Have a Captain Cook at this commentary from the US of A:
CNSNews.com: The Threat to the Car
Recent evidence that automobile use is declining in America and that some Americans are making significant — and in some cases not readily reversible — changes in their lives because of escalating gas prices should be worrisome signs for those who love liberty.
No device is more in keeping with the American spirit than the automobile. Privately owned cars and trucks allow us to go where we want, when want. They are freedom machines.
Cripes. Better hide that subscription to ReNew before the AFP kick the door down.
Still, some liberals would like to use government to force Americans out of their cars.
They believe in socialized transportation, not free-market transportation.
In a free-market transportation system, a person purchases his own vehicle with his own money, buys his own gas with his own money and can drive his vehicle anywhere there is a road — and, if he has the right kind of vehicle, some places where there are no roads.
Admittedly, the roads generally are constructed by government, albeit with funds extracted from the earnings and gasoline purchases of drivers.
In a socialist transportation system, the government takes the taxpayers’ money and purchases vehicles — often buses or trains — for itself or a government-funded agency. Where and when these vehicles go is determined by the government.
In a free-market transportation system, a person travels solely in the company of people with whom he has freely chosen to travel. In a socialist transportation system, a person may be compelled to travel in the company of people he does not know and who could even be a danger to him.
I have no doubt that most Americans who love the freedom of movement they derive from owning and operating a car or truck have recognized efforts by various levels of government to induce them to stop, or limit, their driving and cajole or compel them to leave the free-market transportation system and submit to the socialist transportation system.
Yeah, actually public transport shits me at time too, but not to the paranoid extent this chap seems to be chewing hard on. I’ll spare you the rest, read the entire article at the link supplied above. But you do need to peruse this bit:
Hopefully, the 8 percent who have taken to socialized transportation represents a trend that can be reversed.
We should drill our own oil — now. And, when the supply naturally diminishes to where prices drive the market elsewhere, American entrepreneurs must create another fuel whose production the government cannot readily curtail, and that keeps Americans driving where they want to, when they want to, in privately owned cars.
You should kiss your arse goodbye — now.
Luckily in retrospect bicycles weren’t mentioned in this commentary, as anything to the right of Genghis Khan is probably a Castro aficionado to T. P. Jeffrey. I was going to attempt a reasonable deconstruction of steaming pile of denial bollox, but my personal time is probably better utilised by finishing up a delicious homebrew stout and basking in the glow of a reasonably pleasant day that avoided the EastLink muppet ride.
“I’m not a cyclists hater, I’m not nothing,” Jason told Macquarie Radio this morning.
“I was just driving along and I had a car failure and now I’m in trouble - I dunno.”
Oh the hiliarity which has ensured since “Jason” had his epic moment of cognitive and mechanical dissonance on Sydneys Southern Cross Drive on Thursday morning. Not only did he piss off from a road incident (yes, obviously clearly illegal), the lad then had the temerity to go on 2GB and have a chat. Read the rest of this entry »
September 4, 2007 at 3:09 pm · Filed under Cockheads
As regular viewers may of noted by now, I’m rather over inane, uninformed naive bullcrap dished up as opinion about the semi-eternal bicycle vs. motorists debate.
So it is with great relish I read online that Paul Pottinger is receiving a right pasting for this bizarre little spleen venting exercise in todays Daily Terror. It’s rather dull copy that most people wouldn’t even give the dignity of wiping their derrieres with, even if it was presented to them in printed form.
Scores thus far (71 comments)
59: Get over yourself Pottinger.
9: Cyclists, yukky poo!
4: Foot in either camp
Thus also providing much needed evidence that if there is hope, it lies in the Proles. Possibly.
UPDATE: Online article has had todays comments removed, and is not linked from the “Have Your Say” section despite there being 71 comments. FYI - comments still can be found here. Oooooo, who’s a bad sport and had a tantie? Sooks!
It’s lovely day today in Melboring, and hopefully only two more sleeps until my new REDMet Inferno arrives. Happy days are here again!
August 13, 2007 at 11:35 pm · Filed under Cockheads
Brisbanes Courier Mail included this poll (see right) in the accompanying article:
Cyclists hit by road rage
First it was scooter riders, now it’s cyclists. A new survey has revealed two-wheelers are copping abuse and road rage from other motorists.
The CARSguide.com.au online survey has found cyclists are the most hated road users at 28 per cent.They were followed by large trucks (20 per cent), large 4WDs (15 per cent) and illegal window washers who bale up motorists at traffic lights.
Actually this should be alternatively filed under ‘Not Quite What They Were Expecting’
Please note: HTF does 37 + 62 = 100? Informal votes? Ghost in the machine?
On the subject of News Limited publications, the Hun was seriously scrapping the barrel today by printing a story on Raisin-Shaw selling his bike. (do we have to remind you of the Hell Ride palavar again and again and again)
Like, yes, seriously. No link, you can look for it yourself.
Considering the recent tragic deaths of a elderly NSW couple as result of alleged illegal street racing, likewise, will the Daily Terror research a story on what the driver is selling on flea bay?
After publishing a fantastic ode to cycling earlier this week, The Age takes a downward turn and allows a footy hack writer to pull out the current anti TdF cliches. Similarly, can we look forward to indepth stockmarket analysis by Lawrence Money in Business Day? Actually, on the subject of Business Day, cast your eyes over this cracking read by one Elliot Fishman. Now returning to that Greg Baum piece:
Tour de Farce: Greg Baum
Have drug scandals irreparably damaged one of the world’s greatest sporting events? Greg Baum reports. Earlier this year, New York Times columnist George Vecsey likened bike racing to professional wrestling in terms of its credibility.
Clearly Baum has a pathetically limited knowledge of TdF history, and a objective response to his article has been posted on aus.bicycle. Say, what about the early decades, what with riders openly drinking & having a ciggie? Or the tragedy of Tom Simpson? The tour has always survived, including two world wars and it will survive and evolve past this latest transgression by a selfish bunch of idiots.
Regarding AFL, as a thoroughly disenchanted female fan I’m beyond disgusted at hearing the almost weekly despatches of boofhead antics. Oh they’re footy players, hahaha, pat on the back, minimise their crap behaviour by laughing it off in the meedya. Nah fcuk it, I’m taking my sporting allegiances (and money) elsewhere. Also The Age continues it’s downward trajectory towards tabloid by publishing this online poll about recent Hell Ride issues:
Hell Ride: Should the notorious Hell Ride be banned? Vote online.
To clumsily paraphrase James Balwin, if they come for us at night (or dusk) , they’ll be coming for them early on Saturday morning.
Hang on a mo, didn’t Pantani ride for Team Carrera?
.
Yes, The Hun has seen fit to publish something about folks who ride bicycles, although the sub-editor has obviously got a tad flustered and somewhat confused when composing the headline. Like for starters, what slim relationship has this headline have to actual content?
Cycling is booming as commuters get on their bikes to avoid road congestion and the public transport crush. New VicRoads figures show the number of cyclists using off-road paths during the morning peak has increased by almost 20 per cent in a year. The biggest increases have been in Footscray, Carlton North and Northcote.
‘Tis pleasing to know Beer Can Hill and the surrounding delta regions are overflowing with cyclists, but the HS are having a sloppy each way bet with allowing yet another minion to fiddle with the title. Thus far there’s been two further revisions:
Fig. B: “On your bikes, say rebel commuters” (Print edition)
Fig. C: “Rebel commuters: on your bikes” (Morning online edition)
Fig. D: “On your bikes, say rebels” (Later online edition)
Fig. E: “Red Light Running Dingo Cyclist Took My Baby” (ACA)
Although this mix n’ match headline editing is hardly a serious attempt to sabotage a non-threatening cycling article by conjuring up the Machiavellian Black Arts of Spin. But it does smack of a stale and clueless approach that the HS feels the urge to repeatively trot out when ‘reporting’ cycling issues in this city. It’s painfully obvious this style of reportage is way past any expiry date and is further evidence of attrition of so-called journalistic standards, let alone to anyone who gives a flying proverbial about how local issues are covered in the meedya. There’s plenty of alternative examples here in Australia and overseas, refer to the Wheels of Justice for more inspired examples. Hey what wrong with spruiking the other website anyway, it ends this blog entry on a positive note and you might just learn something.
April 16, 2007 at 12:40 am · Filed under Cockheads
Radio personality Steve Price has been charged with drink driving in a north Sydney suburb. Police said they arrested a 52-year-old man in Neutral Bay on Saturday night and charged him with mid-range drink driving, but would not name the man.
Who?
Oh sorry, yes, we do remember this rather angry little man when he used to announce on 3yAWn. Obviously the TAC’s long-running “Drink, Drive, Bloody Idiot” campaigns in the 1980’s and 1990’s didn’t hit the mark with Mr Price. As neither did “Only a little bit over?” but he was in Sydney by this point. Rather unrelated, but timely, click here to read The Age Letters page from November 2004. Now scroll down and read the two letters, the first one (no. 13) concerned with the CM Nov 2004 ride and the one *just* (no.14) below it.
Just what is it with Sydney shriekback announcers? Maybe what happened to Don Imus in the US of A could make them tidy up their moral compass. Not holding my breath though. Back to Stevie-baby, seeing he’s now in the market for alternative wheels, would anyone care to set him up with a LBS in North Sydney?
The Kona Dew series, Giant CRX City or the Trek SU300, S500 or S300 are nicely kitted out rigs for urban commuting …
Both were expressing in their respective rights in the media to freedom of speech. Although the outcomes couldn’t of been more different. In Australia, the end result was violence and property damage. In the USA, Imus uttered hateful, poisonous words.
CBS President and Chief Executive Officer Leslie Moonves said in a statement today: “From the outset, I believe all of us have been deeply upset and repulsed by the statements that were made on our air about the young women who represented Rutgers University in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship with such class, energy and talent. Those who have spoken with us the last few days represent people of goodwill from all segments of our society – all races, economic groups, men and women alike.
In our meetings with concerned groups, there has been much discussion of the effect language like this has on our young people, particularly young women of color trying to make their way in this society. That consideration has weighed most heavily on our minds as we made our decision, as have the many emails, phone calls and personal discussions we have had with our colleagues across the CBS Corporation and our many other constituencies.”
Don’t hold your breath expecting either John Howard or Phillip Rudd to articulate comparable integrity to Leslie Moonves. Jones shot his mouth off over existing community tension in Sydney and and in all probability contributed to the shocking incidents at Cronulla in 2005. But I suppose we really shouldn’t be surprised at all at the low level of critical debate in this country. It’s probably festering in a rapidly drying water catchment, waiting for El Nino to dissipate.
Have a Captain Cook at this commentary from the US of A:
As regular viewers may of noted by now, I’m rather over inane, uninformed naive bullcrap dished up as opinion about the semi-eternal bicycle vs. motorists debate.
Brisbanes Courier Mail included this poll (see right) in the accompanying article:
Hang on a mo, didn’t Pantani ride for Team Carrera?
Compare and contrast these two issues.
