Still batching it, and the Feed

I’m still alive and feeding myself (and using up some leftovers). I’m building the other engines I got from VCG Resins (the LS7 and the Ford Coyote) so that I don’t spend much time thinking about not being with Mrs. the Poet and doing my own cooking. Something I noticed is the LS7 engine is almost identical to the SBC, while the Coyote is slightly shorter but much wider than the SBC. I can foresee much wailing and gnashing of teeth trying to get that in the same chassis and especially under the same hood as the SBC. I mean the hood barely fits over the SBC when everything is above the bottom of the lower frame rail and the body sits on top of that 1.5″ square lower frame rail. And I just measured the thickness of the transmission pan and the thickness of the temp floor in the bucket and if I use the temp adhesive to glue the transmission to the inside of the floor without the pan it raises the engine to exactly the height it would be if the bottom of the body was sitting on top of a scale 1.5″ square rod. This makes mocking up much easier, and I will be able to take a picture showing almost exactly what I would see from the driver’s seat of the 1:1 Sprint-T.

Up first is Our Daily Ted for no particular reason (except I want to avoid the Big Story for a few more minutes). Morning Links: LACBC & SaMo Spoke up for national honors, CHP looks for driver in East LA bike hit-and-run

Still in CA. 2 Suspects Sought in Shooting Death of Man Riding Bicycle in San Bernardino Talk about stupid, if they had run the guy over and stayed at the scene and cried a bit how they never saw the guy until they hit him, there would have been no big deal over the dead guy and LEO probably wouldn’t have even put any points on the driver’s license. But because they shot the cyclist now there is a big manhunt going on and probably both are going to get charged with murder and conspiracy to commit.

OK, now that Big Story, more on the drunk driver that hit a group of 10 cyclists waiting in a bike lane for a red light in AZ. 2 bicyclists killed, 2 injured on Tucson’s NW side and Santa Fe bicyclist killed in Arizona; truck driver arrested also 2 bike riders dead as pickup hits New Mexico group in Tucson this too Santa Fe cyclists among those killed, injured by impaired driver in Arizona Again, there were 10 bikes in the group, 4 cyclists were injured enough to not be able to walk from the wreck site, one was pronounced dead at the scene, one died after reaching the hospital, one remains in critical condition, and one may already be out by the time I hit the “publish” button on the composing page. There was some speculation that the driver may have been distracted in addition to being drunk, which would make his loss of driving skills drunk². Actually I don’t know that is true, I’m extrapolating from the MythBusters episode where they compared driving with a cell phone (hand-held and hands-free) to driving with a BAC of 0.08% and found cell phone driving to be slightly worse than drunk driving, so combining the two would be either 2drunk or drunk². It all depends on if it is a linear or exponential relationship. And I just went full nerd on you, sorry.

It took FL LEO long enough to charge this guy. Driver charged in death of Weston bicyclist I mean he only killed the guy back in July, the victim died at the scene so they were not waiting on tox screens or anything.

Bad news about infrastructure from OR. Negligent driving bill won’t pass this session This comment encapsulates things perfectly.
“Anne Hawley March 3, 2016 at 1:57 pm
“In their mind,” Rhoades continued, “this bill just criminalizes distracted driving.”
That was the whole damn point.”

More infrastructure news from America’s Copenhagen. Mayoral candidates make cycling part of green policies at environmental debate Everybody put bicycles as a major component of their environmental policies.

And what will be good news to some in the Power Assist Yahoo Group, and bad news to other members. Shop Visit: Pedego Electric Bikes now open in downtown Portland The guy that owns the Pedego company used to be quite active on Power Assist, but not so much any more, maybe because his little empire is expanding.

A distinctly NYC hazard. SUV Driver Shot In The Head, Crashes Into Utility Pole In Astoria Don’t know that any cyclists were involved, it might have been an Uber or Lyft that someone attempted to hijack and everything went to crap.

How do you hit-and-run a building? Knucklehead Cops Allegedly Fled After One Plowed A Car Into A Hair Salon Oh, you get shitfaced celebrating your cop promotion.

An important part of WI infrastructure. Teaching Safe Bicycling Couse Misspelled word is a cut-and-paste from the headline, I know where to put the “r” in “course”. It does slightly worry me that such a major typo got through.

Ranking cities by bicycle safety and Dallas doesn’t even crack the top 20. D.C., Boston Tie for Cycling, Pedestrian Commuting Rates and Safety But, a city I used to live in when LBJ was president did well in the medium city category.

Want to know how much walking and cycling really mean to your city? Snow and the Walkable, Bikeable, Accessible City Look what happens when it snows.

Scary video from Jolly Olde. Glasgow cyclist shows why you shouldn’t always ride in a bike lane Yep another door-zone bike lane.

Another link to the man convicted of careless driving for killing a cyclist while driving drunk. Seven years behind bars for West Molesey man who killed a cyclist Once again I say this was a case of serious under-charging when they called driving drunk “careless”. Seriously, drinking and driving is a deliberate act, not “careless”.

This is one thing about UK jurisprudence I really like. Cyclist won payout from TfL after hitting gaping manhole on cycle superhighway ‘that hadn’t been fixed’ Here in TX government has “Sovereign Immunity” from being sued over sub-par infrastructure even when it was deliberately done that way.

More infrastructure news from Jolly Olde. Commuters want better cycling infrastructure – even if it creates delays I guess people weighed 5 minutes from their day against permanent injury or death for someone else, and decided their 5 minutes were not worth someone else’s life.

Last link looks at the connection between bicycles and early feminism. First The Bicycle, Next The Vote: The Story Of Bicycles And Feminism

Now it’s time to put this to bed in time for Gigi to review it.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

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Taking care of business before Mrs. the Poet leaves, and the Feed.

I was running all over town to take care of things like utility bills, phone bills, and paying for the storage unit, after I did my duty as a citizen and voted in the Super Tuesday primary. This was a great endeavor that took many hours to complete because of several missed connections with DART. This time the missed connections were not DART’s fault, unless you count a lack of headway as “their fault”. Seriously I finished each stop I would leave just in time to see the bus go by in the direction of my next stop and I would have to wait 45 minutes to an hour for the next bus. So I spent 2 hours actually doing the things, and 5 hours waiting on the bus to get there.

Up first is what should be Our Daily Ted. Today’s post called on account of pain Get well soon Ted.

FloriDUH! driver hits cycle from behind, blames cyclist for being in the middle of the lane. Man on motorized bicycle killed in crash And I do not see what the criminal record of the victim has to do with this wreck, again… Message to LEO, if the cyclist was hit from behind then speed DEFINITELY has something to do with the wreck.

New Portland bike infrastructure had been open less than 24 hours before someone in a motor vehicle screwed it up. New Sellwood Bridge opens with a “Dang!” I see a vehicle that needs to be recycled. Into bicycles.

Compare the above incident to what has been going on near a school and see if you can tell me what the difference is. Southeast Portland elementary warns parents about unsafe cycling near school Agghhh! those cyclists going almost 10 MPH through a stop sign are a menace to everyone! But the pickup truck driven by a drunk driver with suspected drugs in the cab on a MUP closed to motor vehicles, that’s just a chuckle. Except the “chuckle” closed the MUP for most of the day and the adjacent traffic lanes for more than 6 hours.

Some good infrastructure news from Portland. First Look At Nike’s New Path Through The Woods Pretty, so pretty I forgot to copy the headline before deleting the page and had to reconstruct it from memory.

More on the hit-and-run rampage in NYC over the weekend. Hit-And-Runs Kill 3 Within 4 Hours in Brooklyn, Queens and The Bronx Nothing new here.

More from CO on why the bike hate? Joe Clement: Why the aggression toward cyclists? Why? Simply put cyclists are Others and part of human nature is to Hate Others, not in your group.

Another cyclist hit up in West Canuckistan. Teen cyclist injured in Maple Ridge crash Drunk and almost killed a cyclist, and the driver is out of jail before the cyclist is out of ICU.

Here’s another feel-good story, this time from Jolly Olde. Paralympic gold medallist Dame Sarah Storey leads group of cyclists in Grimsby to highlight pedal power

A victim’s mother complains about crap infrastructure in the UK. Mum of tragic Bobby Colleran in new call for drivers to take more care

And the wars have started in Oz over the draconian new fines against cyclists. Bicycle commuters surveyed as new laws come into place in New South Wales and New cycling laws: One of the first bike riders hit with $319 fine for not wearing a helmet All I have to say is what is the fine for rivers not wearing a helmet? Buehler?… Buehler?…

And there will be a race from one of the two series the Sprint-T is designed to compete in this month over in Ft. Worth. Goodguys AutoCross This will be in 2 weeks at the Texas Motor Speedway north of Ft. Worth and literally just a hop, skip, and a jump away from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. The only problem would be I still haven’t picked a tire/wheel combination that fits the rules yet, the Hoosiers are not UTQG wear graded and are not really made for dry grip. I would have to go with a 17″ rim diameter or larger to get high performance tires in the required UTQG rating, because they just don’t make high performance summer tires to fit 15″ rims these days.

And It’s getting late and almost time for Mrs. the Poet to get up and get ready to go to NY for her sister’s memorial service(s).

Billed@€0.02, Opus

I need a new laptop, and the Feed

It’s looking like the Chromebook is about to be replaced whether I like it or not. I’m getting keyboard issues, things like keypresses not getting registered or keys getting stuck, and also the touchpad sometimes puts the cursor where I tell it and clicks when I click it, and sometimes it just does nothing. If I’m doing my sums right I got the Chromebook late March 2013, which makes it right at 3 years old now and used as much as 18 hours a day for work and recreation, an average of say 9 hours a day, every day since March 2013 so 3 * 365 * 9 gets roughly 9800 hours of use. That’s a lot of ham-fingered typing, clicking, and page views, so the little lap top has a right to be worn out. There are some things about Chrome OS that I’m [not thrilled] with, specifically their habit of doing OS updates without permission. This has caused me to lose functionality for certain things several times when I really needed that particular thing to work, like when I lost MP4 audio right before doing a presentation that was dependant on MP4 videos as emphasis for certain points of the presentation. I mean what good are music videos with no music?

Up first, affluenza killer Ethan Couch is transferred to the adult criminal system, which means his probation is about to get severely altered. Couch case transferred to adult court

On the far northwest corner of the same county WoaB World HQ resides, cyclists are getting tired of getting hit. Coppell Cycling Community Nervous After Rash of Accidents With Cars Yep, once again physics proves that what would be a minor fender-bender for a car or truck is an extended hospital stay when a cyclist subs for one of the cars or trucks. I’m really glad they are going with the BMUFL regulatory signs instead of the “Share The Road” advisory signs that are frequently interpreted by drivers as “Bicycles get out of my F&$(*&% way” signs.

Now Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Koretz prevaricates on Westwood Blvd, possible 15 years in SD hit-and-run, and sing the joys of hi-viz

And Daily Ted Part 2. Ventura bike rider killed in midnight hit-and-run

Still in CA and still about hit-and-run. Suspect arrested in San Jose hit-and-run that killed cyclist This was the H&R where they found the weapon vehicle with major damage and minus license plates a few miles from the scene. So it’s not like the driver can claim lack of knowledge about hitting the cyclist.

Also still in CA, if they are going to pay people to buy ZEV, shouldn’t the one with the lowest full-stream emissions be part of the deal? Action Alert: Sign the Bike Rebate Petition

Trying to get FL out of worst-place ranking. Florida Launches Hit-and-Run ‘Bad to Worse’ Campaign When you look at how much more deadly a wreck becomes when the victim is denied access to quick intervention by medical personnel, preventing H&R and getting EMTs and ambulances on scene ASAP seems like a no-brainer for reducing the death rate.

Some good news on infrastructure in PA. Grant approved for Rail Trail expansion in Newville The expansion will take the rail trail right up to the local HS, providing a safe route to and from the school, meaning less motor vehicles on the roads around the school. It was fortuitous that the school abutted the old railroad when it was built.

More good news in PA. PHILADELPHIA’S NEW MAYOR PLEDGES 30 MILES OF PROTECTED BIKE LANES IN FIVE YEARS

Update on a NYC bike wreck victim. Family raising money for funeral of Staten Island bike victim struck by car This was the guy hit and killed by a driver on pot (and other medications) at the time of the wreck.

Moving to Jolly Olde, the driver that ran over a cyclist waiting at a traffic light has admitted to “careless” driving. Victoria cyclist death: Essex lorry driver admits killing Boris bike rider This has to be a plea deal.

More links to the wreck where a UK cyclist was assaulted by a road-raging driver. Witness appeal after male cyclist seriously injured after argument with female driver and Cyclist chased for 200 yards by road rage driver: I thought I was going to die

This time it looks like the glass was placed during construction, not thrown down as an act of terrorism. Has glass in the asphalt stopped the racing at Odd Down Cycle Circuit?

Remember that thing about Super Mario nude except for a helmet for a bike picture? Here it is an all its NSFW glory. Mario Cipollini baits helmet lobby – by wearing one, and nothing else Well technically he had shoes and socks on…Mrs. the Poet says he “Looks good. Needs to put some clothes on, but he looks good.”

A little bike infrastructure is about to be lost in the UK. South Cambs BikeBus scheme to close after lowpassenger numbers They were trying to get people out of the city for countryside rides, but they didn’t feel safe there either.

More legal infrastructure from Scotland. Drivers who hit cyclists should be ‘presumed liable’, says record breaker Mark Beaumont Another voice in favor of presumed liability.

Wreck in Enn Zed. Former Canterbury basketball player injured in crash I really can’t tell anything about the wreck from the crime scene pictures, what could be the weapon vehicle was probably moved by medical personnel to get better access to the victim.

And I’m outta links finally. Time to put the post and the writer to bed.

Billed @$0.02, Opus

Another TGIF, and the Feed

I’m trying to get as much done as I can early today because we have a family friend visiting from England taking us out to dinner tonight. Since Mexican restaurants in England range in quality from so-so to vile we are probably going for Mexican tonight.

And while I start doing this in the early afternoon I know it won’t get posted until after midnight, so I’m just going to ask if you hugged your transgender friends yesterday for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Up first because something has to be, NYC actually punished a driver for killing. SUV Driver Who Fatally Struck Woman On UWS Convicted Of Homicide And now we know what it takes to get a prosecution for killing a pedestrian or cyclist: Drive on the wrong side of the road, hit the victim with the right of way, and have the victim be the 4th person you have injured with your vehicle in 6 months.

Locally, go do this next week. Bike Friendly Richardson Presents: Black Friday Ride #7 If you’re not local, there are Black Friday rides all across the country, do one of them instead.

Bike Snob NYC tweets about parking costs that devolve onto business owners instead of car owners.

Why should drivers pay their share when local businesses can pay it instead? https://t.co/cHslFRzxe0 pic.twitter.com/av8MvY0MxK

— Bike Snob NYC (@bikesnobnyc) November 20, 2015

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Yet another link to the killer who got away with only 100 days for murder because he killed a cyclist with a motor vehicle. Stroger Exec Will Serve 100 Days For Killing Cyclist While Driving Drunk TANJ!

Down the road a few days ride from WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell a cyclist is hit-and-run. Cyclist killed in hit-and-run crash Those of my readers local to the scene keep an ocular exposed for motor vehicles wuth heavy front end damage.

The first of Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Sentence in Fiesta Island crash, red light-running SaMo driver, and a long list of bike events See the difference between being rich and connected and poor? More than 18 years in prison even when the victim survives, compared to 100 days for killing.

And Daily Ted part 2. Bike rider killed in midnight collision on Vincent Thomas bridge and another link Long Beach Cyclist Killed on Vincent Thomas Bridge

And Daily Ted part 3. Breaking News: Nine-year old boy killed in Irvine collision

The other big story is the coroner’s inquest on a cyclist run over by a heavy truck in Jolly Olde. Cyclist crushed to death after HGV turned left from ‘wrong’ lane at deadly junction and INQUEST REVEALS HOW WALWORTH CYCLIST DIED IN LORRY COLLISION and this, too Driver who killed cyclist was turning left from wrong lane The “money shot” for this story is this:“IMO this junction was deficient in that it did not prevent a careless collision but not so deficient that it causes the careful to collide,” he tweeted. Later adding: “Inquests into the death of cyclists never seem to me to be wholly satisfactory.”

Death by cop in OR is blamed on the victim. Cyclist on Highway 99 in Eugene struck, killed by on-duty Lane County sheriff’s deputy, Oregon State Police say and Opinion: Welcome to blame the victim season Cyclist was legally equipped and riding legally in the lane when the driver overdrove his headlights and ran the cyclist over, and they blamed the cyclist for not wearing the glow-in-the-dark clown suit.

While we are in OR here’s an infrastructure story from Portland. City finalizes plans for SE Clinton, promises two diverters by January They heard.

Trying to equalize the storage of actual human beings with the storage of motor vehicles in Portland. Commissioner Fritz questions city plan to legalize tiny homes near property lines, a perk currently given to auto storage Currently the only structures allowed to be zero lot line are garages, not even bike sheds which are garages for bicycles. “This is Amanda Fritz in a nutshell. If she didn’t have this job, she’d be on an HOA approving paint colors, issuing fines for ragged hedges, and questioning our commitment to Sparkle Motion.”

In NYC a woman learns to ride a bike in the city. Losing Your Fear Of Biking NYC: Braving Rush Hour This is supposedly the last article in the series, now that she has braved the perils of a Manhattan rush hour.

A deadly MI car/bike wreck. Warren police: Child on bike struck, killed Not much in the report aside from the dead cyclist, nothing on the mode.

I hate hit-and-run drivers. This one killed a cyclist in NC. Police seeking driver of truck that killed cyclist, left scene If you’re local, BOLO for a white pickup truck with front end damage.

I hate this hit-and-run just as much as the previous paragraph. Bicyclist killed in Everett hit and run accident “He was taken to Providence Medical Center in Everett and was expected to be booked into the Snohomish County Jail for vehicular homicide.”

Update on a CO wreck. Driver in Olde Stage hit-and-run that injured cyclist will be charged “Daniel Updike, 33, of Lafayette will be charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury, failure to report a crash, careless driving resulting in injury, aggravated habitual traffic offenderand driving without insurance.” I would say the driver was very lucky the cyclist survived, with a rap sheet like that he would have been charged with murder if the cyclist died.

Update on a MN wreck. Health of Student Injured in Bike Accident Improves

A wounded vet ride down by San Antonio. Injured veterans get ‘geared up’ for Soldier Ride trip

And another ride in FL. Injured veterans gather for bike ride: ‘Good to be with the brethren again’

And another ride in CA. Cyclists raise money for injured veterans

Infrastructure from Hotlanta. Building a Bikeable Atlanta With an Eye on Equality

Over in Jolly Olde they are starting to repaircorrect a deadly collection of intersections that all dump together. London Bank junction to be transformed for cyclists, buses and pedestrians The previous form of the intersections was just kind of thrown together from the old Roman roads, not actually “designed”. The new plaza will actually be designed for all modes of transportation, and hopefully they will stop killing people.

Over on the Emerald Isle they’re recognizing the infrastructure is not up to the challenge. 200 people killed on roads across the Ireland so far in 2015, with six fatalities in the last week.

Over in Oz an anonymous cyclist chastises a driver without distressing her more than she deserves. Cyclist leaves note for P-plater: ‘You look too nice for prison’ Roundabouts are the most difficult bit of infrastructure for novices to negotiate in Australia.

And I’m out of links and ready to hit the hay, except we don’t have hay, we have an old worn out futon.

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

D&D was cancelled so I get a break in the middle of making the post, and the Feed

The D&D game scheduled for this afternoon was called off because the logistics just couldn’t be made to work. There were too many people who needed rides to get there in time because even those of us who have DART access still have over a 90 minute ride to the game. There is one person who no longer has a car and also does not have DART access, so getting that person (and her character sheet) to the game requires someone with a car to go get her.

The weather system that has brought record high temperatures to the Northeast has brought cool, damp, and cloudy conditions to Casa de El Poeta. The AC hasn’t kicked on more than a few minutes total in the last 3 days, even with the dryer going while my son did his laundry. In fact as I type this it’s only 74°F in my office that normally sees 78-80° all summer long. Outside is only 68° so I might be changing from shorts to long pants soon.

Up first, victory (lower case). Driver convicted in deadly 2014 SXSW crash that killed 4, injured dozens Life in prison without parole…

Still in the city that the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell is a suburb of. Dallas already needs a new ‘bike czar’ as 2014 hire Ashley Haire prepares for ride to Denver This is why we can’t have nice bicycle infrastructure.

Hey, wanna throw stuff on the Trinity Trail? Bike riders to ‘bomb’ Fort Worth trails with milkweed for monarchs Save the Monarch butterfly and get a great bike ride in at the same time!

The big story today is the PA cyclist getting hit from behind by a semi. Bicyclist killed in crash with tractor-trailer near Penn State New Kensington entrance and Bicyclist killed in crash with tractor-trailer in Upper Burrell Now the story is the driver moved over to pass but had to move back before completing the pass because he didn’t allow enough room for oncoming traffic. And then the cyclist “fell” under the truck’s wheels. They claim “witnesses” saw this pass attempt, I just want to know how many were not in the truck.

Next big story is a cyclist fatally buzzed by a dump truck in West Canuckistan. Cyclist killed in Richmond collision and Cyclist killed after collision with dump-truck The article has a Street View of the crime scene under similar weather conditions to the time of the wreck that shows there was nothing to obstruct the view of the cyclist from the truck. So what actually happened is a matter of conjecture.

Down in KS it sounds like a cyclist is hooked or crossed by an unknown vehicle. Hutch teen injured after riding her bike into a car Other than the cyclist nothing was mentioned about the vehicles involved in this wreck.

Over in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike in the US, a cyclist is right hooked. Flagler student injured when SUV hits bike The driver was given a ticket in the wreck. The cyclist got unspecified injuries.

Still in the most deadliest state, a little girl is hit by a suspected drunk driver. Girl riding bike hit by SUV, critically injured Nothing about the mode but it’s pretty sure the 5 YO was not commuting to grandma’s house.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: Swift justice in Highland Park DUI hit-and-run case, and protected bike lanes spread across US

Still in CA cars take up a massive amount of a project that has nothing to do with cars. San Diego County Spends $36M To Give Employees Free Parking Three quarters of the cost for building a park was moving parking for cars to free up the land… 😛

What the freaking Hell? Woman driving in collision that killed Mark Angeles receives traffic citation That’s a $260 maximum fine for killing a cyclist.

More infrastructure news from PA. How Advocates and Agencies from the City and Suburbs Came Together for the Manayunk Bridge Trail The main story on this was the struggle to find funding. Then they put the parks department in charge of it. For Those Confused About the Manayunk Bridge Opening/Closing Times… Seriously, they lock the place up at dark and don’t open back up until 0800, what kind of highway is this?

NYS still refuses to bring their laws about e-assist into the 21st Century. HELP WIN THE USE OF E-BIKES IN NYS Despite Federal regulations that changed e-assist bikes status to “bicycle” back in 2002 NYS insists that they are “motor-driven vehicles” and can arrest the rider and confiscate the bike if not registered as a moped. But, because of the Federal regs they can’t be registered because they lack a valid VIN and can’t get one because they aren’t motor vehicles.

Cyclist injured in the Great White North. Courtice cyclist, 14, in Toronto hospital after being hit by truck Umm, the geometry of this wreck does not make sense especially since they didn’t claim the cyclist was riding salmon.

More on the cyclist buzzed by a truck in the GWN. Brampton dad’s devastating hit-and-run death still a mystery Apparently they know he got hit by a truck, but there were too many trucks in the area to know which truck was the one.

The end of Daylight Savings Time has been seriously messing with people in the Great White North. Cyclist injured in hit and run in Lorraine They have no idea of what happened before the driver left aside from clobbering the cyclist with a motor vehicle.

Another hit-and-run still in the GWN. Driver drove off after asking if cyclist he hit was OK, police say What happened to all the “polite” Canadians?

Update on the attempted murder of a cyclist and 2 policemen in Canuckistan. Police lay charges in officer-involved shooting Apparently the cyclist was “just an accident” but the cop was “attempted murder”.

Seriously, hit-and-run conviction wasn’t enough to do it? Cabbie who injured cyclist in hit-and-run incident gets taxi licence back after landmark High Court decision So being convicted of two serious driving offenses is not enough to automatically lose your taxi license, they have to prove it?

I don’t link to UK wrecks very often because there is so little in the report because of UK media laws, but this one is an exception. BREAKING: Cyclist dies following collision in Banbury Another cyclist killed because of an HGV…

UK bicycle infra not up to CROW manual standards gets called out. Fears that someone will be killed on A81 Bidirectional bike track separated from a 45 MPH arterial by nothing more than a curb.

More crap UK infrastructure. Calls to ‘sort Mill Road out once and for all’ as cyclist fights for life after motorbike crash

Switzerland has the same situation as other EU countries, cars are getting better at protecting those inside, but not those outside. Serious e-bike and other cycling accidents rise Drivers are still running into things at the same rate, but people inside motor vehicles in those wrecks are not getting hurt. Those outside motor vehicles are still getting injured and dying at the same rate.

A low-information report from Enn Zed. Cyclist killed after being struck by car And another subtle dig at cyclists to remind us that the cyclist is dead but nobody in the car was injured in any way.

Last link I got at like 0100, but it’s freaking awesome. ‘Decoy’ rider puts spotlight on bike safety law — PHOTOS They did a 3-foot law sting! And I love the “Crash Test Dummy” bike jersey.

Billed @€0.02, Opus

Things are Not Good on the church front, and the Feed

I’m working at transferring a mailing list that I moderate for the church over to someone else, only I can’t because I’m not the owner. The last anyone heard from the owner was in 2012, and we are not even sure that he is still on this side of the veil. He would be in his late 60s or early 70s by this point, and his access to social media or email are “iffy” if he’s still alive. But right now I can’t do what needs to be done, and that frustrates me.

Up first, Google cars don’t understand track stands. How fixed-gear bikes can confuse Google’s self-driving cars The combination of moving back and forth and the rider in the same position as moving forward confuses the AI. But they are still working on it.

Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: San Diego police blame bike mob; unconfirmed report of bicycling fatality on PCH in Malibu Is there a stick or magic wand we can use to beat sense into cops?

And Daily Ted part 2. Bike rider killed crossing PCH in Malibu; bicycling deaths down over 40% in LA County compared to 2014

Infrastructure news from Portland. Neighborhood greenways breeze through council with unanimous support

Also from Portland, I think if we find that stick down in CA we need to send it north to see if it works on traffic engineers. State says there’s not enough proof that bike lanes boost safety, so 26th Ave lanes should go Apparently a decade of statistics from NYC aren’t good enough for ODOT.

Update on a MI hit-and-run, they found the driver. Sheriff: 16-year-old identified as driver in crash that injured cyclist And it looks like the “penis enhancer” theory about the weapon vehicle may be factual.

Two links about a WA wreck. Mill Creek cyclist critically injured in hit-and-run and Cyclist critically injured in hit-and-run; police search for suspect See, now why can’t trigger-happy LEO ever pull one of these idjits over and shoot them in the face? Seeing as how they are actually armed and dangerous and proven willing to use the weapon? And from the narrative there was nothing the cyclist did wrong or could have done to avoid the wreck.

More from CA. Cyclist Dies After PCH Collision Again, without seeing the wreckage I can’t verify the “crossing” portion of the narrative. Assuming the narrative is factually correct, what we have here is either a cyclist not paying attention (possible) or a stretch of road that can be clear when a cyclists starts to cross, but there may be cross traffic before getting to the other side. There needs to be testing to see if the second scenario is true, and either a refuge island provided to make a 2 stage crossing, or a reduction in the speed limit so that crossing the road isn’t like playing Russian Roulette. Give people at least half a chance at survival.

A KS cyclist is right-crossed while crossing with the light in the crosswalk. Bicyclist injured in accident I’m trying to wrap my head around the geometry of this wreck, it appears the cyclist may have been riding salmon but would have been coming at the weapon vehicle from the front rather than the side. So basically the driver blew the red (because the only way this could have happened as described would be for a simultaneous ped signal and turn arrow signal, which would have been a solid red to the driver) and didn’t look in front of the vehicle to make sure the crosswalk was clear, oorrr, the driver failed to notice the light had changed while making sure traffic had cleared and when they stopped he went without looking. So either way this went, the driver went without looking in the crosswalk to make sure there was nothing in his path.

Cyclists are injured in multiple wrecks in West Canuckistan on the same day. Cyclists injured in two separate Saanich crashes One was a two-for-one that was almost a three-for, as a driver either crossed or hooked three cyclists but one managed to avoid the vehicle. How do you turn into three cyclists, unless you meant to? The other cyclist was hit running a stop sign. [sigh]

This one was from the Great White North. Cyclist in coma following downtown Montreal crash Another Single Witness Crossing Cyclist wreck where they say the cyclist was running the red.

Still from the Great White North, blame ALL the cyclists. Many cyclists taking chances

In Jolly Olde stockholm syndrome is beginning to set in. Cyclists welcome report into safety of Frideswide Square After decades of neglect or outright hostility, any slight display that might get mistaken for compassion is fawned over.

Last link is from Enn Zed, and is something I can commiserate with. Cyclist badly injured in truck crash accuses Wellington hospital of neglect This sounds exactly like what happened to me, because CAT scans can only detect DAI (Diffuse Axonal Injury) when there is a baseline scan for comparison, like what is required for F1 and IndyCar drivers before the start of every season. Diffuse Axonal Injury is a sneaky kind of TBI, it can affect a large part of the brain, but unless it is a part the victim has to use while being treated it doesn’t get noticed until it’s too late to treat it. For me it was the loss of foreign languages and a large chunk of specialized vocabulary. For other people it is other things.

And I’m done, wiped out, beat, semi-functional. TIRED.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet (3 more shopping days until my DeathDay)

It’s hot in Texas and water is wet, and the Feed

Looking at my phone the temp just went to 103°F with the heat index “only” 102 because there is almost no humidity. Seriously the air in Phoenix is more humid than the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell, 22% in TX to 26% in AZ. And I actually go out and ride a bike in weather like this, wearing a full-face helmet. Well nobody has accused me of being “normal” lately. Speaking of that there are only 20 more shopping days to get me a Death Day present. I’m looking for RPG dice this year, especially d6 and d8. And I’m a vain geek, I want pretty dice that kinda match. And seriously about this, I’m playing a game now where I sometimes need as many as 10 d6 for damage rolls because my Warlock is heavily buffed with stacking magic items that both increase his “to hit” as well as his damage. I mean my to hit is now +13 against the touch AC of my opponent meaning against most non-monsters I hit every time, and I have better than even odds against pretty much all of the monsters. Currently it takes me longer to roll damage than most people take to play a turn because of my lack of d6. 😦

Right now it appears the Big Story is the woman hit by a semi in Boston on Friday morning. Cyclist Killed by Tractor Trailer Identified and Cyclist’s death spotlights Mass. Ave. peril also Recent fatal bike encounters with trucks, buses this too Police search for flatbed truck after bicyclist hit and killed at Boston more like this Bicycle rider killed in Back Bay crash in the previous link you can see the cyclist just before she was hit under the passenger side mirror of the picture of the weapon vehicle. Police Identify Bicyclist Killed In Back Bay Accident I’m going to make a 100% absolutely serious recommendation here: Ban large trucks like this from urban areas unless accompanied by bicyclist outriders front and rear to make sure that no pedestrians or cyclists get run over because drivers can’t see out of the right side or directly in front of the vehicle. The outriders’ responsibility would be to ensure that there was nothing and nobody in the way of the truck before allowing it to make a turning movement and hold the truck until the way had been cleared with the front outrider keeping people from turning across the truck and the back outrider making sure nobody comes from behind, and both making sure that the people who got there first have time to get out of the way, then the truck can make a turn. Obviously this is much more important when making a right turn because such large vehicles have to fade far to the left to clear such things as light poles and sidewalks, but there is still some issues with the left turns from a one-way street that require fading right for clearance. Using bicyclists as outriders means the forward speed is more or less limited to a safe speed. Late addition Surgeon Remembered After Being Struck and Killed on Bike

From a few hours ride east of WoaB World HQ in the Beautiful Suburbs of Hell. Calls for road safety after Longview cyclist crashes “It’s not if I’m going to get hit, it’s when,” which sounds pretty pessimistic, but this is TX, the state where the 2 biggest-selling vehicles are pickup trucks in spite of most of the population living in one of 6 urban areas.

A memorial ride south of WoaB about a day and a half ride. Memorial to honor teen killed in auto vs. bike crash “(H)e swerved and hit the side of a vehicle” tells me that he got buzzed and hit. Remember this victim of motor violence.

Ted had a good day. We interrupt this website for a view from Sunday’s successful CicLAvia

Well it was good for a little while, anyway. Bicyclist killed riding on I-15 in North San Diego County hit-and-run; victim may have been struck multiple times

Same area, slightly earlier. Mission Beach Cyclist Severely Injured in Hit-and-Run Area readers are encouraged to BOLO for the weapon vehicle, have SDPD non-emergency number on speed dial. And PD need to have the ability to get texts and attachments from cell phones so that vital information can be sent from people on the scene instead of trying to describe the situation verbally. Pictures are worth a thousand words.

From the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bike catches a killer. FHP: Hit-and-run driver distracted by e-cig before killing teen cyclist and Arrest made in hit-and-run crash that killed 17-year-old He dropped his vaper on the floor and instead of pulling over and stopping while he searched for it, he just ducked down and drove blind.

NYC, you suck. 18-Year-Old Queens Cyclist Who Was Struck By Driver In Bike Lane Has Died The drunk driver has not yet been charged with anything, including not charged with drunk driving.

Upstate NY is only slightly better. Bike accident during Great Race sends two cyclists to Upstate University Hospital No motor vehicles involved, but it was a race/ride. Some people were just out to have a nice ride somewhat protected from motor vehicles.

More upstate NY hassles. No easy answers for rider-driver friction in Piermont Part of the problem is NY culture leads to confrontations (remember Pacino’s “Hey! I’m WALKING here!”?), and part of the problem is we cyclists get a trifle excited when some putz comes within inches of terminating our lives which does little to reduce tensions.

Meanwhile in Joisey. Charges filed in Mine Hill crash that left cyclist injured The driver has been charged with driving like a putz and failing to yield.

A bill in PA that deserves to get thrown under the bus. Pa. bill to demand cyclists wear reflective vests at night getting thrown under bus Seriously, instead of demanding that cyclists do all the work here, how about just enforcing the Basic Speed Law?

Are you Too Old To Drive? Mother of bicyclist killed in car accident helps educate elderly drivers I remember covering this wreck back then, the cyclist was hit with the front of the right front fender. The driver just did not even consider that there was a lane of traffic to the right of the vehicle before starting the turn.

Someone in MN has a serious hate on for cyclists. Answers Tough To Find After Cyclist Hit By Chunk Of Concrete and People are ruthlessly attacking Minneapolis cyclists, for some reason Seriously, this was a planned attack, as the driver was riding in some cyclist-heavy parts of the city and wearing PPE so as to not get hurt by the objects he was throwing at cyclists. If you see the weapon vehicle deploy spike strips and shoot to kill. The car that is, kill the car. We want the driver to be publicly humiliated for at least a decade or so and corpses don’t get humiliated easily.

Still in MN a left cross wreck injures a young girl. Minnesota Girl Injured On Bicycle After Car Struck Her This story is just so bizarre. The driver was the victim of random mob violence a few years ago that left him brain damaged and was just now starting to get something resembling a normal life back when he turned left into the cyclist. As a member of both groups, brain damaged and cyclist, I don’t know which I should feel more sorry for. But as a member of both groups I also need to say they should test the driver for his degree of perception to his left, as well as can he physically turn his head to see that direction. He may have undiscovered defects on that side of his body, that he may not even know about.

Another hit-from-behind wreck in WI. Bicyclist hurt in Sunday crash named Other than the fact the driver stayed at the scene and rendered aid to the cyclist until medical help arrived it was a common hit-from-behind wreck.

Another cyclist is killed in another hit-and-run, this time in MI. Bicyclist on trek across Michigan dies in hit-and-run crash and Woman cycling across Michigan killed in hit-and-run The driver of the pickup truck hit the last rider in a group and sped away because he was a person of low moral content. When they find the truck it should be crushed as soon as they finish processing it, possibly with the driver still in it.

A little girl is hurt in SD. Five-Year-Old Girl Injured In Car Vs. Bicycle Accident If a 5YO can’t play safely here then there isn’t a safe place to play in SD.

Our first international links come from the Great White North, as age is no defense against criminally bad driving. Charges pending against 83-year-old driver after cyclist hit And neither is “sun glare”. It’s not like you don’t know the sun is going to be there…

The father of a cyclist killed in a hit-and-run wants a mandatory minimum sentence for killing someone in a hit-and-run to deter DUIs from leaving the scene. Dead cyclist’s father wants jail time for hit-and-run drivers and Dead cyclist’s father wants jail time for hit-and-run drivers I suggest the minimum for a fatal hit-and-run be twice the minimum for death by DUI, whatever they call it in the statute. If leaving the guy to die is not worse than killing him outright, well…

Gawddammit! Cyclist seriously injured after being hit by a lorry in central London OK I know the drivers have at least some degree of driving ability to pass the test for the license, and the majority of the cyclists hit have been experienced and careful cyclists, which narrows it down to infrastructure and vehicle blind spots…

Road.cc is sorta like Gothamist except all bike and in England. They have two links in today’s Feed. The first one is the driver who had his pathetically weak sentence reduced further because victims’ impact statements don’t actually count, they’re just for show. Lorry driver who caused death of Denbighshire cyclist has driving ban reduced FFS.

Second link is the bus driver that hit a cyclist in plain view and dragging his body until there was no hope of survival and getting away with it. Bus driver who dragged cyclist to his death and failed to stop avoids jail That distance in American (formerly Imperial English) is almost 80 feet. And WTF?!? “Death by Dangerous Driving” is the most serious driving offense in the book, and he got probation?

I think the coppers are still looking for the murder weapon. 70 year-old man questioned over death of cyclist Yep, I’ almost positive that’s what they’re doing.

Last link. Sips For Cyclists Event To Benefit Injured Riders Go out there and benefit somebody.

And I’m tired and done composing, now comes proofing, editing, and tagging.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet

I went for a massage today, and the Feed

Since the last file of links won’t show up in the Feed folder until after midnight Friday is a good day to go do things. So I went to get a massage to try to do something about my neck, which has stopped getting better about two weeks ago. My range of motion hasn’t improved much over the big jump I had on the day after surgery, and my neck still cracks every time I try looking up. The good thing today was after the massage I was able to turn the overhead light on without using Braille, I could look almost straight up to find the pull chain on the light. That won’t last, but I hope there will be some carryover until I get another massage.

Up first is Our Daily Ted. Morning Links: OC hit-and-run truck driver guilty; SGV bike rider found beaten to death; get ready for CicLAvia Didn’t that trial just start Tuesday?

From down the road a day’s ride. Memorial ride planned Saturday for bicyclist Brian Silva “This from Please Be Kind to Cyclists …”

And motor vehicles in NYC killed the same number of pedestrians in June as people on bicycles killed since 2000. NYPD: Drivers Injured 1,228 Pedestrians and Cyclists in June, and Killed 10 The 10 includes one dead cyclist…

This NYC wreck is just troubling. No Charges for Driver Who Killed 72-Year-Old Cyclist in Sunset Park and 72-Year-Old Brooklyn Cyclist Killed 1 Block From Home As was pointed out in the Streetsblog article, the cyclist or the driver could have run the red, or the cyclist could have entered with the green and gotten balked by pedestrian traffic and then the driver failed to yield. Only one of those scenarios has the cyclist at fault.

Update on a FL fatal hit-and-run. Suspect arrested in hit-and-run that killed teen on bike They did a database search for cars matching the description, narrowed it down by specifying a radius from the wreck and then went and looked at all the cars until they found the weapon vehicle. Exactly what I told the detective to do in my wreck, but he said it was “too hard”…

This Chicago cyclist isn’t fooling around. Cyclist avows injuries, sues three The driver that doored her, the driver that hit her when she got doored, because he shouldn’t have been driving, and the owner of the car that hit her for allowing a driver who was required to have “adult supervision” to drive alone. If she’d lucky she might get enough to pay her doctor and hospital bills and cover her lost income and maybe even the costs of moving after losing her apartment…

A cyclist in VA is found bleeding on the side of the road. Stuart man injured while riding bicycle Apparently they don’t think he was hit by anything, just fell down after getting dizzy or something.

The links to this Boston hit-and-run report keep changing as I write this, so I have no idea what you’re going to find when you click. Truck, driver connected to fatal bicycle crash located out of state That was originally a description of a bog-standard right hook, complete with a semi turning from the wrong lane across a bike lane. Police Find Driver After Fatal Bicycle Accident In Boston and this one Police locate truck that hit, killed bicyclist OK they found the driver and the weapon vehicle. and the comments from the first link are continuing to blame the cyclist even though they are saying the truck violated her right of way.

Another hit-and-run in Chuck. Judge sets bond for woman accused of DUI in fatal Hollywood crash OK that link changed and now the driver was “just” drunk.

I’m just flabbergasted with this link. Man charged in collision that seriously injured cyclist in Chapel Hill What surprised me the most is NC has a reputation of blaming cyclists for being there to get hit, and less than 4 days after the wreck they have criminally charged the driver for making a right hook.

The Mounties got their man! Oshawa man charged in Stouffville-area hit-and-run involving cyclist and Police arrest man in April hit-and-run that left cyclist seriously injured Is that the charges, or a laundry list?

A cyclist in the Great White North left-crosses herself. Cyclist seriously injured in Fort Erie and Senior cyclist serious hurt in Fort Erie collision What more can I say? Left turning vehicles must yield to through vehicles.

This tale from the Great White North sounds exactly like a Buzz Job. Cyclist injured in collision near Delhi, Ont.

This is about as far east as you can get in Canada without taking a ferry. Cyclist injured After looking at the front of that car, if the driver stopped it was only for a fraction of a second and it was burning rubber until contact with the cyclist. IOW this was a left cross at speed.

And Canadians can only stay polite for so long. It’s a mixed up, shook up world when pedestrians punch cyclists

[facepalm] Lorry driver who caused death of Denbighshire cyclist by careless driving has driving ban cut on appeal [/facepalm] Seriously?!? Only 5 years of not-driving for killing while driving and it was still too much? and he didn’t even get community service…

Part 2. County Durham bus driver spared jail after killing Washington cyclist Les Turnbull Another killer driver gets probation and a meaningless driving ban instead of something appropriate, like drawing and quartering.

Texting and driving is bad, umm kay? Deal Mum of teenage cyclist Daniel Squire features in emotional video for new phone app and Mum’s campaign to prevent texting at wheel after death of her son

Oh Ghisallo, fix this junction or direct large heavy vehicles away from it. Bank crash: Cyclist hit by van at notorious junction where Ying Tao was killed in lorry crash The only thing that prevented this from being a fatality was low speed and the weapon vehicle being comparatively light (compared to a semi that is).

Automating road surveys so they are done constantly instead of once or twice a year. Pittsburgh Program Looks to Seal the Cracks in Urban Road Management Good pavement looks textureless to the program, but as the pavement degrades it develops more and more texture, until it hits a point where it has to be replaced. Using this program will keep maintenance from getting behind the curve so that roads can be repaired instead of rebuilt and lower costs.

And when our robotic overlords take over the streets they will be polite to cyclists and pedestrians. This is why self-driving cars will be programmed to let cyclists rule the roads

And that was the last link, and I’m beat.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet (current time is 0227 )

Today’s delayed blog post brought to you by new shorts, and the Feed

I had to go out in the heat again, this time to buy shorts (outerwear) because the ones I have now are well on the way to becoming rags. I have one (1) pair that is not split up the back and only useful for wearing around the house when I don’t want to bother getting dressed, and that pair is developing huge holes where the pockets used to be. The corners of the pockets started to tear away from the then pants, and even though the pockets have been removed the holes continue to grow with every wearing. So I go to the store to buy new shorts I can wear on the bike or just “around”. Back soon, I swear. 😀 OK, I bought 3 pairs of shorts on sale at the Old Navy across the street from the sporting goods store I shopped first and rejected for costing too much, total costs $21.01 including tax. I got one black, one medium grey, and one light green pair in my size on sale for 50% off. So now I don’t have to wear raggedy shorts outside just to have pockets for stuff.

The Big Story continues to be the impaired driver who crossed 4 lanes to hit a sidewalk cyclist head on. Driver charged after cyclist hit and killed in Hickory and Police: Driver charged after cyclist hit, killed in Hickory and this one that was very hard to track down ‘I’ve never seen anything like that’ That last one I had to do an archive search at the paper because the URL and headline had changed. That “nobody would have done something like this on purpose” quote is exactly what makes me think he “done it on purpose”, or as Mrs. the Poet says, “Only someone who did it on purpose would say it that way.”

Remember that woman killed on USBR 36? Charges filed in Alton bicycle death

Someone wanted to show that this death was not an accident. MAN SHOT AND KILLED WHILE RIDING BICYCLE IN WYNNEFIELD Got out of the car to stop the cyclist and shoot him in the face, then got back into the car. That pretty much defines “not an accident” for me.

A cyclist in MA finds that drivers do not pay attention to bikes anywhere. Cyclist injured after colliding with car in Brockton Cyclist negotiating a parking lot and driver not looking for bicycles in the parking lot. And a miraculous transformation took place, “The man was riding a bicycle in the parking lot of the Westgate Mall about 10 a.m. when he turned into a car.” I wish I could turn into a car sometimes. Does anyone remember Turbo Teen?

Commentary on bicycle infrastructure in MN. Thoughts on danger and biking The chances of getting hit are low but non-zero, and the consequences fall mainly on the cyclist because there is little likelihood of prosecution in a wreck. And the article that brought on this article. Hit by a car (again) in Downtown St. Paul, or why we need the bike plan The cyclist was taking the least-awful route between destinations, not the “best”.

And a less local look but still from the same city. Is a safe bike ride too much to ask?

And it isn’t limited to drivers vs. cyclists, either. WATCH: Horrifying video as man is struck by car and thrown into the air in road rage brawl They hit the guy with his own car after failing to hit him with their fists.

I think this might be infrastructure-related, seeing as this was the scene of one of the UK’s worst motor vehicle wrecks before this bike wreck. Cyclist dies after falling from notorious bridge in North Yorkshire Dales The bridge has been in existence at least since 1925 when they had a big wreck there that killed 7, but that is no excuse especially since they had the wreck in 1975.

This door prize was within inches of being fatal. Heart-stopping moment cyclist falls into path of a black cab after swerving to avoid car door Cyclist injured, bike and cab damaged, all because the driver of the weapon vehicle failed to maintain a proper lookout.

And this from the Emerald Isle of my ancestry. High death and injury rates among cyclists alarm road safety campaigners Maybe adopting the CROW manual instead of trying to reinvent the wheel would do the job?

And I’m outta links again. Only 26 more days until my Death Day celebration! I think I want some new dice this year, I don’t have enough d6 for my D&D3.5e Warlock10 that I’m playing, and none of my digital rollers will let me roll damage in one roll either. I have magical devices that give me a total of +13 to hit with Eldritch Blast (ranged touch attack), and a total of 10d6 damage when I hit, which I do anytime I roll a 2 or higher against almost all enemies.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Unkillable Badass Poet