Watch & listen, you just might learn something

The Amy Gillett Foundation launched their new TV campaign this week, on the first anniversary of Amy's death in Germany. Here's four vids from You Tube, two ugly ones up first, but by simple comparison, the second two are an absolute delight.

Instant Carma

Oh no you're not

Tales from this evenings commute homewards..

First Incident: Intersection of Burwood & Glenferrie
Moi and steed are waiting for signal to change. Twunt alongside on right, loudly revs engine of their late model Conformadore. Lights change, twunt then proceeds to accelerate across the intersection, then attempts to turkey slap swerve at moi and steed. Twunt suddenly realises they should return to the city-bound lane, or face rear ending a parked car, over corrects, and almost side swipes another vehicle. The other vehicle sounds the horn & shakes fist at twunt. Moi and steed swiftly escape onto the next challenge..

Second Incident: Burwood Road riding towards Hawthorn Station
Moi and steed are happily freewheeling down the hill. A second twunt, sitting in a parked red plastic bubble thing, flings open his drivers side door, swings his right arm out onto the rear door. (counterbalancing? go figure) However, he hasn't used enough force, either to open the door, or knock me off the bike. Door swings back, towards him. I fleetingly caught the rapidly receding image, of this second twunt, getting his right arm/hand jammed in the drivers side door. Oooooo ... that's gonna leave a mark.

Moral of story (if any)
1. Don't do stupid things, as they may rebound curious ways.
2. Read above.
3. Don't fuck with me. Or the bike.

This blog is overdue for a Cat Picture

Look into my eyes, look into my eyes, the eyes, the eyes, not around the eyes, don't look around my eyes, look into my eyes, you're under.

Further pointless immaturity can be found over at beerandkittys

Foreign Correspondent

Despatches from our travelling Xtracycle Man on the continent

BELGIUM YAY!!! Had some real cool beers here in Belgium. Orval, a HEAVILY hopped Trappist beer at 6.8% served 'warm' at 10-14%. Also had a Trappist honey beer but cannot remember the name. I am starting to take notes and photos. Catch you guy's soon.

PeteB, you lucky lucky bastard.

"Safety doesn't sell"

New car, caviar, four star daydream, think I'll buy me a football team

Pardon moi for a moment as we recall a Mother Jones article from 1977.

Pinto Madness
Ford knows the Pinto is a firetrap, yet it has paid out millions to settle damage suits out of court, and it is prepared to spend millions more lobbying against safety standards. With a half million cars rolling off the assembly lines each year, Pinto is the biggest-selling subcompact in America, and the company's operating profit on the car is fantastic. Finally, in 1977, new Pinto models have incorporated a few minor alterations necessary to meet that federal standard Ford managed to hold off for eight years. Why did the company delay so long in making these minimal, inexpensive improvements?

There's several very unpleasant analogies that are still playing out in 2006's corporate environment, Lee Iacocca's "safety doesn't sell" quip has simply morphed into a myriad of other evil expediencies. I could tick off potentially hundreds, but I realise you can fill in the gaps there for yourselves. Have a nice day.

fuckityfuckityFUCK

"It won't be necessary to run for cover. Just enjoy the close approach"

Welcome to the shortest, and possibly least eloquent post ever on this blog. No doubt by the end of this weekend, the words Operation Puerto or Tour de Merde will be permanently seared into your memory for years to come. In other news, I feel like six shades of merde & maybe coming down with a nasty lurgie. 'flu? H3N2? Wake me up in three weeks, if we're still here.