In orbit, somewhere

Trailbuilding & repair at Lysterfield yesterday. Why I am still sitting here ...? arrrgggggg

We're still here, although alternating between sporadic outbursts of frentic activity, attempting to make the universe a nicer place for two-wheeled folk and recovering from the latest nasty lurgie doing the rounds. And about to give a inner suburbs council a well intended, yet well deserved kick up the date.

We Now Return You to Your Regularly Scheduled Programming. [cue John Williams soundtrack/ tracking shot to a older style phonebox]

Black dutch oven

Chew on this for image description: "The Beast of the Apocalypse, trampling a saint and adored by a kneeling hypocrite"

I simply can't believe news of how Rupert Murdoch is "bankrolling a global-warming initiative" slipped under my radar in the last month. According to this Fortune magazine article, Rupert is aboard the Clinton Global Initiative. While the media zeroed in on Richard Branson's $3b contribution, the ABC reported that Murdoch's family has links to the Climate Institute;

Established in late 2005, The Climate Institute has a five-year goal of raising public awareness and debate about the dangers to Australia of global warming and to motivate the country to take positive action.

The Institute works collaboratively with business, community, scientific, environment and other organisations concerned with climate change through a range of activities. These include research, public information and advertising, seminars, and funding critical ongoing work on the issue in Australia.

Hang on a moment, Rupert owns News Limited. The very same purveyors of numerous anti-global warming rhetoric .. and also employer of columnist Old Rice and Monkey Nuts Andrew Bolt? Make me wonder if Bolt's recently checked his super fund just in case early retirement is on the cards.

I've long held a dodgy personal theory (as yet, scientifically unproven) that events progress to seriously weird before convergence or mainstream acceptance can occur. Another example is Jim Schembri's latest opinion piece. And I'll happily admit that I'm no admirer of some of his articles, but this latest, to borrow a term used in a post made previously on Jeremy Clarkson, is another absolute pearler, quote;

People act stupidly on the roads for one simple reason: they're encouraged to. For although driver stupidity is responsible for so much of the maiming and killing, the lenient penalties incurred by the stupid do not provide sufficient discouragement.

Cynically, we may of actually legalised stupidity on the roads. By stealth? Possibly not. By attrition? Possibly. By well meaning bureaucracy and ensuring inaction? Bingo.

Back to matters cycling, this week I'm probably too busy even to plan having a scratch. Wednesday: Yarra Ride to Work Day, followed by the lead up to Bicycling Australia Show, the BFA AGM & working on the shared BUG stall. Ditto attempting to keep up with maintaining WoJ and YarraBUG stuff.

In closing, regarding those involved with this act of public stupidity. Nah, not worth another rebuttal or wasting pixels. Not even worth pissing on, even if they were on fire. And I was a bloke. Enough said.