Happy Birfday Canada!

As an occasional resident of Our Northern Neighbor with fond memories of living there I would like to wish all my Canadian readers (both of you) a Happy Canada Day! The first time I lived in Canada I was Too Young for school, and the second time we left before I could even get registered for school, so I have no idea of how old they are, and I’m Too Lazy To Google today so I leave the age as an Exercise For The Student (tossing a bone to both the teachers reading this blog). I don’t know if there is any overlap between occupation and residence as my subscriber information isn’t that granular. I have some occupations because I know those people (HI Sioux! HI Cindy!) and my subscriber list used to have a location so I knew roughly who lived where.

Anywho, who wants to do a virtual Canada Day with maple syrup over ice cream and back bacon, and fireworks if you can and beer? I’ll do Shiner instead of Molson, because Molson is kinda not available locally right now because COVID19 (I guess?) and Molson is not the stuff Canadians actually drink. I’ll have a cuppa Red Rose tonight before I go to bed, because I can get the Real Thing from my NY in-laws across the border from Canada. They have it in their grocery stores, but I don’t see it down here in TX. Then we’ll get drunk and sing “Oh Canada!” probably off-key and forgetting most of the words, even though you can Google it.

O Canada!
Our home and native land
True patriot love
In all our sons command (This is about as far as I can get drunk)
With glowing hearts
We see thee rise
The True North, strong and free
From far and wide
O Canada
We stand on guard for thee
God keep our land
Glorious and free
O Canada we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada we stand on guard for thee!

Yay! Maple Syrup and angry beavers! Moose!

More bizzarness l8er

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Happy MLK Day, and the Feed

Today is the day we pause and remember a major leader of the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Biographical note I was living less than 100 miles east of where Dr. King was shot at the time he was shot. So I wasn’t “there” there, but I was in the conflict zone at the time of the conflict. And yes I know that makes me “old”, deal with it. In many ways what Dr. King was trying to do is mirrored in the bike advocacy movement. Not that I am implying that what cyclists go through is in any way as bad as what people of color went through or continue to go through today, we can stop getting killed in the streets just by getting on the bus for example. But there are parallels. Anyway, remember what Dr. King meant to the rights movement, cherish it, and emulate that in trying to get safe bicycle infrastructure installed in your area.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Bicyclists help make a better world, and York Blvd is thriving

Still in CA, more links to a driver actually getting a proportional sentence for using a motor vehicle to kill a cyclist. Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life and Drugged driver who killed cyclist sentenced 15 years to life

Still in CA a left-crossed cyclist gets his medical bills covered but he had to sue the employer of the driver that hit him. City settles with injured cyclist

Speaking of proportional sentences. Seattle man gets 6 ½ years for killing bicyclist in DUI crash Not quite as proportional, but still leaps and bounds ahead of typical sentences for killing cyclists.

Cyclist killed in OH. Cyclist dies after being struck by car Not much information on the actual wreck, just the outcome.

The most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike takes another victim. Pasco County bicyclist killed after riding into path of vehicle on SR 52 Another SWCC wreck with no word on where the cyclist was crossing from or to.

A little schadenfreude in NYC. Hit & Run Driver Crashes Into Gowanus Canal and Video: Alleged Drunk Driver Arrested After Flipping Car On Upper West Side The video is no longer available through the original source, maybe they will find another place where it was uploaded.

A bit of CO infrastructure news. Boulder to shift gears on protected bike lanes I think that when drivers complain about losing a lane so that cyclists can have a safe place to ride they should plow up everything except the bike lane and leave the street filled with the rubble. But then I have been called an extremist 😉

Good news about cycling from WI. Local Collective Gets Milwaukee Biking After so many bad things about cycling from WI it is really nice to put up a link to something good.

It takes a Canadian getting killed to get MS LEO investigated for biased investigation of bicycle wrecks. A haphazard investigation of Iain Gerrard’s death in America’s Deep South The initial report was a SWSS with a salmon cyclist, but the physical evidence was entirely contradictory to that report. The report from accident reconstructionists was that the driver had 14 seconds to see and avoid the cyclist in the road.

Cyclist down in the Great White North. Cyclist in critical condition after L’Épiphanie crash If the cyclist was “in the middle of the road” wouldn’t a driver who was paying attention be able to see and avoid the cyclist? I mean if the cyclist was right there in front of him, why didn’t the driver use his brakes to not hit the cyclist? And this is probably the only place where those are rhetorical questions.

Infrastructure news from the Great White North. Claremont bike lanes will be well planned Given that the soonest they plan on installing those lanes is 2017 they had better be “well planned”. I mean how much planning does it take to haul in some K-rails and plop them down 2 meters from the edge of the pavement?

No place to (legally) lock up, but sell them bike locks anyway? Almost 200 fork out for discounted lock to crack down cycle thefts in Grimsby “We also need cycle stands, like the ones outside the Cycle Hub, throughout the town.”

Another wreck in Oz. Surf Coast cyclist flown to hospital after being hit by a car A 72 YO cyclist struck by a 74 YO driver? Are they pulling my leg? The driver was judged at fault in this wreck almost instantly by LEO. Intersection wreck so either a hook or cross is my guess as to mode.

This death in Oz is very similar to a wreck in Enn Zed from last year. Wantirna cyclist found dead in Dandenong Creek Cyclist hits a solid bollard in the bike path and falls down in water next to the bike path and drowns, the exact same thing that happened in Enn Zed.

Speaking of Enn Zed, a motorcycle crosses the centerline going up a mountain and runs into cyclists coming down that mountain. Queenstown-bound cyclists struck by motorbike and Motorbike injures cyclists The report from the one link that the motorcyclist had a rear tire slide out just before the wreck suggests he might have been going just a touch too fast.

And those were all the links I had.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

I was social again today, and the Feed

I went out this afternoon with one of the members of the kinky D&D group for another recon on costume supplies. We found remaindered fabrics and a sewing pattern for a costume she liked, but the cost for the pattern alone was more than the cash on hand. So we put everything back for better days, and slunk off with our tails between our legs. Not one of my good days.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Any links that may be shared are a result of converging sources, not because I copied Ted. Morning Links: New El Monte Bike Hub opens, let CD4’s David Ryu know what you think, and sexist socks at Interbike I admit I had to follow the link to the sock story.

I have to say I don’t think this would ever happen in the US. Police say sorry for ‘not wholly satisfactory’ probe I mean really, US police apologizing? Ain’t gonna happen.

Now we get to see how much the vaunted reputation of Canadians for politeness is deserved. Move Over! The main benefit of the law is that it provides a nearly unshakable reflection of blame from the cyclist to the driver. All that’s required of the cyclist is complying with light and reflector laws, any hit from behind is now solidly the fault of the driver.

I think this is probably a casual correlation to cars becoming safer for the occupants rather than formerly drunk rivers switching to weed and staying home. Since Colorado legalized marijuana, highway fatalities are way down

I’m sure this would have been hilarious as a scene from a Hollywood RomCom, but IRL this would have been terrifying. CYCLIST KILLED, ANOTHER HURT WHEN BOAT BREAKS FREE FROM TRUCK ON STATEN ISLAND Edit to add, The proofreading program tried to correct STATEN to SATAN. One thing that bugs me is they aren’t even willing to say the trailer wasn’t properly secured when the trailer is in a different lane than the towing vehicle. Seriously? More Bicyclist Killed, Another Seriously Injured When Boat Slips Loose From SUV

Speaking of RomComs, how about this video of a BMX street rider for Nike riding in NYC? Watch This Pro BMX Rider Terrify All Of NYC There is a few seconds of the rider doing a nose manual on the hood of a taxi parked in a sidewalk, I would have liked a lot more of riding over cars blocking bike lanes. And seriously could you not tell this was staged?

Even when you are doing everything right as a cyclist, it just takes one driver with a case of the dumbshits to ruin your life. Artist injured in bicycle crash talks about recovery, dangers And because of the destructive power of motor vehicles, it doesn’t even take a real bad case of the dumbshits, because even a momentary lapse of concentration on the part of the driver can leave a greasy stain where the cyclist used to be riding.

Drivers ignoring the bike lane? Buy them flowers. Boston Cyclist Crowdfunds for Tactical Urbanism “Tactical Urbanism” is another phrase for calling out the DIY DOT.

Another article on the study that found that drivers see “Share the Road” as “Bicycles Get Outta the Way”. A Simple Change to Road Signs Could Help Cyclists and Drivers Finally Get Along You think they could have found a better picture of a “cyclist” than a HD screen grab from the video for “Motherfucking Bike”?

Make the bike smarter and you can make the kiosks really stupid, or do away with them altogether. Portland Will Get “Smart Bikes” in 2016

Is your town trying to kill you? The government is trying to make walking American again

And now we are done for the day, because there ain’t no more links. Today’s post was about half the size of yesterday’s by word count.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

Happy Canada Day, and the Feed

First let me wish my Canadian Readers a happy independence day. I know I make fun of where you live (The Great White North, East Canuckistan, West Canuckistan, Far West Canuckistan) but believe me when I say I do it out of love. You guys are awesome (you had same-sex marriage 10 years before we did as just one example) and I have loved your country ever since my baby brother was born in it 53 years ago (St. John’s Newfoundland, right after it was declared a separate province) and every time we lived there since. I haven’t been back since the early ’70s, but I stay current as I can given how little news comes from north of the border. I mean besides Rob Ford, he’s sorta like your Chris Christie only on drugs, and not trying to take over the country.

Second the reason why this post is going up so late with so few links is I went to get “Arthur, Arthur Dent” rubbed on and transit to the new therapist killed about an hour each way, plus waiting for the bus, plus having to get money from the bank to pay for the massage, and then an hour for the massage. But it was worth it. My range of motion is temporarily only limited by the bones and ligaments in my neck, not by the muscle binding up and not allowing more contraction or extension. I can already feel the muscles starting to tighten back up, but for the moment it’s wonderful.

Since we started out talking about Canada and everything, here’s another link to that pinball wreck that caused a pole to fall on two cyclists. Greater Toronto Area cyclist dead after violent crash More Driver arrested after cyclist, 47, killed in Dufferin St. collision No new facts in the case, just new reports that makes it doubly sure that the cyclists were just waiting on traffic to clear and the lights to change when the power pole fell on them.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: 19-year old bike rider shot in Commerce; more naked folks on bikes; and mobile LA bike repair Included was a link to an attempted murder by motor vehicle on 3 cyclists hit near Sacramento. I’ll include that link if I see it in the Feed, but Ted gets CA news a day ahead of me.

Hey, a bunch of links about cops doing the right thing in Seattle. Police: Intoxicated driver killed cyclist Saturday night and Seattle police: Driver who hit and killed cyclist was intoxicated also DRIVER ARRESTED AFTER KILLING BICYCLE RIDER IN SEATTLE The driver stopped, was suspected of being drunk since he was falling down and other suspicious behavior, and he was arrested.

Another shocker as LEO are looking for “enhancements” to a hit-and-run in WY. Police still investigating Casper hit-and-run that injured bicyclist Find as many “enhancements” as you can, boys, hit-and-run should be treated like attempted murder when the victim survives, and murder if the victim dies…

Another WTF moment in Detroit. Man on bicycle shot and killed during robbery on Fenkell on Detroit’s west side Nothing you can do as a cyclist to avoid this, as you can’t outrun a bullet and unless there is heavy traffic you can’t outrun a motor vehicle.

Back to the Great White North for this little infrastructure blurb. THE QUICK, THE SAFE AND THE CYCLIST Another “death vs speed” chart to go with the hundreds of other charts that say pretty much the same thing.

The tide is turning against drunk and distracted drivers that kill cyclists in Jolly Olde. Jail for woman who killed cyclist after using phone while driving Now we have to hope that she doesn’t spend 6 months in jail and then go to a halfway house.

And just when it was starting to look like things are improving. Community order, driving ban and fine for driver who caused cyclist’s death Yep another round of “community service” for killing a cyclist.

So, who gets to go to jail for this death? Cancelled plans for a safe roundabout ‘could have prevented’ cyclist’s death, says politician The planned changes would have added at most a couple of seconds to clearing the junction while saving cyclists’ lives and bodies, but apparently a few seconds is too great a cost to pay for a cyclist’s life.

And they wonder why cyclists do this? Cyclists stage another mass ‘die-in’ protest at Bank in continuing battle to raise awareness of cycling safety in London

Or why they do this? Cyclist Jeremy Vine reveals he films bad drivers and sends footage to police This is the guy that says a camera is more important than a helmet for a cyclist in London.

Another useless “safety” gadget. Introducing the Varia™ Line of Smart Cycling Devices from Garmin® – Rearview Bike Radar and Smart Bike Lights to Help Create a Safer Riding Environment Alerting starting at 140 meters means the alert is going to be pretty much constant when I ride to church for example.

Bosch expands their crank assist motor line. Bosch Announces More Torque, More Battery and Other New eBike Technologies More power storage at the same weight/volume? How much empty space did they have with the old batteries?

A solar-assisted recumbent trike with a “swamp cooler” AC. Solar Assisted Air Conditioned Tricycle with Unlimited Range

When you get hit you need a good lawyer on your side. Meet the Chicago lawyer who represented cyclists before it was cool

And I’m out of links and patience as my legs decided they haven’t been annoying enough lately and just swelled up and started itching, so I’m going to finish this up and have a lie-down and then do dishes.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet

A slow day, and the Feed

Well there aren’t many links in the Feed today, and there wasn’t much mail in the box at the end of the walk either, just one piece of junk mail advertising cheap orthodontia (been there, done that, lost my teeth in a car wreck). Aside from that it has been dead today. Now tomorrow is another can of worms. Tomorrow I get to go the Plano Cycle and get the repair parts for Blue, and go to the medical imaging center that is a 2 mile round trip walk from the nearest bus stop to get an MRI of the lump in my neck to find out what is making the rest of my neck sore. That’s going to be a lot of walking, both for the bike parts and for the trip for the MRI. That means I will have to get up very early to make the trip to Plano and then walk to the MRI center that afternoon. That means probably carrying or getting my lunch because I’m going to be gone pretty much all day long. WHEEEE!

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: LAPD cop charged in beating of bike rider, Biking While Black in FL, and Facebook bike drama

And a Daily Ted Extra. Breaking news: Guilty plea in case of fallen OC cyclist Joseph Robinson This is a sea change in sentencing. In the years I have been doing this blog (since 2006 in all the various service providers) I have seen similar wrecks go from probation or time served to the more than 11 years before eligible for parole of today’s link. Some judges are treating killing a cyclist like we were actual human beings… More O.C. woman admits to killing cyclist while driving high on meth

Portland cyclists are feeling used. Comment of the Week: When ‘bike culture’ bites back When some pol wants a photo-op to show how environmentally conscious they are they go to someplace with lots of bikes because the infrastructure had been decently kinda good at that location for a few years and cyclists use it, but when it comes time to repair or expand infrastructure there’s never any money. Then the get banned from MTB trails that were built by cyclists with their own money and sweat equity.

Just how dirty is the air where you have to ride? Wearable Sensors Will Measure How Much Air Pollution City Cyclists Inhale One trick is to stay below the level of exertion that requires heavy breathing when you can’t avoid riding with cars. Beyond that there are filter masks that make breathing slightly harder and much cleaner.

Not your “normal” road hazard. For the record: Caller said dog bites woman riding bike There is an annoying invisible ad that pops up when you click around that headline, just warning you. Oh, this is a blotter article, you have to scroll down for the dog bite.

A Sidewalk Salmon says to ride defensively. Bike defensively in Anchorage, for your life depends on it A Sidewalk Salmon wants to give advice on riding defensively, but is not going to give up riding salmon on the sidewalk. O. . . . K . . . .

A little Lifestyle from North of the Border. Truro resident to cycle Europe in support of veterans Now if I could just place which province Truro is in… Canadian Geography was so very long ago.

Infrastructure from the Great White North. Vélo Québec sounds alarm over spate of serious cycling accidents

A little UK infrastructure as the heat rises against a city council that vetoed improving an intersection that later killed two cyclists exactly as predicted it would without the improvements. Westminster Council criticised for “mind boggling” road casualty figures after die in for second cyclist killed on its streets this year The junction was redesigned for free by experts in the field back in 2013 since construction money was available to do the job, but the money (and the plans) was rejected by the council. So there was no benefit in rejecting the rebuild for anyone except drivers who continued to drive as they did before.

Is this what it takes to get a seriously stiff sentence in Jolly Olde? Hit & run driver who killed Gloucester cyclist jailed for 11 years after last-minute guilty plea Eleven years when you count the drugs charge that got “stacked” as they say. More Gloucester man jailed over hit-and-run cyclist death

And I’m out of links. There will be an intermission of a sorts tomorrow where I may or may not put up a post. I will be spending all day running around on busses and trains and walking, will probably be in some pain when I get back, possibly severe pain as my lifted shoe will not be ready until Saturday so my back will be hurting after walking almost 4 miles round trip(s). If I don’t hurt too bad I will do a post. If you don’t read anything that means I went to bed after taking a pain pill 😥

Billed @€0.02, Opus the 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

Having an allergy attack and needing to mow the lawn, and the Feed

Yes, my little dry throat turned out to be the precursor to a full-blown allergy attack complete with a drippy faucet of a nose, post nasal drip, coughing, and a voice that continues to sound like 5 miles of dry creekbed, AKA very gravelly. The way I know this isn’t some kind of an infection is I don’t have any fever or pains that I don’t carry around 24/7 even when I’m not sick. In other words aside from the symptoms I listed I have nothing else wrong at the moment. I went on a bike ride last night and had no problems aside from not being able to breathe through my nose, but that is actually pretty normal. Most of the time I can’t get enough air when I ride if I only breathe through my nose. And my voice gets very close to normal if I drink lots of hot liquids AKA coffee.

I took some of the money for gassing up the lawn mower (see yesterday’s post) and bought a lottery ticket. Now before anyone goes on about how I threw my money away, just how many people have won the lottery without paying for a ticket? I know the odds on winning the lottery, they’re slightly better than surviving getting hit by a truck doing 60 MPH. I was hit by a truck doing 60 and I’m here composing this blog post, so I feel permitted to buy a lottery ticket when the jackpot gets up to the $1M+/year payout. At my age the 25 year payout will run out when I turn 79, assuming I live that long. If I don’t I already have the structure in place that will allow my grandson to inherit any remaining payments. He will still be young enough to enjoy the money but it won’t last so long that he becomes dependent on it.

More on the SA woman hit from behind while training for a triathlon. SA cyclists concerned after latest accident involving motor vehicle Too many comments on that site would be labeled as “terrorist” if the word “cyclist” or “biker” was replaced with an ethnic group or sexual preference.

A wreck in CA that does not have a whole lot of information attached to it. Cyclist seriously injured in Sebastopol crash At this point LEO can’t figure out how to blame the cyclist for the wreck so they aren’t saying anything. Intersection wreck, use the protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. And track down the ISP addys of most of the commenters and deprive them of their driver’s licenses, they are too stupid to drive on the streets and roads where other people go.

Another wreck in IN. Chinese student on bike killed in N. Indiana Red light runner, in China traffic signals are more advisory than required as long as you don’t get hit or hit anyone. Anyway intersection protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike, a reason why it’s so deadly. Judge weighs pleas for fate of hit-and-run killer Only 7 years, with credit for time served… for a DUI Homicide. TANJ!

More on the wreck of an Olympian in East Canuckistan. Charge laid in cyclist crash involving former Olympian The cyclist was deliberately assaulted with a motor vehicle, in front of a witness. They better make this charge stick.

There are decent human beings in the Great White North, not that there was ever much question about that. Onlooker helps injured bike rider in North Tonawanda Intersection wreck, use the protocols to avoid and get the infrastructure right to prevent. The description sounds an awful lot like the driver that hit the cyclist was making a right on red and not looking directly in front of the vehicle when it started forward. The easiest way to fix that is to outlaw right on red, as it seems to be mainly a more efficient way of killing pedestrians and cyclists than a time or gas saver.

Assault with a motor vehicle in Oz. Charity rider injured in crash What else can you call it until they catch the driver?

Infrastructure from the GWN. Rails to Trails plans still far off, but coming around This has been underway since sometime in the 1980s, this is the last quarter of 2012 and they still don’t have a place to ride a bike yet? Glaciers move more quickly than this. About the route plans away from the railroad bridge, ““We were just talking, nothing has been laid out,” LaMonaco said.” Since the ’80s.

More infrastructure from the GWN. Streetcar tracks blamed for a third of bicycling injuries A third of cyclists in ERs said their wrecks were either caused by or made worse by streetcar tracks and there was at least one death attributed to the tracks. With this many wrecks caused by the tracks there is a fundamental flaw in the road design that is forcing cyclists into conflict with the tracks.

Another “Bike Safety” article that begins and ends with majik foam hats. Pleasanton Police Increasing Bike Helmet Enforcement Also the middle parts are about majik foam hats. The whole frakkin’ article is about majik foam hats.

LifeStyle from KS. College plans memorial bike ride for fallen student The fallen rider had a 2000 mile goal for riding this year, the ride looks to complete that total.

And those are all the links that gave me fits today.

Billed @$0.02, Opus