REMEMBRANCE DAY 2014

Amazed to see that this day was marked in Beijing by Tony Abbott , PM of Oz , at a Memorial Venue
there!  For me it was an eye opener to see the Memorial Grounds that are shown in these photos !

Whoever was responsible for creating this Memorial, has done a really great job of reminding people of the DEBT that the Nation OWES our Fallen !




Going in " Harms Way " is an every day occurance for the Armed & Emergency Services , so it was good to see them represented at this Ceremony .

Every Nation has a reason to remember this day and Australia lost most of a Generation of the Young Men in the World War 1 Disaster .

Back then People were more likely to use a Bicycle for getting about the urban areas . It was only in the 1950s that there was a move to the personal  4 wheeled transport mode . Since then personal convenience has degenerated into Personal Selfishness , as demonstrated by the way so many  NOW regard the Cyclist !


HOW DARE the CYCLIST , get in MY way , as i have CHOSEN to leave the house/office at the last minute/LATE for MY Personal appointment/journey .

Wonder if those that marched off for King & Country , could have envisaged their Sacrifice , to ensure that WE live in a Democratic Country , would have led to so much SELFISH Behaviours of the Current Community ?  Are there any drivers out there that having SALUTED the FALLEN , have decided to be LESS SELFISH , as a way to mark THEIR SACRIFICE ?

The following excerpts below , demonstrate the current thinking in the Road Community , where SELFISHNESS is bounded by those enclosed in their Metal Box ( coffin on wheels ) violating the SPACE of those wearing normal clothes and even Lycra !

YES life was different in 1914 , a slower more considerate , Family/Community  Orientated way of LIFE .

2014 is a NIGHTMARE of people thinking THEIR Life is more important than their Neighbour , Family and Friends . HOW DARE anyone inconvenience ME , cause ME to lose SECONDS!  This is a CRIME Punishable by PERSONAL STUPIDITY , in too many cases . A driver getting out of a vehicle attacking another driver , is described as " Road Rage "!  Knocking a Cyclist off the bike with a vehicle , ONLY rates attention , IF , the Cyclist is KILLED !   Then it is a shrug of the shoulders by most , " Coming to them " is a remark of others , Policing Authorities filling out the paperwork , then moving onto the next incident !

Laughable that SKY TV and CNN , were describing the sinking of the Korean Ferry , with the loss of 300+ lives as an ACCIDENT !  INCIDENT , yes !  Accident , NO ! The sentence of the Captain to 36yrs in Jail and the Chief Engineer to 30yrs , certainly was no ACCIDENT !

Turning on the ignition of a Vehicle is NO ACCIDENT !  This is a decision to drive what amounts to a KILLING MACHINE , when not 100% supervised !  Yet each driver fails to spend 100% of their energy conforming to what they were taught , when they were seeking their Driver Permit/licence !

WHO is responsible for the slippage of Standards ?  Does it really matter ? The PROBLEM Exists and needs rectifying !

Emergency Services Personnel are trained to DRIVE at a certain Standard . When they are allowed on the roads to operate their vehicles in a manner , BELOW that standard , the Public notice and then EMULATE!

BETTER that those Emergency Services Personnel that were trained , revert to the Standard they were required to meet , then they can set out to INSTILL into the Public the Standard they showed , when seeking that piece of paper , they were so desparate to obtain when TESTED !

Entertainment follows , thanks to this link :

http://ukcyclelaws.blogspot.co.uk/p/the-laws-according-to-highway-code.html

Also easier to pass a single file column of cyclists as they aren't all swerving to avoiding hitting eachother, their attention is drawn to chatting, looking at eachother and constantly avoiding the accident they are about to cause with eachother.

Our local cycling club are hell bent on riding two abreast, on roads where two way traffic is just about manageable, they also insist on stopping and gathering at the apex of corners and blind crests, having a drink whilst the bike wobbles away from their one supporting leg uncontrollably.

This is great and I fully respect the guidelines/laws - unfortunately in my experience, the vast majority of those with a desire to cycle on our roads leave all common sense at home and treat their ride out in a similar vein to to local mothers union meetings on a Tuesday morning - paying zero attention to the road, no regard for other road users and carry with them an attitude that they can do no wrong whilst on a bicycle.

They are a danger to society, please ensure the cyclists are aware of the rules prior to having a go at the motorist. I pride myself at being a fairly competent driver, young enough to act and think quickly, but old enough to have a bit of common sense. Unfortunately when seeing cyclists (and I do apologise for tarring them all with the same brush) I know I will have to take some deep breaths and calm myself down due to the complete incompetence displayed before me. What they fail to realise is that being on the road is not like playing on a games console, there is no reset button and the vast majority of motorists simply do not care about the hobbyist cyclist who is delaying their daily commute - that is where it gets dangerous!!!



Pete: you have just replied with the stereotypical nonsense that people tend to come out with.

"Unfortunately when seeing cyclists (and I do apologise for tarring them all with the same brush)"

How is that any different from me saying "I dont mean to tar every car driver with the same brush but they all use their mobiles while driving, if not drunk, some on occasion grab kids off the street before raping and killing them".

You are talking utter crap and you know it.


If the road is such that two way traffic is just about manageable, you need to overtake using the opposite carriageway, just as if you were overtaking a car.

If your side of the road is not wide enough for a bike a metre from the road edge, plus the width of the rider, plus at least another metre of polite space then you will need to go into the oncoming carriageway when you can see the way is clear.

IRRITATING TV !

As i write my blogs i have the TV going in the background . each week there are several programs that occur at the same time , makes life easy , since these are from the Major news Networks .

Al Jazeera , friday night , offers " The David frost interview ". CNN on Sunday features several items , as does CNBC . Saturday & Sunday night , there are two " Jimmy Fallon Shows " from 2100hrs .

Right now i am hearing the " facebook Obsession " on CNBC , with commercials intervening . Of course these network will haves need revenue to operate , but repeating the " Thomson reuters Ad. " three times consecutively , with the " LvMH share graph " alternating 5 times with " Burberry group share graph " in each Ad is considered entertaining ? BIG FAIL !

After this show , we will have " Jimmy Fallon " , now this guy's humour must be entertaining to some , since he is slated to take over from Jay Leno , whose humour i am able to understand ? i think ?

Weekends can be hugely entertaining , in that nearly all the Networks run a ticker tape feed , the attention to these at weekends is minimal . They tell you something , then forget to change the " Ticker Feed ", net result is that you are left thinking it is " April Fools Day ".

Another annoying habit is the " Self Publicity " that occurs on CNN , each half hour or more often if there is no World Crisis . One Ad will be a " Straight Product Ad. " then there will be blurbs for upcoming shows , maybe one will be the one you are in the middle of at that time , or already just finished for the day . Each evening of the week CNN has starting at 1800hrs GMT ,  " Richard Quest ", Chistiana Amanpour , Isha Sesay and Beckie Anderson finishing at 2000hrsGMT . Even during this period , CNN shovels out the reminders !

Even BBC World News , has jumped on the bandwaggon with their own self obsessions . France TV ( in English ) seems to be the least boring in this behaviour .

Yeah , i know , turn the TV off , listen to music !

Mr President , YOU'VE BLOWN IT !

Executive Orders are the preserve of Presidents ! I am led to believe , that the US President , can use these  " Executive Orders " to send US Troops , to WAR , for about a Hundred Days , without the permission of Congress ?

Is there not a war on US streets , at present ? CNN News , after showing that News conference you spoke at , creating the " Joe Biden Panel of Experts ", advised the viewers of several pertinent stastistics .That Press Conference , i was led to believe , WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT " GUN CONTROL " , but became more a discussion , about the " fiscal cliff",  showed Alarming statistics about Annual Shootings !

 There are CNN stated , an average of 268 " Shootings " , each day in the USA , more than 97000 in a year ! Is that not a WAR ? In YOUR Neighbourhoods , on YOUR streets , amongst your VOTERS and Families ! Guess what ? Those that are shot , in the most part , are Innocents ! They got up in the morning not knowing how their day would finish . Few of those 268 each day , until Joe Biden reports , will be thanking you , for the unfortunate situation , they will find themselves in , that is , if they LIVE ! At a guess you will be innaugerated on the 21st january , shall we say 35 days time ? If you acted on that day , then about 19400 more shootings will have taken place . The State of the Union speech will follow some days later and by that time School will be back .

Tuesday we were advised that a Neighbouring School to Newtown , went into " Lockdown ", nervous reaction to a report to the Police ? But even before you arrived in Newtown , some " Fool " called in a " Bomb Threat " , disrupting the Church Service and distressing those in the congregation ! How much more mischief will take place whilst the USA , awaits Joe Biden's recommendations ? How many LIVES will be LOST ?

GUNS are flying off the shelves , every type , including Assault Weapons . The only glimmer of sense in the last days , are " Reports "of one enterprise " Dick's Guns " , removing Stock from display , perhaps , that means from Sale , also ? Another encouraging matter , was the report that a " Teachers Investment Fund , has caused a large Gun  Manufacturer's owner / investor to divest themselves of that investment .

Whilst there are certain controls in place , to ensure ONLY those that meet " Legal  Requirements ", can obtain weapons , there has to be occasion for ALARM ! Last year CNN reports , 16,484,000+ background checks were conducted on those involved in a Gun Purchase ! To November this year , the report says , 16,800,000 Background checks  have been conducted ! So with the current " Outrage " fresh in their minds , purchasers are buying at " inflated prices " , any " ASSAULT Weapons " that are still available  for walk away purchase ! Could it be new sales records will be made in December 2012 ?

Senator Feinstein is currently seeking to reintroduce the " Legislation " that was repealed in 2004 , that same legislation Joe Biden , introduced in1994 ! What did Vice President Biden say to you about this Legislation before you arrived on the Podium today ? Could it be , that he , Vice President Biden in your shoes , would have used " EXECUTIVE ORDERS ", to reintroduce that Legislation , effective TODAY ?

When i wrote the blog post , "  http://skippi-cyclist.blogspot.com/2012/12/if-i-were-president.html " on Monday , i tweeted @whitehouse with the link . AS an Australian , i was Proud of OUR Prime Minister , donning a " Bullet Proof Vest " to make his Point with Parliament . Within 16 days of that incident , Parliament enacted Laws , banning many Weapons . Laws that the Australian Public demanded , which the Port Arthur Tragedy made necessary !  Before this " outrage " , there had been others , but the use of those Assault Weapons  at Port Arthur  was the catalyst of this Legislation , that has seen , NO REPEATED " Outrages "  SINCE !

Congress is a " Funny Creature " , we only need to look at the " Fiscal Cliff Problem " , just saw the " Speaker " toss the Gauntlet , to see that the behaviour there , can be irrational !  However , even though YOU do not need to worry about being " Re elected " , YOU have the need to create a Legacy ! Medicare , in my mind is commendable , but sitting by for the next weeks , whilst Gun Stores are emptied of Stock , is not the Legacy that ANY Rational Politician would want ? As a Parent , you have displayed your feelings for the Grief Stricken . Aurora was another occasion that you displayed your compassion , but there also , you promised action ?

Congress , supposedly rises on Friday for the " Holidays " , can be caused , to reintroduce the " Assault Weapon Legislation " effective IMMEDIATELY ! As president , i should have thought , you have the Political Markers required to get the Legislation Re enacted !

With Respect Mr President , NO ACTION is NOT AN OPTION , for those that will become statistics in the next weeks . In your speech today , you spoke of a Mother , a Law Enforcement Officer , Killed since last Friday , of several other L.E.O. killed in service to their communities during the past days . None of these would have been saved had you acted on Friday , BUT , how many of the nearly 20000 , mentioned before CAN BE SAVED , if you Act ?

Christmas , is a stressful period for so many people , with Stress and Alcohol and unresolved  Family problems , this period  is like a tinder box where  unresolved issues flare . Weapons in the home now , that need not be there , even Assault Weapons , unsecured perhaps , will find their way into the hands of the " Conflicted . Any Legislation that removes them , will  ensure a safer future !

  Can YOU make Christmas 2013 , safer by ACTION NOW ?



NB Just found this Petition created by 4th Graders at NewTown, CT.USA :

http://www.change.org/petitions/president-obama-and-congress-ban-semi-automatic-weapons-and-large-capacity-magazines#

My Petition :

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment

CNN Personnel , GUTLESS and APPATHETIC ?

24 hours has passed since i created this Petition :

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment

Having done this , i Tweeted some of CNN's , supposed " Movers & Shakers " :

skippy mc carthy ‏@skippydetour

@sanjaygupta @andersoncooper @Mike_Rann @michaelholmes@halagorani @jimclancy @franmillar ASK YOUR Followers to RThttp://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment#invite … … …

With their being involved in the " Newtown Tragedy " , there is the possibility , that they do not read " Tweets "? Maybe they are so busy , trying to find " Stories " and interview " Participants " in the " Incident ", that " Social Media " is irrelevant to their needs ? So far there has been extensive coverage of this " Needless Outrage "! All Major  News Networks are pouring resources into reporting the events surrounding the " Victims " .

Every avenue is being explored , BUT , apart from reporting PAST events caused by " America's Gun Culture " , there is NO EFFORT , to turn America's Collective Memory , into a FORCE to CHANGE the PRESENT , into a SAFER FUTURE !

The CNN Personnel reporting on this latest Gun Outrage , mention " NRA " as a force in the " GUN CONTROL DEBATE ". However they do not point out the CONTROL they exert over those Politicians , that choose to ATTEMPT to create Controls on the OWNERSHIP of GUNS ! With the Huge War Chest of Financial Resources , NRA ( National Rifle Association ) , are able to threaten any Politician , that attempts to make OWNING a Gun more difficult .

President Barack Obama , will tonight visit the Families of the Bereaved and the " First Responders " in Newtown . Had the News Media caused the " Collective Anger of the American Public " to be VISIBLE , President Obama would feel it necessary to make known his PLANS to tackle this " Cancerous Growth " that the GUN LOBBY has created .

As an outsider , i have NO RIGHTS to tell the Citizens of the USA , what path they should take ! I can tell you that as an Australian , I applaud the former Prime Minister of Australia , John Howard , for acting after the Port Arthur Tragedy , in introducing the Legislation that curtailed many parts of the rights to possess a GUN in Australia ! Even in the U.K. , after the Hungerford and Dunblane Tragedies , Legislation was introduced .

WHAT THEN , is the difficulty that CNN has in creating a means for the American Public to EXPRESS NOW , their revulsion of the HORRORS continually foisted on them by those preventing " GUN CONTROL "? Regretably , there have been several " Outrages " such as tthis in recent months , they seem to be happening every few days recently , another example this weekend ?

For those that want to join the ONLY other signature to date , on my attempt to help make a difference , here is the link :
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment

http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/president-of-united-states-of-america-repeal-the-2nd-amendment

Christmas Greetings

Christmas is here once again and i am in the Zillertal with snow on the ground and a heavy mist marring the views.Christmas Eve for us is the Xmas day for the continentals so it is early closing for the stores and ski lifts.

Laziness kept me in the house today but i turned on the CNN Heroes Programme for a while, and there were the Chilean Miners. What a story that was , absolutely inspirational result but the thing that comes over most strongly is that they are travelling together to events where they can show their continuing unity. Can you imagine being cooped up in such a situation for two months ? That they survived and then continue to make the rounds as a group is amazing, and to see representatives of the rescue crew in the audience was a nice touch, well done CNN ! The rest of the program i will catch later as i finished up at lunch with the local "Libenshilfe" house and whilst not fully understanding the comments in german enjoyed the hospitality and comradeship.

Luckily i do not have to travel but the past week has been a series of disasters for those relying on Airports and Eurorail to get around. Had thought of a visit to Ulm but decided the autobahns were worth avoiding for another week .

During the past weeks i have been entertained by the Pegasus Team debacle and the resurgence of the Aussie cricket team, hopefully their momentum will carry them through Melbourne and allow them to reclaim the Ashes.

Best wishes to all for the festive season