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First off , Very best wishes for the Festive Season to ALL that visit my Blogs ! Those of you that have will have seen that I am an Advocate for “ Physically Challenged / Para / Adaptive /Behinderten / Disabili Sport "! Which country you live in may determine the description of those that have lost the use of limbs through accident or illness . Of course some are born without the full set of limbs the greater portion of humanity take so much for granted . Most of these people lead their life in a way that is to be admired and there are many who would envy their achievements . I know some of these folks that even Olympians hold in high esteem !

This is the time to decide “ New Year Resolutions ” and one of mine will be set out below :

I PERSONALLY WILL DO ALL I CAN TO ERADICATE DESCRIMINATION OF DISABILITY !

No doubt there are many that feel the same way and you can ask your “ Facebook Friends ” to assist by posting this blog address and link on your “ Facebook Wall ” !

There are some who will not agree with the next thing I ask and that is for YOU the reader to decide :

If you do not decide to do more for “ Disability ” in 2012 Please use the “ Unfriending ” facility that is available . I will be happy if I lose 2000+ in this process since I will know that most of those remaining will be if they are TRUE friends making a better world for those that I am trying to assist .

Last week a typical Discrimination incident was brought to my attention . You may think that I am making too much of what some would consider a triviality .

A skier is with friends and the group decides to eat lunch inside and so they solve the problem by going into this particular self service restaurant . On arriving at the table the skier is spotted by the manager and told to “ GET OUT OF MY RESTAURANT ”! This apparently healthy person is so blinded with prejudice that he will in the fulness of time be looking for another career opportunity .

Weather determines the choices of eating venue for those in a “ Sitski ( Chariot )” . Usually they will eat outside but like you and me they also like hot food . The solution on this occasion was to ski up to the door and then the “ Sitski “ was lifted and carried to the table and chairs removed so that the skier was alongside the table . Of course the floor was Industrial Carpet that gets trampled by ski boots five months of the year so what harm if the skier had skied to the table ?

In this case the Skier has served his country in their armed forces and then again as a “ Paralympian ” but looking at him he is just “ Joe Blow ” . Here is the interesting part though . This guy is held in such high regard that in the evening it was decided that eating facility was “ Off Limits ” to ALL of the 250-300 in the party of which he was a member . Several days of “ Positive Discrimination ” perhaps not noticed by the restaurant staff BUT next year will that Tour Group return ? The thinking is “ One for all , and All for one” ! No doubt there will be other repercussions and I will let you know what is the result in coming months .

NOT all those Suffering discrimination because of their disability are fortunate to have the support of their friends or family and be able to act as positively as this case BUT we all have “ a duty of care ” and can contribute where we can !

Those of you not willing to post this to your WALL , GO AWAY and cancel the Friend Link !

THOSE OF YOU STICKING AROUND I WISH THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR !

CNF Mushroom Farmers Censored !

Francois the Postman not only closed down the “ Official etc,etc Lance Thread ” , he deleted a lot of “ posts ” and good on him ! There was a lot of excess verbiage between a handful of Posters that became tedious and for most of us readers it was a waste of time . Debating is one thing BUT nitpicking is entirely with out any redeeming features . I know that there were a few of my posts deleted since I prepare the post off the internet since broadband is so patchy where I live . Disappointed to see that my post encouraging people to checkout Charles Pelkey’s Red Kite article was removed although I also pointed out that it was only one of the few interesting items that I had gleaned in recent weeks .

From page 933 the total postings visible was dropped back to 880 whilst a number of people( moderators?) tried to sort the wheat from chaff ! Initially 6 hours closure of the thread was proposed but when it eventually reappeared page 910 became the new starting point . Already we have had a couple of wags twisting the tail of the moderators to see if they will bite . Certainly the standard of posting needed correction and with the next days being Christmas and New Year I doubt that any moderator would feel inclined to spend more than a few minutes away from their family and friends .

Best wishes to ALL my readers for their festivities !

A DANGER TO THE 1% ?

The 99% come in ALL manner of personalities from Able bodied to wheelchair bound but those minions of the 1% treat them equally ! Handcuffed and wheeled away but the Police/public Safety Officer hasn't resorted to " accidental violence " perhaps because he is aware of the media covering this event.

This event came about because Washington DC has some unusual political characteristics compared to other US cities , read the attached report :

In Washington, DC, protesters at Occupy DC-K Street are on Day 9 of a hunger strike for DC voting rights. As Occupy the Vote DC has written, “Despite paying taxes to the federal government and sending our citizens to fight and die in every war, Washingtonians have had no voting representation in Congress and have had to seek approval from people they did not elect on all legislative and budgetary matters.” Over 600,000 people live in the District, the majority of whom are people of color, immigrants, in poverty, or from other marginalized groups.

Today, Congress voted on riders that would, among other things, deny residents of the District their right to provide abortion to low-income women and block funding for a harm reduction needle exchange program that DC residents overwhelmingly support. Occupy DC, in solidarity with the Occupy the Vote DC Hunger Strikers, marched to the Capitol to demand legislative and budget autonomy for the District. Traffic was blocked on Independence Avenue along the National Mall.

Four people were arrested by police outside the House of Representatives, including one of the hunger strikers who has since been hospitalized.

Supporting the “ Occupy Movement ” , another’s comment !

Winter riding in the Tirol until today has been 100% sunshine this past month so heading out today in the gloomy overcast was a novelty . Returning from Schwaz was in drizzle but mostly on the cycle paths so little interaction with traffic .

Forecast was for rain that only started mid morning but there is little sign of a drop in temperature to allow snow so that is why I am here adding to my blogs !

Make an effort to encourage me by “ following on the blogs , twitter and face book !

Daily reading following the “ Occupy Movement ” turns up some interesting comments and this item is certainly worth a read ! The article where this was posted even pointed out that some US States are proposing to increase Taxes on those earning more than a mere $US ¼ million , some will see their 10.3% rate increased to 11.3% , certainly not a hardship for those in this income bracket !

“ The following is my message supporting the occupy Wall Street movement. I do not pretend to represent the opinions of each citizen engaged in this constitutional right to protest, this my opinion. Having been to Zuccotti Park, seeing and hearing the participants of this brave exercise in democracy I do believe that I am on the same page as they and the following is my message. if you choose to print in its entirety than you ,who claim to represent the fourth estate are too participating in what our democracy is supposed to be. If not so be it.


We have come to a point in modern history where we, America have been taken over by the oligarchs. People of extreme wealth and influence have overwhelmed our democracy. Access to our representatives, our senators, our governors at local, state and federal levels have been hijacked by the rich and powerful. The middle and working class citizens of this country, the people that have built this country, the people that have taught us, clothed us, built our roads, healed us, protected us and worked in offices for those in power have been ignored and swept aside. The poor are not even a thought to those in power.

The rich and powerful have figured out a way to earn their wealth with out us. The rich and powerful have figured out how to make a profit on the cheap. They have exported our jobs and taken advantage of cheap labor over seas and here at home. They have found a way to exclude the middle class and make lots of money doing so. They contribute nothing to society, they make nothing and they give nothing back. They think they can continue on this course without consequence. They are wrong.

There are two different groups of this wealthy class, those that are the money managers and those that are the product peddlers. The money managers think they are independent of the working class and think they don’t need us. The product peddlers use us and our common space without contributing to it. The money managers have created an artificial world of selling debt without good conscience in doing so. They have set up a system with little or no rules. The product peddlers use our roads, air and tunnels to transport their goods that we buy; all supported and paid for by taxpaying citizens. Yes, we buy and use their products. We are not against corporations, we are not against capitalism, we are not against earning an honest wage and profit. One could argue that this movement could not have grown without the use of products like the computer and cell phone crucial for communication; clothes and sleeping bags keeping those brave enough to sleep in the parks battling the elements and exercising their constitutional rights; products often manufactured by people in far away countries paid poorly for their efforts. Americans have grown accustomed to buying and using many products that have in many ways eased their lives, but at what price? We get that, but I don’t think those in power do. We are a community; we share a common space and common tools to exist. We the working and middle class are being used and stretched beyond our means so that those at the top can stay there, without shared sacrifice. What we ask for is fairness and right now, it is extremely clear that those at the top of the economic ladder have a tremendous advantage that has hurt this country deeply.

There are 46.2 million people in America living in poverty in the richest country on earth. One million of them are seniors, one and half million are children. More than one hundred thousand are veterans. How did that happen? What do we do about the poorest among us? What kind of nation is this that does not look after it’s weakest, its sickest, its disabled, its children, its elders and its veterans? What does that say about who we are as a nation?


We realize that the vote has been bought and suppressed. The idea that corporations have individual rights as expressed recently by the Supreme Court tells just how far corruption in our system has come. The allowance of corporate interests to anonymously pay for opinion to sway voters however they see fit is an injustice of our democracy and needs to be changed. The oppressive monetary influence has got to be stopped.

We the people are here to speak truth to power. We are here to tell our representatives, our senators, our governors and our president that we have had enough. We are fed up with trying to just get by. We are fed up with being ignored. We are fed up with health insurance companies price gouging us. We are fed up with choosing one child on our health insurance plan because we can’t afford two. We are fed up with oil companies price gouging us and then polluting our water, our earth and sky. We are fed up with men dying in coal mines. We are fed up with college being affordable to only the rich. We are fed up with undocumented workers being used like slaves. We are fed up with being told to buy things because that’s what makes the rich richer. We are fed up with leaders who lie us into wars to make a profit. We are fed up with those who complain government is the problem and then beg the government and the tax payers to save them when they act foolish. We are fed up with those in government who complain about government. We are fed up with government officials being auctioned off to the highest bidder and our voices snuffed out as a result. We are fed up with being told that we are the problem.

To Mr. President and all of our public officials, listen up: we are not the problem, greed is the problem, hubris is the problem, deregulation is the problem, no accountability is the problem, no rules are the problem. We have had enough.

President Theodore Roosevelt once said:
“We stand for a living wage. Wages are subnormal if they fail to provide a living for those who devote their time and energy to industrial occupations. The monetary equivalent of a living wage varies according to local conditions, but must include enough to secure the elements of a normal standard of living--a standard high enough to make morality possible, to provide for education and recreation, to care for immature members of the family, to maintain the family during periods of sickness, and to permit of reasonable saving for old age.”
May I remind all those listening that our standard of living and our ability to earn a living wage has been diminished. We are earning less, and for the first time in decades our younger generation is being deprived the right to aspire to a better life than their parents. We as a people are losing our capacity to earn a living wage as described by Theodore Roosevelt.

We the people want you to listen to us now. We want our voices to be heard. All we have left is this moment this time here together, out in the streets. Making our voices heard is all we have left as we have no money to pay for the privilege which should be our right. We invite you to come here to talk with us, to listen to us, to find out what needs to be done to make our country great again.

We fear that our democracy is at risk, we fear that the many soldiers throughout our history may have given their lives for naught. We fear that the gilded age of robber barons, which ill served this country has returned to bring great harm to this great nation only to serve a few. We fear that a plutocracy is replacing our democratic system of governance.

We want fairness, we want the power of the people, we want a democratic system of government that insures that the people’s voices will be heard and not bought. We want equal access. We want to be able to earn a living wage. If you want our support, if you want our vote then you must listen to us. Because we shall not be moved until you do. Just like the tree standing by the water we shall not be moved”


More comments to be found in the article , should you have the time to read and enjoy :

http://www.truth-out.org/finally-higher-taxes-1-occupy-behind-governors-moves-make-wealthy-pay-their-share/1323456503



Dissension is also discussed in this following article , essentially there are “ founding members of the “ Occupy Movement ” suffering difficulties now that “ Zuccotti Park ” has been vacated by the NYPD’s use of force .

http://www.thenation.com/article/165087/fracturing-occupy-wall-street

So many who began the occupation are finding themselves passed by as the “ Occupy Movement ” grows into an International and Office based situation . Surely some of these people must recognise that the “ movement ” whilst acknowledging their commitment does not “ OWE THEM " !

ENSLAVEMENT US style !

“ Occupy our Homes “ captured more than the headlines this week ! It brought to light the plight of the families left behind by those Troops killed in action serving their nation !

By what standard do the “ Merciless Money Lenders ” operate these days ? A son serves 8 years in the military and comes home in a body bag and the Mother to this day doesn’t know whether it was “ friendly fire or enemy action that killed him ! US$80k deposit is a sizable chunk of dough to put down as a deposit on a home and now after the death of her son this woman is suffering “ Ill Health ” and is on the way to the streets because she has no support .

“ Occupy our Homes ” should not be looking after her interests , “ A Grateful Nation ” should be doing that ! So the US military is a volunteer affair these days unlike Vietnam where the “ Wealthy ” found ways to defer their enlistment . The less fortunate absconded to Canada or elsewhere if they chose not to serve .

When you read this article you will see glimmers of other problems that lie below the surface :

http://www.truth-out.org/occupy-our-homes/1323268606

Serving their Nation is an adventure for young people , it certainly takes them away from home and family and opens up their horizons . Many of you have watched “ Saving Private Ryan ” and the message there was that the Military care for their Troops and those they leave behind . With Iraq and Afghanistan wars now being over 10 years old there are countless body bags and perhaps 10 fold “ Physically Challenged Casualties “ never mind those with “ Post Traumatic and other mental ” conditions . Considering the US Population is about 300 million this may be a price the Politicians are prepared to pay for the “ War against Terror ” . War in any form is a price too high to pay for the victims BUT there are Industries that benefit from it and of course their shareholders rub their hands with glee every time they win a new Supply contract !

The 99% supply the feet on the ground and the 1% make sure that their Sons and Daughters serve but generally out of Harm’s Way ! Senator Mc Cain and others on Capitol Hill know what War is like having survived horrendous Prisoner of War experiences and yet they continue to make sure that the Young of the US have to suffer attrition at the Battle Front . When Social Commentators suggest that Congress has got it’s “ Snout in the Trough ” they may be very close to the truth !

Even here in Austria there is widespread Corruption and where ever you go in this world you will hear stories of people on the make . Give anyone a position of Trust and their colleagues will ensure they toe the line so that the boat doesn’t get a rocking , Business or Politics , makes little difference , just the way the extra wealth is accounted for , or the taxes are dealt with ! Currently a former Governor of Illinois is starting a 14 year imprisonment for “ Abuse of Power ” offences including trying to sell President Obama’s Senate seat !

Currently the EURO is under pressure and all the British Government are concerned about is how to preserve London as the “ Financial Centre of Europe ” ! Aren’t the Bankers the cause of what is going wrong ? Cameron could get rid of the management of all the Banks and those stepping into their shoes would be “ Business as Usual ” very quickly ! Currency is a game to the TRADERS and that is why the Politicians allow them Immunity from their manipulations since they would rather the “ man in the street “ suffer rather than step off the precipice .

Whilst these “ Venture Capitalists ” are playing around with our money , that is shuttling it about to get a “ PROFIT ” from Billions worth of 0% loan monies , the Governments of the Free World are Creating Artificial Money to pay the bills ! Each year the National Debts rise and thus the Taxes have to go up to pay the Interest on the money the Governments have borrowed from the people they gave the 0% loans so as to roll over the bonds at ever increasing yields to their lenders . Whilst Governments have to borrow money they are in bed with the 1% and the rest of us , the 99% will have to pay the extra Taxes that should rightfully be paid by those that can most afford them since they are benefiting from the profits on the mess they created .

Young “ Jo Public ” is sold the Dream of Home Ownership at an early age and thus steps on the treadmill that rules his Family’s life as they struggle to meet the monthly repayments whilst uncertain of their Education Costs and Employment prospects . Japanese workers used to think they had a job for life as did most “ Civil Servants ” throughout the world but the reality now is that the 99% are enslaved by the 1% who are looking only at the bottom line of their investments . Increasing their returns even if ditching their neighbours into penury by shipping the jobs overseas is a viable option when it shows them a better profit .

So instead of looking to the future as once we were accustomed the young can now be certain of only Death and Taxes as they struggle to make ends meet !

OAF of Wall Street homeless ?

Occupy Movement has the “ oaf of Wall Street ” to thank for it’s increasing Media Interest ! So stupid to “ victimise ” people and then think that you can get away with bragging about your importance ! It is so obvious to ALL now , that those that originally camped in Zuccotti Park were only exercising their “ rights ” as stated by the US Constitution . How did a peasant like Bloomberg get to be the Mayor of New York ? HE BOUGHT IT ! That’s how , lacking intelligence he refuses to listen to those that tell him what he doesn’t want to hear .

“ OCCUPY our HOMES ” has captured the publicity once again and there are so many US Citizens that are in trouble with their mortgages that the “ Occupy Movement ” will grow into a nationwide force ! The genie is out of the bottle now and running rampant across the USA and who will the 1% blame ? You got it , the “ Oaf of NY ” and the time will come shortly when his army , the 7th biggest in the world , will refuse to act on ANY instruction from his office !

Just today I heard that the former Governor of Illinois was sent to Jail for 15 years for a variety of Offences involving “ Abuse of Power ” , will there be the Political Will to give Bloomberg a new residence to add to all the others that Money has Bought ? The 1% must by now realise the fight is lost as they are learning to speak about the “ Occupy Movement ” in new ways . The Eminent “ Spin Doctors ” are busy cashing in on the fears that this echelon of society that has done nothing for the USA for so long other than avoid paying their taxes and finding ways to fleece the 99% .

Truthout is a news service that highlights a variety of media interests that I follow and this article was published today :

http://sfbayview.com/2011/california-prison-hunger-strikers-propose-10-core-demands-for-the-national-occupy-wall-street-movement/

Normally people would ignore what prisoners have to say but when you read the bullet points perhaps you will take the time to read the article in full ?


1. We want full employment with a living wage for all people who will work, and for employment to be enforced as the right which it is.

2. We want an end to institutional racism and race- and class-based disparities in access to, and quality of, labor, education, health care, criminal defense, political empowerment, technology and healthy food.

3. We want decent and affordable housing for all people and for it to be enforced as the right which it is.

4. We want affordable and equal access to higher education for all and access to education that teaches the true history of colonialism, chattel slavery, repression of organized labor, the use of police repression and imprisonment as tools of capitalist exploitation, and the perpetuation of imperialism in the development and maintenance of modern U.S. power systems and corporate financial markets

5. We want an immediate end to police brutality and the murder of oppressed people in the U.S., particularly in the New Afrikan (Black), Latino, immigrant and underclass communities and among those protesting in this nation.

6. We want an end to the expansion of the prison industrial complex, as a profit base – from our tax dollars – for the disposal of surplus labor and the poor.

7. We want an end to all corporate and financial influences in the political process in the U.S.

8. We want an end to imperialist wars of aggression and sending our youth off to kill and die to enforce the economic interests of big oil and other corporate concerns seeking new resources to exploit, new markets to open for sale of their goods and services and as an impetus to keep from addressing domestic ills.

9. We want a bottoms-up approach to economic development and labor-capital relations in the U.S.

10. We want a more equitable distribution of wealth, justice and opportunity at every level of society, reflecting the objective reality that it’s the socio-economic, political, intellectual and cultural contributions of the 99 percent upon which this society stands.


Point 6 is the only item which serves their particular circumstances and even there I am sure a major segment of the population would agree with it’s inclusion .

Listed below are items that relate to the “ Occupy Movement that I have read in the past 10 days :




http://sfbayview.com/2011/california-prison-hunger-strikers-propose-10-core-demands-for-the-national-occupy-wall-street-movement/



http://www.truth-out.org/occupy-our-homes/1323268606



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/06/occupy-joe-walshs-office-_n_1131959.html?ref=tw


http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=2518816&postID=8114606101436634940&page=0&token=1323200979871


http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,802051,00.html



http://vimeo.com/33171266


http://act.engagementlab.org/sign/occupyhomes_pledge?referring_akid=.56539.E7Xx9d&source=twitter



http://www.zerohedge.com/news/bank-america-sends-internal-email-exposing-where-occupy-movement-hurting-it-most





http://nationalmemo.com/article/fox-pollster-tells-gop-governors-why-occupy-scares-him



http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2011/11/the_7_trillion_secret_loan_program_the_government_and_big_banks_should_be_punished_for_deceiving_the_public_about_their_hush_hush_bailout_scheme_.html



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/22/whos-got-the-mortgage-pro_n_294169.html




http://diceytroop.tumblr.com/post/13516232805/my-n15-story-arrest-and-eviction-from-liberty-square





Finally here is a comment that I posted to the article listed :

Comment to

http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2011/11/the_7_trillion_secret_loan_program_the_government_and_big_banks_should_be_punished_for_deceiving_the_public_about_their_hush_hush_bailout_scheme_.html


“ The finest GOVERNMENT that borrowed money can buy ! To think the Police in the USA are bashing , Pepper Spraying and arresting " Innocent Citizens " on behalf of a Cartel of Thieves !

You say this happened in the 90's also ? Where is Micheal Moore ? Could he dream up as scary a scenary as this ?

No wonder the US$ is always under pressure , the financal world included in the 1% has enjoyed a " Funded holiday " at the expense of the 99% Tax Payers !

" OCCUPY Movement " are doing good exposing " Corruption and inept Administration " ! Time to join in supporting their actions before a repeat performance i allowed .

LAND OF THE FREE ? NO ! Land of OPPORTUNISTIC BANKING FRAUD !

Always enjoy Michael Moore’s films and books so I am impatient to see more of his blog items .












Blogged about this despicable behaviour by " New York's finest " ! Finest body of people money can buy !
THE "OAF OF Wall St" claims to have the 7th biggest Army , wonder what the members of NYPD think they are ? Police Officers or minions of a pathetic tyrant ?
When the NYPD pull on their uniforms each morning do they feel like they are serving the People or "Trapped like rats" ?
WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL in the Hague is funded by the USA but had this been Syria or Eygpt they would be preparing the paperwork for sentencing at the tribunals !

OBAMA in Oz whilst O W S gets whacked !

Conveniently out of the Country whilst the Constitution gets abused does not absolve Obama from responsibility ! To date the “ Mailed Fist ” has been nothing more than “ Riot Gear dressed ” Police followed by trucks to collect the property of the O W S protestors . These “ valued items ” have been trashed to the extent that little has been deemed recoverable . The “ O W S Library ” has a few salvaged items from the many thousands of books “ donated ” !

Whoever is responsible for the coordination of the various O W S Camps being cleared must have authority from higher up the food chain . Suggestions are that the “ Dept. of Homeland Security ” are responsible and if so it begins to make the allegations of “ 911 ” being an “ undercover government plot ” seem more likely than previously thought !

Reading a responsible Journal such as the Guardian and repeatedly finding articles such as this gives any thinking human being cause for concern :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/nov/25/shocking-truth-about-crackdown-occupy

Of course there are many other less respected news outlets that have formed similar points of view but regardless of a person’s political persuasion they must be feeling uneasy about what is happening in their “ FREE SOCIETY ”! Appears that a person’s vote is worthless when those they elected are able to circumvent the Established System to their own benefit ?

Yesterday after visiting the Innsbruck Dental Clinic I found the “ Occupy Innsbruck ” encampment on the riverside park opposite the “ Old Town ” , several tents as will be seen from the photos I will post later when “ broadband ” allows . There at the time were two Italians who would be able to converse with passers-by in English , German and Italian , articulate although not neatly dressed they advised that there were about 20+ sleeping on site but away at their “ Full Time Employment “ during the day . Weekends and evenings are a busier time but no where near the thousands that have been found elsewhere . Whilst not seeing these people it could be concluded that they are responsible people rather than the “ Unemployable Hippies ” as sections of the media attempt to portray them !

Innsbruck Authorities are to be congratulated on their “ Laissez Faire ”

approach to the encampment since they appear to have given permission until the 29th December but one wonders what will take place at that time . The site was clean and tidy although the insides of the tents appeared to be a bit of a jumble . Should this be an example of “ Occupy Movement ” sites elsewhere , then the actions in Zuccotti Park , New York were entirely “Extreme Harassment ” and brings those Authorities into disrepute !

Occupy Movements could have died out earlier had other authorities not thrown “ fuel of publicity ” at the movement thus giving the media the spectacle that the world has been enjoying these past few months .

President Obama , why does your Government denigrate those in the Middle East when NIMBI’s in your country are using the same tactics ?

Some Comments from the Guardian article :

“ I don't understand why Americans are shocked that this has happened. Your government has been arresting and imprisoning people without charge (Guantanamo Bay) and without much challenge from the public. If the government are allowed to behave this way, they will become emboldened. And they will start to move against the citizens in other ways. It reminds me of that saying about the nazis.
When they came for the Jews I did not stand up because I was not a Jew
When they came for the Communists, I did not stand up because I was not a Communist.
When they came for the Homosexuals, I did not stand up because I was not a Homosexual.
And when they came for me, there was no one left to stand up.
The US government started with "terrorists", have moved on to protestors. Who will be next? ”


“ The political class has become so corrupt - it is so in thrall to billionaires and corporations - that our governments have almost turned themselves into the enemy of the people they claim to represent.
Is it any wonder so few people are politically engaged? Even if you get past the distractions and propaganda, you realize that we - the 99% - are no more than Eloi. ”


“ This is an insidious and barbaric orchestrated crackdown - It makes a mockery of supposed freedoms and democracy and shows the state to be the corporate sponsored plutocracy it is.........Persevere. ”

INFO SCOUT , Mayrhofen

Personal circumstances being what they are I have spent more time in recent years on my Touring skis which were bought originally for Telemarking . Whilst teaching on the Mayrhofen Piste I had occasion to see the Info Scouts going about their business and decided that it was about time to spend more time this year on my alpine skis of which I have too many pairs sitting idle . With my racing skis now out of date due to the changing race regulations , I have nearly 20 pairs to put to use . Looks like the next week will be taken up with Rewaxing and edge sharpening work in between cycling expeditions , since the weather forecast continues to advise sunshine in the mountains .

On presenting for the “ Info Test ” I must have scored the lowest result they have ever seen but they were kind enough to recognise that there is a need for “ English Speaking Aussies ” on their ski pistes .

Those of you on my Facebook page could assist by advising YOUR Friends on your WALL of this facility as not too many Ski Resorts have “ Info Scouts ” and I will be particularly interested in Helping those that have “ Disability ” , no doubt I will also involve myself in the “ Race Training ” where possible . Currently thinking about changing one of the Blogs to relate the experiences I will encounter when duty calls .

BLOOMBERG'S KRYSTAL NACHT

Storming O W S supporters in “ Liberty Square ”wearing riot gear on the 18th November 2011 will go down in history alongside the Nazis infamous destruction of the Jewish Homes and Businesses in 1930’s Germany ! Deplored ever since and a precursor to the “ Death Camps ” , what can we expect next from the “ Oaf of Wall Street ” as he attempts to curry favour with the 1% who will be unwilling to support him when he is tried in the Court of Public Opinion ? Destroying the O W S Library , Personal Possessions and other property of those Citizens engaged in a peaceful occupation of a Public Space demonstrates the depths of depravity to which the “ Oaf and his minions ” are currently prepared to stoop !

Leading the call for Syria to be sanctioned by the UN , Hilary Clinton must be losing credibility with all those whom she regarded as supporters of the USA’s claim to the “ High Moral Ground ”? True there appears to have been no deaths so far in the Storming of “ Occupy Supporters ” in a variety of States throughout the USA BUT how long before Batons , Mace , Pepper Spray and Rubber Bullets DO inflict Death on fellow citizens ?

WE of the 99% deserve better treatment in this 21st Century than being looked down on by those of the 1% who will arrive on Judgement Day like us stripped of all Earthly Trappings ! Regardless of religion we all will die and we cannot take anything we accumulated with us so why is it necessary to over consume and deprive your neighbour of their right to a decent life style ?

Wouldn’t it be great as we approach the “ Festive Season ” to see Power Companies giving THOSE of the “ poverty zone ” some means to pay for the Light and Heat that they can no longer afford ? How hard would that be on their “ Bottom Line ” after all the pensioners are already registered in their systems so all they will be doing is foregoing 10 or 20% of their receivables during the Winter Months ? Some of these people may even be “ Shareholders/ stockholders ” already , so they could be part of the “ family ” so to speak ?

Obama , Clinton and Bush would do well to visit some of these “ Occupy Sites “ unannounced and see for themselves the mess that their country has become as they occupied the “ White House ” !


SOME Commentary from elsewhere :

"No! It's about corruption and friends in high places, after all this is the Country that produced corrupt politicians like Richard Nixon and George W Bush. Democracy is being eroded piece by piece and those who are defending the right to protest deserve support not disdain!"


" Echoes here of Goebells and the big bonfires of 1934.
Many American families are faced with a stark choice... health care for themselves and their families, or an education for their children. No wonder people are pissed off.
'When they burn books they will soon burn people; said Heine."



" There is something troubling when police, dressed as storm troopers, are set onto ordinary citizens under cover of darkness and using riot tactics against middle aged people. It is the same the world over. Policemen willing to defend those who pay their wages, not the people they are supposed to protect. The speed of action taken when dealing with tent people is in stark contrast to the inability to arrest one banker. Wouldn't it be nice to see just one policeman saying I am not doing this. It doesn’t take much, as those Arab policemen proved. It takes a little bit of moral courage.
There is no morality in The Establishment. These are the same people who psychopathically bomb children. Do not expect normal human behaviour from psychopaths."





" Perhaps we're over-reacting a bit, here.
The civil authorities are there because they lack fully mature brain development and are easy to manipulate by the oligarchy. During late adolescence, the fine dendritic development occurs in the cortex that results in a proper adult cause-and-effect and risk/reward analysis capability. This does not happen in about 25% of the population, which seems to remain in a late adolescent stage of development where tribalism and fantasy predominate.
The sad consequence is that undeveloped brain power is given public safety authority-- the absolute LAST thing we should allow a marginally-psychopathic adolescent. We see the results.
It is not so much a Brave New World as it is a frightened limbic adolescent world. The pathology of a child or adolescent's brain is reflexively attuned to the fight-or-flight response in lieu of more adult cortical reasoning. When presented with a level challenge, the adolescent mind reasponds with paranoic fear. In fact, government really are, paranoically, pathologially afraid of their people and act irrationally in response to that fear.
The civil authorities just can't help their behavior. They are pathologically stuck in a permanent adolescent mind state without possibility of escape. There can be no reasoning with such a state at the adult level, and no expectation of normal mature behavior."

UNITED STATES of POLICE BRUTALITY

Reading this article makes me sick in the Stomach :

http://bicyclebarricade.wordpress.com/2011/11/19/open-letter-to-chancellor-linda-p-b-katehi/

Hilary Clinton once again is telling Syria how to deal with it’s populace and yet in her country there are “ Policing Tactics ” which the US forces are not allowed to use in Iraq and Afganistan since they contravene the “ Geneva Convention ” !

When will the Leaders of the “ FREE World Democracies ” speak out against this calculated savagery towards “ Fellow Citizens ” who are tired of being part of the “ Down Trodden 99% ” and thus the victims of the 1% in their thrust to grab more “ Unneeded Wealth ” ?

US constitution says :

" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights , That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness , That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among humans, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed , That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to reclaim it , and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness "!

Most other countries in the Free World hold the same values !

What disappoints me as an Australian is that these same Policing tactics were used in Martin Plaza of Sydney and in Melbourne where a variety of people had come together to address some of the difficulties that they were experiencing . Citizens of all communities suffer “ Perceived Wrongs ”as individuals and only a few are able to find the means to gain the publicity to gain traction in getting support from others to have any chance to reverse the difficulties they have experienced . That the Police arrive at a “ Peaceful Gathering ” already outfitted in “ Riot Gear ” speaks of a decision to behave “ Wrongfully ”! Had there been attempts by Police in their normal attire to induce those protesting to vacate the area and Police Officers had been injured by being attacked by these protesters THEN and only then should there have been the need to call in “ Riot Gear Dressed Policing Units ” !

Find the story behind the photo here :

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/18/occupy-movement-iconic-image-martyrdom

One comment you will find in that article :

" There will be plenty of trolls nitpicking and wondering how else to compensate for the fact that they can't call her young and jobless.

If you can't control a situation without spraying poison in the faces of old ladies, or anyone else for that matter, that's a pretty big admission of incompetence.

There was a comment on a facebook feed where someone said of this, 'if you can't stand the spray get out of the protest'

Not really. But in this case it's not an argument for the occupy movement, it's an argument against employing the sort of people to keep the peace who would otherwise be starting fights when the pubs turn out."

Occupy movements are now a fact of life supported by both Young and Old Citizens and also supported by members of the 1% as well as those like me of the 99% !

Elections will eventually see the 99% having a greater say in how their Governments will function BUT in the interim the populace has the RIGHT to make their point of view visible in a NON VIOLENT manner ! The right of ASSEMBLY is one of those methods of VISIBILITY !

OAF of Wall Street

Occupy Wall Street continues to dominate the " Foreign News items" on the Austrian Broadcaster " FN4 " ! " Reality Check " , the programme broadcasts from noon each day and thus english speakers are able to keep abreast of the latest happenings of the " Occupy Movement ". Seems to be a fairly unbiased presentation with " Live Reporting " by a variety of their American Correspondents .

Clearly there is an agenda running in the New York City Administration and the " Oaf of Wall Street " sometimes described as a Billionaire and residing at City Hall as the Mayor of New York is either ill advised or " Blundering around like the proverbial "bull in a china shop " ! Had the " Oaf " done as he is insisting and allowed people to practice their " 1st Amandment rights " it is doubtful that this movement would have gained a lot of recognition . Now of course it is big news in all those parts of the world that the USA has been pointing the finger at as " REPRESSIVE REGIMES " ! China has some pretty repressive legisltion in place to deal with dissension and we continuall hear of the fate of " Dissenters " who suddenly have defrauded their government of Taxes ! These same people were paupers or below the poverty line until the spoke out , where did the untaxed income come from ? Will the US resort to " Stitching up " those that they identify as leaders of the "Occupy Movement "?

The " Oaf of Wall Street " is the " patsy " tasked with the job of helping the " 1% " to stay in control of the 99% who we all know are not entirely in agreement with what is happening . Continual " Polce Harassment " is turning the " silent Majority " into those who will start to consider their situation and it will soon reach a tipping point where they are forced to side with their " fellow downtrodden citizens "!

President Obama sat through a musical session at the Convention in Hawaii recently and the 5 1/2 minute tune went 45 mins before the artist left the stage ! " We are the many " will no doubt go viral and become a No 1 hit with even those with no " political interests " . That this tune was allowed to continually repeat says that there are many who side with the 99% and are uncomfortable with the aggressive and greedy behaviour of the 1% of this world . Too many Democracies are lip service entities and we all know that there is more untaxed and unaccounted for money " Hidden " outside the Swiss Banking system than hld intheir " Secret Accounts "!

Two months have passed since the !7th September occupation of " Liberty Plaza ( zuccotti park ) but whilst this area is supposedly a " Private Park " the terms of allowing the setting up of this facility was that there was " FREE ACCESS " to the Public ! The " OAF " forgets or chooses to ignore this simple fact and so New York Tax Payers are eventually going to find their Taxes will be utilised to settle Legitimate Legal Actions brought by those " Attacked by the Police Department " on the instigation of the administration ! Will there be some way for these Tax Payers to take action to recover some of their losses from the deep pockets of the " Oaf " and his supporters ? Legal action grinds slowly so even though there is an entitlement i wouldn't count on a result any time soon !

Some of the comments i have come across in my readings of recent reports :

Some are negative to the " Occupy movement "!

" I guess maybe now you know that a life of "self-esteem building" and participation trophies hasn't really prepared you for the reality of life, and the "progressive permissiveness" of your parents and teachers have left you thinking you can change the world by doing nothing, and/or not participating....unfortunately, that's not how it works. Many of you reference the American Revolution in your comments, the American revolution was brought about by men of action, not children of leisure, it was not a social movement where people hung out all day beating drums, walking around, chanting, and interrupting the daily lives of others... Because you CHOOSE not to participate, or quit, because times are tough does not mean that your rights are being violated, you have the "right" to attempt, not to be guaranteed success. Freedom from failure and struggle is NOT part of the American culture, it is through the lessons and adjustments of those failures that the course toward success is narrowed. You hold animosity toward the wealthiest 1%, what you should be doing is studying their lives, many (in fact most) of them were in similar positions at some point in their lives too, but rather than demanding support from others, they put their shoulder to the wheel and worked their way through it...they took advantage of small opportunities and waited for their chance at larger ones. The took jobs that were well below their station, sometimes working for free, to get their foot in the door, and then used their own initiative to rise above the crowd.
I read these comments and all I see is give me, give me, give me....give me a job, give me free healthcare, give me free tuition, and THEN I'll begin making an effort....which is nothing but nonsense, it's the effort that brings the reward, not the reward that creates the effort. By-in-large you should be ashamed of yourselves, the squeegee men have more pride than you, for, at least they do something before asking for a handout...you should take what little dignity you have left and go back to wherever you are from and find an opportunity, maybe it's mowing lawns or shoveling snow, maybe it's making lattes, or waiting tables, maybe it's providing some service to people that they need, like delivering dry cleaning or groceries to those who are busy, or unable to do so themselves, whatever it is...go to work, stop sitting around looking for approval and acceptance from other losers and ne'er-do-wells. You are wasting your lives, and wasting the talents and abilities that reside inside you, you are better people than you are demonstrating to the world to be. What is the future of the human race if you choose the path of least resistance and libertine existences instead of rising to your potential and changing the world actively...instead of passively expecting everyone else around you to change it to favor your current state of wretched slothful existence."

Others have proposals :

"

The only way you, OWS, all will make a difference is if you affect the day to day operation or flow of life, commerce, and or government. As i once witnessed in France, their government wanted to raise fines, tolls, taxes, etc. on all commercial truck drivers and trucking companies. What happened next was amazing. All French trucking companies and drivers criss crossed their trucks across all major highways in their country, completely blocking and disabling the transportation of all goods throughout the country. This lasted for about a week or less, until the government backed down and reversed its decision. It worked because it takes a protest of this scale to affect change. Occupying a park, although symbolic, will never ever ever do anything to change how disgustingly our government and the rich control all our lives, and continue to make the rich richer. You need to regroup, and i mean regroup all OWS protesters from across the country to a few very large simultaneous protests because small groups here and there won't really make a statement and can be easily intimidated and disbanded by authorities. You need a board of smart leaders that can effectively communicate a set of real smart ideas and demands and better organize the movement. You need to continue to use social media as a way to communicate as they did in the middle east to oust their dictators. But most of all you need to make one massive statement by protesting and affecting the day to day operation or flow of life, commerce, and or government. It will be the only way that you will get the govt and the rich to stop.......turn around......and stare in awe at the EPIC scale of the movement before them, and realize that the time has come, and that We The People have officially drawn the line in the sand, and are no longer willing to play their game any longer. IT IS THE ONLY WAY. Thank you."

We know the Banks were " Bailed Out " , but this much ?:

" " GUESS WHO is given help"

this, too, is not what democracy looks like:
First ever Audit of the Federal Reserve came back today, revealing the fed paid out $16 trillion (yes, that's with a 't') in secret bailouts during this financial crisis, to, oh, whomever was on their golfing buddy list.

http://sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/news/?id=9e2a4ea8-6e73-4be2-a753-62060dcbb3c3

"This is a clear case of socialism for the rich and rugged, you're-on-your-own individualism for everyone else." - Sanders, VT
May the occupation continue until the situation improves ;-).

SOME PROPOSED SOLUTIONS :

" Just list your fucking demands and let the pieces fall where they may. Without demands, the world thinks you stand for nothing or anything they want you to stand for. There is nothing brave or clever about demonstrating without a firm set of grievances and demands. In fact, it's fucking stupid. It takes more balls to set forth a concrete platform of demands and become a worthy target than to hide behind some vague notion of militating against the influence of the wealthy 1%. And, by the way, stop gathering in one fucking place and camping out there where the man can bust you like they did today. Try flash actions instead of being a sitting duck. Put your fucking computers to good use. Stop telegraphing your local moves unless you intend to make a major march on Washington where everyone is coming from different sections of the country. Even the original American revolutionaries knew better than to line up in rows to avoid getting blown away by the enemy. That's Guerrilla Warfare 101. In fact, change the name Occupy Wall Street to Flash Wall Street or something similar to it that indicates dynamic movement instead of stasis. WTF."

" A list of great ways to strike back immediately: 1. Cease purchasing useless stuff immediately. 2. avoid Black Friday after Thanksgiving 3. Everyone file EXEMPT or for EXTENTIONS on their "2012 Taxes".... This will bring everything to a stand still! All law eforcment will not be receiving checks....no governmental employee will.
Sincerely, Lisa Marie Chadwick "

Who are they blaming for the " State of the Nation "?


" We knew when Ronald Reagan was elected that the nation would come to this. The Republicans have been given their way to rob the nation for more than three decades .... it was WALL STREET that was the problem, NOT government. WALL STREET is STILL the problem. WALL STREET assassinates presidents and international leaders .... these are not peaceful people you are fighting with peaceful protest. They are PROFESSIONAL liars, thieves and murderers."

Referred to the Song " We are the many ":



" Makana "


" The 1% still doesn't understand that we are everywhere. Even Obama at the Hawaii APEC Conference learned that. Search for "Makana" on YouTube and see what happened at the conference. Listen to "We Are The Many" and think about. We intend to occupy the world.



" Correct definition of the Zuccotti Park access "!

" For those above who have said that the park is not
public space - the corporation who own it guaranteed public access to the park in the agreement they made to get planning permission for an associated commercial building. Mayor Bloomberg is breaking the law in denying the public their right to access it."

So people say the Occupy movement is lacking ideas? Well, here's some ideas I've seen from one OWS supporter that I think are excellent:

Time for a reformed movement; Occupy is getting old. I think, now, the Occupiers should use the built-up efforts, energy, and momentum to do something other than occupy. Marching and protesting brings the attention and awareness, and even garners support, but it won't bring change, not at the levels needed. The Wall St. execs will continue to look down from their high-rise office windows sipping their scotch or espresso, and paying off local law enforcement and politicians. Why not have them look down on action, instead of inaction? Why not organize to occupy vacant buildings and set up a school for inner-city kids? Or a free clinic for low-income families? Or a food/clothing drive for the unemployed? Or shelter/housing for the homeless? Or a vocational/job training facility for those displaced workers with limited skills and experience. Heck, why not go so far as to use vacant buildings to set up a new government? Why don't the occupiers do what they are asking Wall St. to do for them, instead of waiting for a change of heart in the heartless? Why not show them that we don't need them, because we out-number them. They are supposed to work for us; if they don't, it's time to let them go. We don't need them to initiate change, we just need to focus and organize. WE are the government, remember?


My recent entries in Facebook :

" TODAY IS 17th NOV ! O W S holds these views :

" We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all humans are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable Rights , That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness , That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among humans, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed , That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to reclaim it , and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness "!

" GOOD LUCK TO ALL IN NEW YORK and elsewhere upholding the " Founding Fathers " values !

To the " Oaf of NEW YORK ( google term)" , desist , you are irrelevant as a result of your own values !

Proud Americans will support the efforts of these people who seek change for the benefit of the 99% of which i am one !

Not being an American i can only stand and watch but there are here similarities to Iran, Eygpt , Tunisia , Libya and the ongoing problems in Syria . Hilary Clinton continues to critcize those regimes BUT what does she have to say in her NIMBY situation ?

#OWS recognised by Pope Benedict

Vatican hierarchy is always slow to comment on events but this item seems to indicate that there is recognition of #OWS and what it is trying to achieve :

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/catholic-america/post/pope-benedict-goes-to-ows/2011/10/27/gIQALa1kLM_blog.html


Note that this item is coming from the main stream media so there must be some substance in this matter for Washington Post to go against the Establishment and broadcast this significant information .
In 2008 Barack Obama was using the by-line “YES WE CAN ” ! Now that he is President he is sympathising with the #OWS and had made some of his views public . What is he saying in private ? Is there any possibility that he is saying to the various “ Local Authorities ” when they seek advice about clearing the #Occupy sites “ Yes You Can ” ? It would be naïve to think that there are the likes of the Mayor of Oakland who set off for Washington unaware that her new Police Chief was going to throw “ fuel on the flames ” and turn a relatively minor “ local event ” into a WORLDWIDE Media Storm ?

Day after day we are seeing those that were elected seek the easiest route to landing their constituents with the costs and eventually “ punitive damages ” brought about by illegal behaviour by those employed to enforce “ law and order ”in their neighbourhood ! The silent majority of US citizens must be watching with horror what is taking place and many will be fearful of the consequences as are those around the world .

Friday is the weekly holy day for those who have recently won their freedom in Egypt and it appears they will be demonstrating outside the US Consulate in Cairo thus letting the world know that #OWS has support outside the USA !

What is Hilary Clinton going to say to the Egyptian Government if the matter gets out of hand ? When I listen to her speak I get the impression that she speaks as the idea occurs to her . She rarely manages more than a few words without “ah” popping into the sentence ! An example : “I think that “ah” it would be a good idea if “ah” the two sides could “ ah” sit down And “ah” listen to each “ ah” others “ah” ideas and decide to “ah” cooperate ! Have a lot of time for her efforts but it makes me wonder if she does enough preparation before getting in front of the media ?

Scott Olsen a two tour veteran of Iraq may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time BUT why were the Police at a peaceful event armed as though they were “gang busters” breaking in on a “Crack Factory ”?

Latest tweet suggested that he was recovering as his condition has been reported by the hospital as “ Fair ” today , after being admitted in “ Critical condition ” ! Can anyone condone the Police firing tear gas at the people who were resuscitating him ? Were those “ faceless morons ” trying to make sure that he died from the injuries they inflicted ? Reports of people wanting to report the matter to the Hague will prove to be unnecessary since the “ You.tube ” report has gone viral worldwide ! It remains to be seen whether Tear Gassing by the police is treated as Chemical Warfare , should that be the case then “ Crimes against Humanity ” could become an issue , then the Lawyers will have a field day !

Several years ago there was a Court Settlement for millions relating to actions in Washington and I am sure Mayor Bloomberg is having restless nights recently after the events on George Washington bridge amongst the many occasions that the NYPD have overstepped the limit and set out to provoke a response to justify their cowardly behaviour .

Quoted Abe Lincoln before and here is another of his gems :

Lincoln: "To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards of men."

Why is the USA a country that claims to be the home of the FREE , continually telling the rest of the world to treat their citizens more fairly and THEN treating their citizens like “ serfs ”? Thought it was the USSR that were behaving in that fashion ?

Picked up this item a few days ago and it seems to fit what is happening to us ALL !

“ By Susan McLoughlin, October 17 at 8:43 pm Link to this comment
Serfdom in the 21st century.
The concentration of wealth in the hands of so few is a symptom of something much more disturbing. For several generations western governments have been colluding with the financial and corporate sectors to redefine the role of the populace. With the support of the media, we the populace have slowly but surely been transformed from citizens to whom government is accountable - to consumers to whom no one is accountable. This shift is pervasive throughout every sector of society. As consumers our role is to keep the machine running and running and running. Never mind that the jobs have been shipped offshore we are still expected to keep buying and consuming. No matter that we are exhausting our personal and planetary resources, being tossed from our homes and living on credit. Our capacity to consume is our only value to both the government and their global partners.

Each person who has turned out for the occupations has their own story of abandonment and disrespect. While the stories will vary the root cause does not. Whether we realize it or not, we are no longer citizens. We are biological units who have been groomed to consume. If you are inclined to question this just take a look at the pharmaceutical ads. They are chilling in their content. How do they get to sell that poison to us? ”

As I grew up I had ambitions , and as the years passed the Goal Posts moved and I went through difficult times and had periods of success also . In my 67th year I am wondering if I am going to be able to support my good health since I made investments in a variety of areas and ALL have failed . Nearly everyone I come across these days are in the same boat so I am unable to complain and anyway who would listen ?

Through the years I had occasion to use the “ Stock Market ” to make investments and it was just another glorified “ Casino/Poker Machine ”! The only people making real money there are the Stock Brokers . Each transaction has a percentage whether it is a Buy order or a Sell order . Some of the guys working on the floor in the Sydney Stock Market could tell a story or two that would make you wonder if there were EVER any ethics in their business . One guy , lets call him Kevin was the epitome of a “ spiv ” , greasy hair , rumpled suit , fag hanging out of the mouth , looking dismayed that he didn’t do the business that you were hoping for . Pockets stuffed with paper with scribbled notes which he obviously shuffled throughout the two hour session as he tried to do the business .

In the pub he would tell a good yarn and let drop a few ideas that some of the punters such as myself might think worth pursuing . Naturally you would do well to be cautious because he gave the impression of a “ scam merchant ”, so a small investment at first to test the temperature and as the action unfolded maybe more investment . Guess it was a game of getting enough people interested so that the stock became a self fulfilling prophecy and then the afternoon papers would pick up on it and then the cab drivers would dive in for the ride .

Recent years the stock market surges and dives DAILY so nobody has the faintest idea of where the money is and thus the Broking Houses just sit back and rake in the commissions . Presently even if I had the cash I would think long and hard about risking money in that cesspit !

Current items that I have read relating to #OWS , some are quite interesting :

http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/opinion/2011/10/20111026112347999220.html?utm_content=automateplus&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=SocialFlow&utm_term=tweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount


http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/2011/10/occupy_wall_str_19.php




http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/catholic-america/post/pope-benedict-goes-to-ows/2011/10/27/gIQALa1kLM_blog.html



http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2011/oct/27/occupy-oakland-not-beaten?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/blog/2011/oct/27/occupy-oakland-police-live



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/catholic-america/post/pope-benedict-goes-to-ows/2011/10/27/gIQALa1kLM_blog.html


http://paper.li/OccupyPics/1318728900?utm_source=subscription&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=paper_sub

OFFICIAL 2012 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milan

2012 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milan

Leaked info last week was CORRECT as was shown in this day’s GIRO Presentation in Milano !

Great to see that the Third Etape is Dedicated to Wouter Weylandt , this being the third year that his name will be prominent . All of you will recall that he won the third etape in 2010 and died this year on the Passo Boca during the third Etape , now 2012 , and perhaps future editions also , will memorize his contribution to the Giro’s History !

I know that there was an Event in Italy during September to celebrate his contribution to the relationship between Belgium and Italy . The original intention was to run said event on his September Birthdate !

Below once again the basic “ Etape details ”:

2012 Giro d'Italia, May 5-May 27
May 5, stage 1: Herning - Herning ITT, 8.7 km
May 6, stage 2: Herning - Herning, 206 km
May 7, stage 3: Horsens - Horsens, 190 km
May 8: Rest day
May 9, stage 4: Verona - Verona TTT, 32.2 km
May 10, stage 5: Modena - Fano, 199 km
May 11, stage 6: Urbino - Porto Sant'Elpidio, 207 km
May 12, stage 7: Recanati - Rocca di Cambio, 202 km
May 13, stage 8: Sulmona - Lago Laceno, 229 km
May 14, stage 9: San Giorgio nel Sannio - Frosinone, 171 km
May 15, stage 10: Civitavecchia - Assisi, 187 km
May 16, stage 11: Assisi - Montecatini Terme, 243 km
May 17, stage 12: Seravezza - Sestri Levante, 157 km
May 18, stage 13: Savona - Cervere, 121 km
May 19, stage 14: Cherasco - Cervinia, 205 km
May 20, stage 15: Busto Arsizio - Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli, 172 km
May 21: rest day
May 22, stage 16: Limone sul Garda - Falzes/Pfalzen, 174 km
May 23, stage 17: Falzes/Pfalzen - Cortina d'Ampezzo, 187 km
May 24, stage 18: San Vito di Cadore - Vedelago, 139 km
May 25, stage 19: Treviso - Alpe di Pampeago, 197km
May 26, stage 20: Caldes/Val di Sole - Passo dello Stelvio, 218 km
May 27, stage 21: Milan - Milan ITT, 31.5 km


Those of you who are involved with “ Couchsurfing ” or know people that participate could help me by putting me in touch with people who are able to assist me with accommodation within 20km or so of each depart point . Would prefer to ride this last Giro without a support vehicle since the past two events have generally been hampered by having to travel back to the car at the end of each day ! Not much fun to be had with riding 200+km each day !

LANCE , CNF’s Saturday night FEVER !

“ Mushroom Farmers ” are working overtime on CNF and it is amusing that that whilst “ joe Public ” spends Saturday night enjoying their leisure , these people are whipping themselves into a lather whilst awaiting the announcement of the 2012 routes of the Giro d’Italia on 16th October and Tour de France on 18th october !

Take a look at this thread that some speculate will reach “ DEFCON 5 ” for “Lance’s Lawyers ” on Tuesday or Wednesday next week !

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=12137&page=724

In the thread they also mention that Lance has cancelled his Brazil trip and speculate on the reasoning for this BUT put their “ spin ” on the reason !

Can you believe that this debate has reached such a point that so many people gave up their Saturday night so as to participate ? I remember seeing an item on this thread that mentioned 666 as an “ historic ” number only a short while ago .

One thing that disturbs me is that there was reference ( see added item from another thread ) to a “ Stadium ” that was “ named “ LiveSTRONG ” and are reportedly paying “ Royalties ” to “ LiveSTRONG ” and there was a suggestion that the “ Flinders Hospital Site ” in Sth Australia may be involved in the same type of deal ? As I follow @PremierMikeRann I am aware of his disclosure of many items about this project and his pending retirement from the Premiership of Sth Australia . Has some of the speculation that is rife in CNF a grain of Truth ? Lance did not arrive in Sth Australia as a normal Bike Racer : he went there as a result of “ arrangements ” that included setting up “ Flinders “LiveSTRONG ” Centre ” and received a “Fee ” for his participation in a variety of events whilst in Sth Australia .

Speculation revolves around who the recipient was of this “ fee ” , surely the Sth Aust. Government meant the Fee to go to “ LiveSTRONG ” , didn’t they ? Some reports are indicating that it was treated as “ Personal Income ” by Lance ! Reports of annual income received by “Lance ” for various “Sponsorships ” run to $20 M each year ! Not a huge sum compared to that being received by other “ Famous US Sports Stars ” or members of the British Football Premier League !

Last week I did a “ Tourdafrance.blogspot ” posts on the “ Speculation ” surrounding the proposed “ GIRO and TDF routes ” announcements but they appear to have received little interest . Will the actual announcements be of interest OR will next week be overshadowed by matters that CNF’s “ Mushroom Farmers are desperately hoping to see eventuate ?

WE LIVE IN INTERESTING TIMES !


http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=11579&page=68




Borrowed some of the posts that I thought relevant :

Originally Posted by D-Queued
Another lead from RR's twitter feed:

Looks like Fabiani's May bill came through early.

Seven-time “Tour de France winner” Cyclist Lance Armstrong, recently accused of doping, has re-listed his Dripping Springs, TX home at a huge loss, according to the Real Estalker.

The "recently accused of doping" must be some sort of Hollywood-inspired means of attracting attention and hoping for a price premium.

They don't say anything about the water bill, though.

Dave.



Dirty Works posted :

This may have been posted in another thread, but here is some follow-up to the Kansas City stadium that has LivesWrong branding.

"it appears that Livestrong did not pay for the naming rights and is instead guaranteed a donation of no less that $7.5 million over the next six years. The money will come from a portion of ticket and concession sales to both MLS matches and other events held in the stadium, including concerts."

http://causerelatedmarketing.blogspo...ts-naming.html


More funny stuff with numbers. The idea is the arena operator pays for the privilege of LivesWrong branding in the form of future donations to the .org. This is the complete opposite of the industry norm. The arena collects good money for naming an arena. Anyone ask if there was a commission on the deal? If you spread the big number they used over 7 years, then the time value of money heavily discounts the contribution.

Something about this sure doesn't pass the smell test.


Benotti 69 posted :

I do not understand how the naming rights are part of the ticket sales?

You pay to have a stadium named after you as part of Advertising/Publicity when did that include ticket sales????? very very strange.
__________________


Ferminal posted :

I wonder if that's how the Flinders Medical Centre arrangement will work? Livestrong gets a portion of funding from the government/donors? Rann of course, doesn't like talking about these things, so we can only speculate...


The hog posted :

http://seekingalpha.com/article/287019-what-s-up-with-demand-media?source=marke****ch


@StockNotifierComment (1)*
$DMD Explanation? In my opinion Demand Media has many haters out there and many of them are profiting on DMD by riding the short bus. Market sentiment is also influenced by tweets, and a few of these traders in the investment community are using their social platforms to propagate this negative sentiment. When does market sentiment cross the line into manipulation? Do these "social platforms" have a obligation to keep a fair and neutral outlook for any investment? When they start moderating and censoring user content for their benefit, it makes me think about which hedge funds are really holding the strings.

Demand Media's unproven business model from eNom's registrar revenues increased 22% to $29.6 million, which I think is respectable in any book. With their market share of 8.42% of all .com domains, totaling 7,557,133 domains registered. On average eNom's annual price for .com is $6.00 compared to other United States domain registrars which is $12.70 and all others average at $21.45... Godaddy the only domain registrar with a larger market then Enom, has an average price of 11.99 for their .com domains. How long do you think it will take for eNom to surpass Godaddy by selling their domains at half the price? When it comes time to renew your domain, where do you think they will go?
domain-name-registrars.../

When it comes to shaky accounting history, I hope someone let Charles Hilliard, President & CFO of Demand Media know.
www.quora.com/Charles-...

Did anyone ever think that maybe Google depends heavily on a company like Demand Media? Who needs who more? Can you imagine the powerhouse you would have if these companies ever decide to acquire each other.. haha yes, thats funny DMD acquire GOOG. But wouldn't that be exciting!

If you are looking for what direction future profits might come from maybe you just need to look at what patents Demand Media holds.

DMD Q211 Financial Highlights:

Content & Media Revenue increased 38% to $49.8 million, compared with $36.1 million in Q210.
Traffic acquisition costs (TAC), which represent the portion of Content & Media revenue shared with Demand Media partners, of $2.8 million, or 5.6% of Content & Media revenue, compared with $3.1 million, or 8.5% of Content & Media revenue, in Q210.
Content & Media Revenue ex-TAC grew 42% to $47.0 million, from $33.0 million in Q210.
Registrar Revenue increased 22% to $29.6 million, compared with $24.3 million in Q210.
Investment in Intangible Assets of $15.9 million increased 45% from $11.0 million in Q210

I received a quick response from Julie MacMedan VP, Investor Relations, with my concerns of any manipulation that might be going on. They are looking into the information I sent them and will be reaching out to those social platforms. If you have any questions or concerns, maybe you should give them a try. ir@demandmedia.com 13 Aug, 12:10 PM0

Eddie BravermanComment (1)*
Or it could just be that a company with NO EARNINGS and a model that is not scaleable has no business being valued at $800 million (or the utterly ludicrous $1+ billion valuation at IPO).



Dirty Works posted :

The analysis has problems though.

How does google need Demand? How does low quality search results benefit Google? The exact same thing killed Yahoo. AFAICT Demand has gamed Google's search process. It has happened before (about.com), and then Google fixes it.

The DNS info is interesting. Don't be surprised when their low-cost DNS infrastructure blows up. Spectacularly. That's why I and many others pay more.
__________________

2012 Giro d’Italia ?

Nearly every year we hear speculation of what the Grand Tours will serve up several days before the Presentation ! So with the TDF “ leaked ” and now the “Giro ” will we see an early release of the “ Vuelta Espana ” ?

Photo of AC

IS THIS ROUTE SPECULATION or essentially the real thing that will be announced on Sunday the 16th October ?


Giro d’Italia stages (to be confirmed by RCS Sport)
5 May: Herning – Herning ITT (8,7 km)
6 May: Herning – Herning (206 km)
7 May: Horsens – Horsens (190 Km)
8 May: Rest day, transfer to Italy
9 May: Verona – Verona TTT (32,2 km)
10 May: Modena – Fano (199 km)
11 May: Urbino – Porto Sant’Elpidio (207 Km)
12 May: Recanati – Rocca di Cambio (202 km)
13 May: Sulmona – Lago Laceno (229 km)
14 May: San Giorgio nel Sannio – Frosinone (171 km)
15 May: Civitavecchia – Assisi (187 km)
16 May: Assisi – Montecatini Terme (243 Km)
17 May: Seravezza – Sestri Levante (157 km)
18 May: Savona – Cervere (121 km)
19 May: Cherasco – Cervinia (205 km)
20 May: Busto Arsizio – Lecco/Pian dei Resinelli (172 km)
21 May: Rest day
22 May: Limone sul Garda – Falzes/Pfalzen (174 km)
23 May: Falzes/Pfalzen – Cortina d’Ampezzo (187 km)
24 May: San Vito di Cadore – Vedelago (139 km)
25 May: Treviso – Alpe di Pampeago (197km)
26 May: Caldes/Val di Sole – Passo dello Stelvio (218 km)
27 May: Milano – Milano ITT (31,5 km)

KING CAV will ride the SKY in 2012

 

 

Delighted to read that “ King Cav ” is going to ride for Team Sky in 2012 . So much speculation in the last weeks about which team and which “ Sponsors ” will be involved in the deal .

My source was “ Podium Café ” and here is the link :

 

 

 

http://www.podiumcafe.com/2011/10/11/2483390/confirmed-mark-cavendish-to-team-sky  

Cav is a popular Racer with a Huge Future and so far all that is missing in his career are the Olympic Medals that he had hoped for in Beijing !

More importantly is that Berny Eisel will be with Sky to help build the Train that has been a hallmark of the success of HTC team these pass several years . Cav can win by himself as Robbie Mc Ewen was in the habit of doing but there is something special about watching the various trains fighting to get their man in place to WIN on the line . Gossy , Renshaw and others from the HTC team train will of course be working hard to disrupt the continual success of Cav’s sprints . Andre Greipel must be heaving a sigh of relief that “ Specialised ” did not convince Mark to join the Quickstep / Lotto team so as to have him continue riding their bikes .

Will Sky have King Cav at the Tour Down Under must be a key question for the media at present as they will be looking to see the results of Cav wearing the “ Rainbow Jersey ” which tends to have been a jinx for the wearer in past seasons . So many of those wearing it have had difficult seasons and then enjoyed success when it passed on to the next Racer .

Have waited until now to offer congrats to Mark on his winning the “ World Champs ” since I felt certain that he and the British team regarded the result as a certainty barring accident or injury .

Now as another of my favourite Bloggers has pointed out recently we are less than 100 days from the start of the TDU !

#O W S : Bloomberg reads Constitution ?

“ O W S can stay indefinitely “! Who leaned on Bloomberg ? Has this guys minions read the US Constitution ? Are the “ Class Actions “ causing the Mayor indigestion ? Gifts from JP Morgan to the “ Police Foundation “ causing harsh questions to be asked ? Is the NYPD overtime Bill causing concern ?

Well I can’t claim any credit BUT Mayor Bloomberg has seen the writing on the Wall ( Not the face book wall ) and is now looking at his options which are limited since the whole World now knows about the antics of the likes of Assistant Police Lieutenant Anthony Bologna and others of his Ilk . A new approach to the #O S W movement will pay dividends since the WHOLE WORLD will have similar actions on the 15th October this year !

Media must be drooling since there is a “ #Occupy…. “ coming to their neighbourhood ! NO scrambling for second hand sources anymore , the real deal ! FM4 the English speaking branch of the Austrian National Broadcaster reported again this morning and announced that #Occupy Austria is alive and planning action in many cities here on the 15th October . Since the first week Stewart Freeman and his colleagues have been keeping me abreast of the #O W S happenings in addition to the articles you will see listed below . Some of the comments there leave you wondering if this Action could be “ Hijacked “ by unruly elements !

To #O W S , I say whilst you behave with dignity and stay within the Law , I like the majority of thinking people will support you , since you are highlighting the concerns of 99% of the population !

Allow “ Radicals and Troublemakers ” to join your marches then you will lose “ Goodwill ” rapidly !

Self Policing will need to be considered as a HIGH PRIORITY since the Authorities are looking for repeats of what happened in London when the Students marched to protest the Grossly unfair hike in University Fees ! There the marches started peacefully and as dusk came so out came the “ trouble makers “ and then the Police moved into action .

The headlines next day were about “ Prince Charles’s” car being attacked , not about the injustices levied on the Uni students and their families , nearly all of whom struggle to stay afloat in the present economic climate ! Media look for sensationalism so now that #O W S is an established entity they will seek colour for the additional articles they publish and “ wrongdoing ” will well serve their purposes !

Some links to my recent reading :


http://blogs.wsj.com/metropolis/2011/10/10/bloomberg-occupy-wall-street-can-stay-indefinitely/



http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2011/10/10/2011-10-10_occupy_wall_street_protesters_can_stay_in_zuccotti_park_indefinitely_says_mayor_.html



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/10/10/national/main20118349.shtml


http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2011/10/is-jp-morgan-getting-a-good-return-on-4-6-million-gift-to-nyc-police-like-special-protection-from-occupywallstreet.html






http://aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/10/2011107135115719238.html



http://www.occupytogether.org/




http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/features/2011/10/201110781816308874.html?utm_content=features&utm_campaign=features&utm_source=twitter&utm_term=rss&utm_medium=tweet




http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/columns/taking-back-us-for-the-other-99-percent/1195543




http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/10/protesters-set-up-camp-in-front-of-los-angeles-city-hall.html



http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2011/10/welcome-to-the-ows-99-movement-%e2%80%9cwe-will-not-be-co-opted%e2%80%9d.html



http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democrats-seek-occupy-wall-street-movement/story?id=14701337



http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democrats-seek-occupy-wall-street-movement/story?id=14701337&page=2



http://agreatbigcity.com/occupy-wall-street-banner-hanging-on-wall-street




http://www.cjr.org/behind_the_news/whos_a_journalist_1.php?page=1&page=all

OAF of AIGLE

“ Bull in CHINA ” shop , causing more controversy by forgetting he signed correspondence and his spokesman “ mis-spoke ” when saying there was no such letter/s ?

LOST ME MARBLES !!

Don’t think so ! Whilst Deignan comes second to Nicholas Roche in stage 3 of the Tour of Beijing , the “ Trick Cyclist ( denied his Olympic ride by appearing in South Africa under an assumed name ) ” is grabbing all the headlines with a letter that must have caused ALL the Pro Team Management Angst .

When Cycling news.Com and Inrng.com published their articles they were in denial that such behaviour could be allowed by the UCI let alone be published !

Threatening reprisals at the end of 2011 on Teams that did not choose to participate in the “ Tour of Beijing ” with a review of their “ Status ” for 2012 was not only STUPID but contravenes the “ Rules and Regulations ” that the UCI pretends to operate under .

Seems to me that there are going to be more than Stapleton’s HTC team having difficulty finding “ Main Sponsors ” in future years !

Oh , by the way , I found this item a little later on the CNF ( mushroom farm ) :




"There was a deal to do pre-competition and in-competition testing," the source told Cyclingnews. "That deal was struck with the deputy director of USADA and the UCI and that was in writing.'...'Then there was a press conference and there was the comment about the fox guarding the henhouse. McQuaid went crazy and demanded an apology. One wasn't forthcoming and there was a huge thing. It was seen as an affront to Pat McQuaid's honour and **** the sport if Pat McQuaid's honour is impeached. "The deal that had been agreed in writing was pulled off the table.'...'"

So the key points are:

1)Pat puts himself and his ego ahead of the interests of cycling.

2)The UCI president appears able to cause the operational anti-doping plans of the UCI to be overridden at whim.

3)The UCI don't honor written agreements, and this is encouraged by it's president.

IMO, Pat McQuaid is not an appropriate person to head a not-for-profit organisation. He appears to lack personal integrity or a basic understanding of best practice in the not-for-profit sector. Pat McQuaid, NO CONFIDENCE or RESPECT. Resign you ******* ****-***** ******.

Seems I am not in the minority when considering UCIless’ current conduct

ZILLERTAL HOHENSTRASSER

WINTER ? Not as bad as 3 weeks ago but snow visible at about 1000m instead of the 600m before and the rain has moderated , who knows riding in the afternoon may possibly be enjoyable with winter longs .

Roaring westerly winds last night closed out a wonderfully enjoyable day on the bike yesterday ! All week we were warned that a change was coming through and so I decided as I headed east to Worgl for a bike ride in the sun , after doing the laundry that a visit to the “ Zillertaller Hohenstrasser “ was to be the order of the day . With a “ Double Wouter ” on my birthday Tuesday I thought a flattish ride was in order but the thought of missing out on a ride up there this month particularly since snow will be on the ground the next days was enough inspiration to go the “ Extra Mile ”! Thought I would be the only one too , how wrong I was ! Several oldish ladies were up there and there was plenty of traffic as well . As later pictures will show I found one Munich resident out there on his older style race bike !

At about 1500m with the red Specialised , across the valley on the hilltop of 2300m is the ski lift.



The west side of the Zillertal has a road at 2000m that starts in Hippach / Ramsau in the south and runs around the mountain curves to Reidberg at it’s northerly extreme . In between there are several other approaches through Zell , Aschau , Reid and Kaltenbach . Aschau is definitely for the fit as it ramps up there at 15 -20+% in too many places . What I had forgotten was that on the skyline there are several places where you are confronted by 15% ramps in some cases for more that a kilometre . It was glorious weather so before going up I rode to Mayrhofen and upto Giesling before stopping for a visit with Georg Toschnig to whom I proposed he speak with the local “ Tourism Authority ” about creating an event such as “ Alps d’HUZES ” . Having been spotted by Fred I stopped off for a coffee at the Ramsau “ Lebenshilfe “ where he has worked for nearly 20 years . Last year he had to fly home to California twice as he wanted to visit his mother as she fought the Big C . The first visit alone but the second visit with his Austrian wife Petra for the funeral and to give her a chance to visit with the family .

As I was finishing the coffee one of the residents Andrell brought in shot glasses of Schnapps which you would be rude to refuse and the taste was smooth and enjoyable . This guy in past years has been a “ poster man ” with his accordion and you can still find postcards of him . A man of the mountains wearing traditional garb in the photos .

Riding across the river from Ramsau to Hippach is flat but then it pitches up to 15% by the church and continues around the first few curves to the top of the village and then eases to 10ish % for most of the way to Schwennberg and then it becomes steepish again but on narrower roads . Many of the locals were surprised to see me riding on the left but since they roar around the right turning curves I was reluctant to chance my luck on that side of the road when I could hear them coming .

Long and winding road below the forest .



Was actually surprised to look down and see a loaded truck ascending stop and backup some 100m to allow some tourists that were descending to pass safely on the one lane track . Rare event in these parts and luckily for me the truck turned into a farm before reaching me .

Schwennberg back country where many enjoy a summer ramble .



Around about Schwennberg there is a “ Parapente ” launch area and though I saw some in the air earlier I was surprised to see none there so the descending van must have been either going down to collect those in the air or that was that for the day . Saw little of Kites or other prey seeking birds in the air and there was little birdsong to compete with the cowbells , surprisingly I saw little of sheep or goats either .

Beside the chapel is the launching point through a paddock where they catch the " Updrafts" .




As I was climbing from Hippach I was met with many trucks descending with Milking Cows being returned from their Summer sojourn in the high pastures to their farms in the valley . Also in the background I was hearing a huge number of bells clanging in the forest so there must have been a herd moving down by way of forest tracks . Before arriving at the 2000m mark I came across a few cars parked at a point where many wander off into the back of the valley for the day .

Glacier views of the Italian border is not so visible with the clouds building in the background .




When riding up these climbs you can hear the following traffic and where appropriate I go to the left side to allow them to go through without them waiting as invariably if you are on the right they will cut in on you if they decide to pass in the face of oncoming traffic . Several smaller coaches passed me on the climb and later were amazed to see me pass as they wandered the area at 2000m that was their coffee stop . Passing on with a bellow of “ Aussie , aussie , aussie ” I am sure I heard the “ oi , oi , oi ” but did not turn to investigate as there was still some 10% climbing for another half kilometre .

From the photos you will see a cloudless day all the way across to the Italian Border Glaciers . All week Thursday afternoon was promised as changeable so it was fortunate that the forecast was once again incorrect . As previously mentioned I ALWAYS ride prepared for any eventuality and it would be wrong to assume the weather would not change but this day no clouds came over the peaks to spoil the afternoon . Along the later descent in the forests I came across wet pavement in patches where the sun was excluded but as to where the water came from mystified me .

As mentioned earlier I had forgotten about the ups and downs on the skyline , descending for a kilometre at an advertised 15% I then had the same climb and after a while it was into the descent once again . Near the bottom I came across this Munich Guy so turned about and rode to the top of the incline where it crosses a gully and he agreed to take a breather as he made the photos for me . He stays nearby , so at 69yo he regularly uses this route and had the same thought about it being the last chance this season . On discovering I was younger he started to call me a “ youngster ” this and that .

Follow the road to the left and you will see a slight dip of the skyline and with magnification you can see the white shirt of the rider .



Was not interested to have me email his photo but he was wearing a “ Dolimitien Cycle Shirt ” so no doubt participates in those events . Made a photo of him across the valley but the white shirt was visible to the naked eye but not sure if it comes out well in the photo . Hope he heard me and googles “ Skippydetour ” so we could hook up again next year . Passing on left me with another 3 climbs of various steeps and so when I came out into the “ piste ” of the ski station I tried short cutting across to the Ski Lift Equipment so save riding another ½ km uphill .

The six man chair lift to the point that was visible in the earlier photo.



Needing water was part of the reason but next time I will stick to the paved road as trying to negotiate paddock was walking pace at best and the gravel and rock track was hazardous . No water until I found the paved road once again so before next season the “ Specialised Bike ” given to me in France by the Aussies will be fitted with a second bottle holder . Back pocket was raided several times during the afternoon so arrived home with the wrappers to remind me to replace before the next ride .

When the snow is deep enough in coming weeks this will be where i pass on touring skis but after a great deal more effort and time .



OK pockets now refilled with a 2008 expiry protein Plus Power Bar and some year old “ Nuss Bars ”
so I will be prepared for a break in the cold wet weather that is entertaining the farmers currently . A householder in the village beside the Kaltenbach Ski area provided me with a water refill so it was into the descent through the cool air of the forests as it was after the sun had dropped behind the peaks in most places . Descending I came up behind the nephew of my mate Friedl driving a Manure spraying tractor unit . Called several times but he was away with the pixies ( Locals have a festival in early December when they bring out their “ Fancy dress ”items passed down through the generations ) ! Must have looked into the rear view mirror as he pulled over onto the grass verge to allow me to speed on before stopping into the farm to discover that Friedl was up in the forest .

more accesible area on touring skins .



Andy Schiestl the local Paralympic Ski Champion has moved house so I was able to call in briefly at the new residence to shoot the breeze for a while with him and his wife , Ina . On the way home I did some grocery shopping of the 50% off variety and discovered that a whole chicken costs 3.80 per kilo and chopped chicken sections cost 7.80 per kilo . Talk about “ Added value ”! Sausages known as Knackers come in kilo packs at 6.69 per and considering they are ground waste meat at best , seems like real chicken is cheaper than “ CRAP ”meat ! GO FIGGER ! SPAR is the chain of franchise supermarkets that provide these anomalies but try pointing this out to their staff and they will tell you that you are getting the produce at 50% off so why the comment ?

Hope you enjoy the photos which will be loaded as the Crap Broadband connection allows !