist OK as it stands now, the driver of the car thought he had a screaming deal on the Lexus which turned out to be stolen. I don’t know why he was being chased by LEO but you can see in the one surveillance video the Lexus and several cop cars following close behind. The cyclist was reportedly almost on the sidewalk after crossing with the light when he was hit so hard his legs came off his body, about a block before the car hit several objects and a tree on the side of the road and burst into flames. As for what a cyclist could have reasonably done to avoid this, I got nothing.

The other big story is over on the Isle of Man, where the kitties with the funny tails come from. Suspended sentence for driver who killed cyclist on Isle of Man upheld following appeal and Sentence unchanged for driver who killed cyclist So basically cyclists are worth about the same as the island’s famous cats.

A MI cyclist is hit “crossing” the road. Cyclist, Still Unidentified, Seriously Injured in Crash SWCC that I can’t say anything about because I don’t have any pictures of the bike. At this point they aren’t saying who had the right of way, or much of anything aside from the intersection and the direction of the weapon vehicle.

Over in AL a cyclist is blamed for getting hit from behind. Cullman bicyclist struck, killed by vehicle on St. Joseph Drive OK so maybe lights and reflectors on the bike would be a good idea, but the fact remains the law says drivers have to only drive as fast as they can stop in the distance they can see clearly, and this driver didn’t.

Salmon cyclist gets hit in GA. Cyclist struck after riding down the wrong way on Turner McCall Boulevard This is a textbook case of why you ride with traffic. The driver was turning right and looking left when he pulled in front of the cyclist and buckled the front wheel of the bike.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: BOLO alerts for a bike thief and a stolen e-bike, and a section of the LA River bike path closes

Daily Ted, part 2. Bellflower bike rider killed in August hit-and-run; one-third of LA County bicycling deaths are hit-and-runs

Still in CA another link to the guy killed trying to get to the bike lane in the median. Cyclist killed on Page Mill Road The consensus at this time is most of the blame in this wreck is on the infrastructure and the extremely dangerous merge across two lanes of 50 MPH traffic to get from one bike lane to the other.

Meanwhile on the other side of the country we discover the driver that flipped his car over on top of the guy walking on the sidewalk was not driving with a valid license. Unlicensed Driver Arrested After Killing Man On Crowded Brooklyn Sidewalk He was trying to prevent another car from passing him and lost control. Of course because he didn’t have a license to remind him that driving is a privilege and not a right.

Yay! Infrastructure changes coming to NYC. DOT To Unveil Plans For Protected Bike Lane On Amsterdam Avenue Small steps, baby steps.

And then they totally blow the progress they made with the bike lanes and pedestrian protection with this BS. Drivers Keep Killing Pedestrians, So The NYPD Will Crack Down On Jaywalkers Is stoopid an STD? Because if it isn’t then fvck the NYPD. A full 33% of the victims were not even in the street.

Changing the laws because NYPD doesn’t care otherwise. New Law Would “Protect” Pedestrians Once The Countdown Clock Starts NYPD is saying that once the countdown clock starts you lose your right-of-way as a pedestrian.

The way to avoid getting killed in Canada isn’t to wear a helmet, you need to grow ovaries. Female cyclists have lower hospitalization rates, study finds Of course this is exactly counter to experience in the UK where 6 out of 7 cyclists killed in London was a woman crushed by a semi or large delivery vehicle.

This just seems like a good way to get an assault charge. Injured cyclist to meet driver “Good afternoon, this is the man who crippled you for life. Please try not to strangle him with his own intestines.” Yeah, I can see that working real well.

Sometimes Bicycling Magazine gets it right. Five Cyclist-Blaming Headlines—And How to Reframe Them The one I hate is the drunk driver that doesn’t get mentioned until after 2 paragraphs of victim-blaming. Except there is usually 5 or 6 paragraphs of victim blaming.

Last link may end up being one of the most important changes to e-assist technology in history. Hydrogen Fuel Cells Are Becoming Too Big to Ignore Cars could refuel/recharge in about 5 minutes, e-bikes in 5-10 seconds. Imagine 10 seconds connected to a high-pressure hose instead of 2 hours connected to mains current.

And I’m done for the day. I went out again to build up some points on that mobile game and managed to clear $0.40 +/- but it was a bit rough on the feets.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Another Grocery Day combined with a UPS run, and the Feed

I just took over $40 a month off my internet and cable TV bill by sending a bunch of unneeded equipment back to Verizon, and dropping a bunch of channels we never watch. The only channel I didn’t get but really wanted was MAV TV. Well the only channel I didn’t get that was available through FiOS, I still wanted to get Funimation Channel for my anime fix but that was not an option. Anywho while I was going to the UPS store I had the phone out capturing check-ins and prize boxes to get that next gift card, and hit my bag limit before we got back to the grocery store. That puts me even closer to that next gift card.

The blister situation on my foot has gotten both better and worse. The “swollen” part from yesterday turned out to be a second blister underneath the first blister. That first blister started to peel off the bottom of my foot so I cut the dead skin off so that it wouldn’t tear off and pull out some live skin. After doing that the other blister immediately started feeling better. So that’s good-ish.

Up first, we cyclists sometimes have soft spots for critters, especially the ones that get hurt on the roads. Cyclist comes to aid of injured deer All together now: “D’aaawwww!”

Since we are in CA anyway, how about our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: 77-year old victim of bike hit-and-run dies, arrest made in Expo Park road rage murder case

Daily Ted, part 2. Mountain biker dies from trail fall in Riverside County

Still in CA, another link to the SFPD report blaming a cyclist’s fatal wreck on not being in the bike lane that wasn’t there. SFPD Once Again Blames Cyclist For Own Death, City Refuses To Release Video Of Accident

More from CA as people local to the wreck blame the infrastructure for the wreck as much or more as they did the driver and cyclist. Bicyclist killed Tuesday was a Silicon Valley executive Basically the cyclist was hit because the bike lane went from the shoulder to the median across a 50 MPH speed limit pair of lanes on a highway with a lack of signage warning drivers that bicycles were going to be crossing the highway. I think I found the winner for today’s “really crap infrastructure” tag. Seriously, what the Hell were they thinking? More Palo Alto: Bicyclist killed on Page Mill Road and Bike Accident Scene Palo Alto Nov1st

Not In CA, they caught the bus driver that killed a pedestrian in NYC. MTA Bus Driver Arrested In Fatal Hit & Run Has History Of Arrests So besides being partially blind, the dude had very poor judgement.

WI cyclist run over by a semi. Woman killed in bicycle vs. semi crash, police say Hit-from-behind wreck that seems to be at least partially the fault of the cyclist for riding too far to the right, which encouraged the truck driver to not move over to pass. So yeah this was all the truck driver’s fault.

NE rider severely injured by hit-and-run driver gets blamed for the wreck. Suspect Vehicle Located In Hit & Run Which Injured 6 Year-Old Riding Bike “Omaha City Council Member Garry Gernandt said speed bumps weren’t the answer, but rather, parents need to “control their kids.”” While the kid was hit riding in front of his house with parental supervision by a driver who has abandoned his vehicle miles away from the wreck. The local pol is now living on a steady diet of crow.

Meanwhile in OH. Alliance boy on bike injured by hit-and-run driver The comments section was blocked for this link.

More on the WA cyclist hit by a bus. Cyclist injured when hit by transit bus on Bainbridge Island Again, the cyclist was hit from behind by the bus, that pretty much absolves the victim from blame. Drivers must see and avoid whatever is on the road in front of them.

FL cyclists say drivers need to look out the windshield and not drive in the bike lanes. Bicyclist death highlights need for awareness I can see the bike tire mark on the car bumper, why can’t the LEO investigating the wreck? I wish I could see the bike too. The thing that bothers me is the lack of damage to the front end of the car, besides what looks like a tire mark there is almost nothing until the crushed roof and windshield. There’s the tire mark on the driver’s side bumper, a slight scuff mark on the hood directly behind the mark on the bumper, and then the crushed windshield and roof. Very strange.

Another report on the cyclist shot by an insane man in CO. Iraq veteran and father-of-two named as cyclist who was shot dead at random by Colorado gunman despite pleading for his life Another thing we know is the gunman was reported to 911 several times before he started shooting, but LEO could not respond because CO is an “open carry” state. Seriously, there are no words that can convey my emotions about this.

In Canuckistan the driver who hit a cyclist in a hit-and-run wreck comes back to have a shot at the cops investigating the wreck, who them shoot back. Calgary police shoot man after ‘shocking, wanton’ post-hit-and-run attack, narrow miss for officer “While emergency service personnel attended to the seriously injured cyclist, the subject vehicle reappeared on Dermot Baldwin Way and drove directly at the officers,” said police Chief Roger Chaffin late Tuesday night. The driver was reported to have deliberately targeted the cyclist with the stolen vehicle. I blame Rupert Murdoch for the attempted murder wreck and subsequent attack. 😉

More on the pinball wreck of a cyclist in the Great White North. Cyclist dies after being struck by two vehicles on Highway 27 in Etobicoke The impact damage on the weapon vehicles, especially the first one, just looks wrong for the narrative.

More on the cyclist hit by a truck in the GWN Police looking for five drivers after cyclist killed in Brampton I still say he fell off his bike after getting buzzed by the truck that ran him over.

A Whiskey, Tango, Foxtrot, wreck in Jolly Olde. Two people are injured after a BMW chased by an unmarked police car ploughs into a bus stop, lamppost, car and cyclist No kitchen sink?

A coronial inquest has found that Irish truck drivers are blind and need all the help they can get to see a cyclist. Truck driver unaware he had run over cyclist, inquest told Coronial inquests are not intended to find guilt, but rather to find out how to prevent future deaths from the same cause. So apparently this one decided that two headlights and two tail lights mounted at two different heights on the back of the bike were not enough and the cyclist needed to do more instead of the truck driver watching where he was going.

Last link is an echo of the way I felt when I took the wrecks out for a while last year. Rick Vosper: Haunted by the Ghosts of Dead Cyclists

And that’s all I got today.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

I was going to go out and get more check-ins and captures on my phone game but the pain in my foot said otherwise, and the Feed

Yep, that blister yesterday has turned into a swollen mess today. The blister collapsed (whether it popped or the fluid was reabsorbed I can’t tell) yesterday evening, and today the site is swollen and painful to touch, but no longer has a blister. But before I discovered that I was planning on taking a bus ride to get my “bag limit” again so as to get another gift card as quickly as possible. I went out to get the mail and my foot wasn’t all that bad, but by the time I finished reading the comics I knew there was no way I was going to walk to the bus stop on that foot.

Up first, changing the source of information about who actually uses bicycle infrastructure several days’ ride south of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Why Business-as-Usual Bike Planning Fails Low-Income Cyclists I recognize the disconnect between the people who actually have to ride a bicycle for transportation, and those of us who are heard at regional planning meetings. But they still somehow manage to put motor vehicle infrastructure everywhere needed or not.

Our Daily Ted, part 1. Morning Links: Calbike ranks LA area state legislators, and no charges in the Texas death of a San Diego cyclist

And Daily Ted part 2. Guest Post: BAC member Jonathan Weiss explains California law on riding side-by-side

Still in CA. Why am I afraid to ride a bike? The answer is “Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure, and infrastructure.”

Not done with CA yet. Cyclist injured in collision on Kansas Avenue Assuming the narrative is accurate and not something pulled from the driver’s subconscious this shows why cyclists have to be aware of traffic before entering the street. Or it could be a SWCC incident where the driver “didn’t see” the cyclist until just before impact and the driver’s subconscious creates the narrative the cyclist was crossing the street.

A really bad wreck in NYC. MTA Bus Driver Arrested In Fatal Brooklyn Hit & Run The video is pretty damning, the pedestrian was hit after she crossed the centerline to the lane opposite direction of the turning bus. Had the bus made a legal left turn there would have been no wreck, had the driver stopped when he hit the pedestrian she might have survived.

Similar wreck but no hit-and-run results in “no criminality suspected” when the driver sticks around. No Charges For MTA Bus Driver Who Killed Pedestrian In Queens Crosswalk Just because the driver wasn’t drunk and had a valid license it doesn’t change the fact that he ran over a pedestrian in a crosswalk with the right of way, which is a crime in NYC.

Back to the west with a hit-and-run wreck in OH. Alliance boy, 11, riding bike injured in hit-skip accident The cyclist was crossing the street (legally I assume) and the driver never stopped. Here’s hoping the driver is found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, given a fair trial and a decent hanging. Just kidding about the hanging, everyone knows I’m the guy who puts drivers in cars about to go through a high-speed car shredder.

A very strange wreck in AZ. Cyclist critically injured in west Phoenix crash The cyclist was hit from behind, and then the driver hits a wall on the opposite side of the street. Seriously, WTF? Was the driver drunk?

Cyclist hit by a bus in WA. Cyclist struck by bus on Bainbridge Island Hit from behind as the bus approached a stop. I’m calling this on the bus driver.

Cyclist loses concentration and rides off the MUP as it gets to a bridge. Woman injured in bike crash near bridge While not as dangerous for other people as distracted driving, distracted cycling can still be bad for the cyclist. Pay attention to where your bike is going.

What is it about conservative politicians and transportation funding? State Funds for Transit in Ohio Have “Evaporated” Since 2000 This link came out the day after the link on bike/ped funding getting eliminated by Congress, what is it about transportation funding and conservative politicians that seem so antithetical?

In the Great White North a cyclist is the pinball in a pinball wreck. Cyclist killed on Hwy. 27 Initial hit seems to be a hit-from-behind, and it really goes downhill from there. The question then arises as to how far to the left the cyclist was in the lane and was the second vehicle going the same direction or the opposite direction since the intersection does not seem to have figured into the wreck except as a landmark to place the location for readers.

Intersection wreck in Enn Zed. Cyclist critically injured in Hamilton The cyclist seems to have had the right of way and the driver most definitely seems to not have had the wreck on purpose.

And from Oz a video of a UK cyclist taking a header on an off-road bike trail. Cyclist’s helmet saves him from serious injury That was a serious endo.

And I’m out of links again.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Large hunks of links are from Twitter, and the rest of the Feed

It takes longer to filter, but I’m finding more and better links on Twitter than I do in my Feed Folder in my e-mail. I think that may be due to having humans directly sending me the links from the articles as they post. Whatever the reason, I’m glad I can give you better links than I used to.

Up first, LEO have found the driver who killed a cyclist earlier this week. PD: Police identify woman who struck, killed bicyclist in Pasadena They haven’t arrested her, just “talked” to her.

More on the cyclist killed in MN by a driver who crossed the entire road to hit him. UMD mourns staff member killed while bicycling in Hermantown and SUV fatally hits bicyclist in Hermantown heading other way on shoulder I’m still trying to figure out why the driver is not in jail for this.

Since we are in “old wreck” mode at the moment, more on the cyclist killed in CA during a time trial event. In the News: Cyclist killed by car in California TT race and CHP Finds a New Way to Blame the Bicycle Rider Yep, getting blamed for the driver that hit you in your lane is pretty low, even for the CHP. Seriously, what would Jon and Ponch say? More Cyclist killed in Esparto was experienced Foster City rider

Still in CA, a hit-and-run driver attempts murder when the victim catches back up to him. Driver charges at cyclist, carries him on hood and Caught On Camera: San Francisco Cyclist Ends Up On Windshield In Apparent Hit-And-Run So two hit-and-run incidents, one that might have only cost the driver a ticket for violating the 3-feet-to-pass law, and a second that might end up with assault charges.

Another AZ cyclist hit from behind in the bike lane. Bicyclist killed in northwest Tucson collision I have lost count of the number of cyclists hit from behind in the bike lanes of AZ this year, but it seems to be too common even if there were only two. The danger zone in this wreck was the mixing zone before the turn lane. The driver failed to yield to the vehicle in front (the cyclist) and killed the cyclist as a result. I know what will stop wrecks like this, but I don’t know how well it would fly in the current legislative climate. When you hit a cyclist you lose your car, 90 days if there was no or non-serious levels of injury, a year for transport to hospital wrecks, and forever if the cyclist dies from injuries or in case of hit-and-run.

Not a bicycle wreck, but indicative of what you could expect as a cyclist if you get hit. NYPD: “No Criminality” as Cab Driver Runs Over Kids on Bronx Sidewalk and TLC: Driver Who Hit Children on Bronx Sidewalk Works for Uber [Updated] The car went completely across the sidewalk and bounced off the building that a commenter stated was 20-25 feet away from the curb, and in the video I thought I saw the left front wheel pointed towards the camera which means the suspension was broken when it hit the curb. I estimate the vehicle speed at 40-50 MPH. But the NYPD doesn’t suspect any criminality for driving 40-50 MPH on the sidewalk full of kids… TANJ!

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Cedillo condemns calls for safer streets, Coronado madness round 3, and more bighearted people Cedillo needs to be charged as an accessory for all the people killed and maimed since he stopped the North Figueroa project literally days before it was to begin for no apparent reason. I still say follow the money.

A restaurant named after the great Eddy Merckx. The Cannibal, a restaurant and butcher shop coming to Culver City, with bike valet Free beer when you wear your bike kit into the establishment.

A CT cyclist gets injured and he’s the guy responsible for getting other people to live more healthy. Norwalk Director of Public Health injured in bicycle accident over weekend This sounds like a buzz job to me. Or maybe a “punishment pass” for daring to ride in the street.

There are good people in this world. Woman injured riding bike wants to thank stranger who helped her Fortunately they filled the pothole but unfortunately not until after her wreck.

Another buzz job in NC kills another NC cyclist. Cyclist dies in road accident Another driver driving too fast to stop in the distance he could see clearly blames the victim for not wearing a glow-in-the-dark clown suit with body armor.

If you are going to carry cocaine on your person, know that you don’t have to submit to a search until after you get arrested, and put some lights on your bike. Bicycle stop leads to cocaine arrest “The pill bottle contained 0.2 grams of powder cocaine” or not enough to get a chihuahua high, much less an adult human being.

Another Wounded Warrior ride north of WoaB. Injured Service Members Ride toward Recovery in Oklahoma’s Capital City If you’re in the area give these guys a cheer when they ride by.

A wreck in Oz involving two cyclists and a car and they can’t figure out who was where and which way they were going. Cyclists injured in Monaro Highway crash How crazy is that?

Also in Oz they have another wreck they are trying to decipher. Police appeal for witnesses after cyclist injured – Dora Creek

Last link, I’m sure you are the kind of person who always makes sure the quick releases on your bike are done up tight, but you brother-in-law hasn’t checked his since Clinton was in office so he might want to check this out. Thirteen bike companies recall models over disc brake/QR concern This is the same QR as the Trek recall only on other manufacturer’s bikes.

And I’m out of links again for the day. Grocery day tomorrow.

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