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

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Multi-tasking a blog post and the Feed

I’m waiting my turn at the Player’s Handbook 5th Edition as we get ready for another campaign with a non-kinky tilt for the Kinky D&D group. I’m creating another Warlock, naturally. While we play I will filter the feed and be thinking about what I’m going to post about.

Some good news for me right off th4 bat, the comic strip that birthed the character I took my stage name from (that eventually became my Pagan name) is coming back. ‘Bloom County’ Comic Strip Is Coming Back For those not around then, Bloom County was basically Doonesbury with mixed humans and anthropomorphic animals, and usually better jokes. And a penguin. More BERKELEY BREATHED RETURNING TO “BLOOM COUNTY” FOR FIRST TIME IN 25 YEARS

Our Daily Ted part one. Morning Links: Glendora cyclists buzzed by CHP officer; LA Times maps the most dangerous intersection You know a great deal of trouble and misunderstanding could be eliminated by chaning the law to so that the BMUFL sign was no longer required to post because bikes would be allowed a full lane at all times by law.

And part two. 14-year old bike rider killed in Santa Ana crosswalk Ugh@!

He survived the civil war in Afghanistan, but died in a bike lane in the US. Afghan engineer, who aided U.S. forces, killed and son injured while bicycling Let’s see what charges they can bring to bear over killing a man and wounding his son.

After the driver got a ridiculously small fine for running over two cyclists and leaving one dead the survivor files suit for damages. Cyclist sues Ireton man for injuries in cycling accident $250 plus costs is what a man’s life is worth in IA, until the civil suit.

Boston asks that riders please wear pants something on their butts when riding bike share. Boston Bike-Share: No Naked Cyclists, Please

Talk about your major downers, imagine going to clean up a wreck and finding your boss was the victim. Ambulance crew boss fatally hit while biking; his staff answers call The narrative sounds very much like a right hook that someone wanted to cover up.

First of several links to social actions to remember cyclists killed and demand actions that will prevent future cyclists from getting killed. Memorial set for UA scientist killed on bicycle Another drunk driver killed another cyclist, if there was just some kind of way to keep drunk drivers from driving before they killed someone… [interlocks]

Another drunk driver killed another cyclist, so another protest is done. Cyclists rally for safety on the roads Part of the problem is infrastructure, a big chunk of the problem is enforcement, and another part of the problem is attitude on the part of drunk drivers. That is why I suggested taking the car of a drunk driver away and selling it if they managed to not hit someone, crushing it (with or without the driver) if they did hit someone.

More protests from CA. Candlelight Vigil Held in Honor of Cyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run I think nearly everyone who reads this blog knows what I think about what should be done to hit-and-run drivers. Let’s just say for the new readers that it isn’t pretty nor constitutional, and involves a high-speed car shredder. On the positive side it would all be over with in less than a second.

This ties in with that lawsuit in IA I liked above. Friends Of Onawa Cyclist Hit And Killed Last June Push For Road Safety

Another Ghost Bike in ABQ. ‘Ghost bike’ memorializes fallen cyclist

Last link is from Oz. Family of Victorian cyclist killed in hit-and-run, Gordon Ibbs, make emotional plea for suspect to come forward Again, a hit-and-run driver that kills needs to get the maximum punishment for killing.

There were several links today that I had to forgo because the ads on the site got hacked by malware. I think about 1/3 of the links I filtered were hacked before I could post them.

Billed @€0.02, Opus the Poet (the one without feathers)

Another Bean Day, and the Feed

While Mrs. the Poet “enjoys” a day away from work by being able to sleep in ’til about 6:30 rather than her usual 3:45 AM rising time, I’m still doing my usual Monday job of making beans and rice. Ordinarily the cats get her up around 5-5:30 when she doesn’t work, but because of the time change yesterday they woke her on Standard time while us humans were on Daylight time. That’s good for right now until the cats’ internal clocks adjust to Daylight time, then come Fall they will be waking us at 4-4:30 AM.

Our first links are to a protest in Peru against the usurping of the streets by motor vehicles. 300 naked cyclists protest reckless driving in Peru and Nude cyclists hit the streets of Lima to demand safety measures There were no NSFW pictures in either article, darn the luck. This was the original purpose of the World Naked Bike Ride, to protest that people riding bikes are essentially naked compared to the protection provided by a car for drivers who act aggressively against cyclists. Now the protest is about the “indecent exposure” of people to pollution created by motor vehicles and also by the support industries for motor vehicles, which in the suburbs of Hell combine to account for about 50% of the pollution on a typical summer day.

First wreck, a cyclist is left-crossed by… a motorcycle? Bike, motorcycle collision leaves one seriously injured Yep, he got wrecked by one of our allies against distracted driving and cognitive blindness, a motorcyclist. Intersection protocols to prevent or reduce injury.

Several links to a wreck reported on here Saturday as more information is released. Police investigate fatal crash in Swatara Township involving 15-year-old bicyclist and Swatara Township police identify teenager killed in bicycle crash There is some indication that the cyclist had the right of way and the driver that hit him may have run a stop sign, the wreck site is a T intersection with a stop sign on the street that ends at the through street. Intersection protocols might prevent or reduce the severity of this wreck, and it’s in a residential area so SBR would not be applicable as cars should already be driving at a speed that’s safe to ride a bicycle around. There were other links in the Feed that died before I could post them to this paragraph. I wasn’t able to get a Street View of the site but the satellite picture showed a quiet residential area with a T intersection near the wreck address.

Sentencing in a DUI hit-and-run homicide of a cyclist in CA. Woman Who Hit, Killed Cyclist Sentenced To Prison Six years isn’t much for taking a life, but it’s one of the harshest sentences I have seen coming out of that crazy state for such a crime.

And to highlight the inequality of cyclists and drivers, the only cyclist to kill a pedestrian in S.F. CA was convicted of running a red light and violating the right of way of a pedestrian in a crosswalk for a 100% conviction record against cyclists vs a 7% prosecution rate against drivers. Cyclist Who Killed Woman Dodges Jail, Not Husband and Widower to face San Francisco cyclist at trial There were no comments allowed at that last link.

And in the most deadliest state to walk or ride a bike for 6 years running, they got another one. Cyclist, 73, dies after being struck on Main Street Another SWSS blamed on the cyclist instead of the driver that failed to follow the 3-foot-passing law. Anyway, hit-from-behind wreck, hit-from-behind protocols. This is an area where they could have SBR easily if they wanted, they seem to find the room for 8-12 lane motor vehicle roads that are only close to capacity for about 1 hour out of 24 during 5 days a week.

Still in the most deadliest state, a cyclist is killed when he attempted to cross a road with the right of way. Traffic: Monday’s commute included closure of Skyway, cyclist hit, live wires down and fuel spill

A wreck in Oz. Cyclist hospitalised after Gheringhap collision I can’t say how to prevent a wreck like this as aside from the report of it being at or near a rail crossing and a group involved nothing was said about the actual wreck. I suspect hit-from-behind but because I can’t see either the bike or the car. I see 5 bikes and what may be a 6th and none of them have damage visible in the picture.

A bike wreck in Enn Zed. Cyclist injured in crash I could only see one wheel of what I assume is the bike involved in the wreck, and it appeared to be undamaged, so all I can say about this wreck is it appears to not be a hit-from-behind.

A bike race that is also a huge social event. Bittersweet Argus win for Moolman Pasio and Sweltering Cycle Tour a success For the metric-impaired 45°C is dang hot 113°F. I have ridden in heat like that, but only because I needed to get somewhere, not to race. More Cycle tour hype misses townships and Zille saddled with upset tummy in her first race That link was a bout a rider that carb-loaded with curry the night before the ride. As far as difficulty is concerned the HHH is less demanding terrain but similar heat and about 70% longer on the Century course, but the Argus has about 3 1/2 times as many riders. Cyling pulls you in and stuffs you up Typo in the original article. Actually there were lots of typos in the original article.

Infrastructure! from the most deadliest state in the US to walk or ride a bicycle. James Thompson: Cycling can be a safe way to get around The majority of the LEO problems mentioned in this article are problems of will, not of law. The laws already exist that allow much of this to be punished when not prevented, but too many LEO have a windshield perspective because they spend 8 hours a day sitting in their cruisers, then drive home in private vehicles after work.

And those are all the links that give me fits.

Billed @$0.02, Opus