HELP ME TO SUPPORT THE PARALYMPIC ATHLETES

PARRABUDDY.BLOGSPOT was started to help find a way for “Adaptive / Physically Challenged / Paralympic Cyclists ” to enjoy riding their bikes on the Daily Route of the famous Pro Tour Race Routes such as the “ Giro d’Italia " and the " Tour de France " !


Through lack of support i have been unable to achieve that goal and unless people decide to assist there is little chance that my 22nd season will be any more successful !


Tokyo2020 Paralympics was amazing for ALL , not just those participating but those who followed via the Media !


Since 2009 several other Blogs have been created to cover various other subjects !

Below is a guide to their separate purposes :

In the main Parrabuddy is about “Adaptive / Physically Challenged Sport” and Health Issues.


Skippi-cyclist is about personal issues and Road Safety Issues.


SkippyAus is about matters relating to Oz and some personal memories from my life there.


Tourdafarce & Tourdafrance are about matters relating to the Pro Tour , Racers and some personal experiences during my various visits to ride the Pro Tour routes .


Skippy (blogging) is about a variety of issues on the Internet .


NOT ALL postings arrive in their correct area but I will generally try to separate my views on Doping and Sporting Fraud from Road Safety Issues .



Comments ARE WELCOMED since this shows that those reading are interested in the subject matter ! Enjoy comments made to other blogs so wonder why only " anonymous " posts here !

Over the period of these "Blogs" I have had visibility on Twitter as “Skippydetour” and on Facebook as “Skippy Mc Carthy” where Google usually advise postings on the Blogs as they occur .

When any of you visit these Blogs I hope I am able to add value to your day and provide a source of information if not inspiration . Please consider asking your friends and contacts to add their support as many of the Para Athletes are struggling to find the resources to compete in Events at regional Levels let alone National Levels .


You the reader have the possibility to help these Amazing Athletes in your own way and contacting your National Paralympic Internet Site for relevant info is a good start !

Oct 27, 2011

#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

Oct 16, 2011

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.
__________________

Oct 13, 2011

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)

Oct 11, 2011

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

Oct 8, 2011

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

Oct 7, 2011

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 !

Oct 5, 2011

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Starting my 67th year I am aware of my continuing “ Good health ” and today’s sunny weather allowed me to do some riding that people half or a quarter of my age would find difficult ! It was a bright sunny morning once again and so it was easy to decide on a “ Double Wouter ” which you can read about on “ Skippi-cyclist ” blog ! Lunch and a sleep in the sun set me up for some more riding in the afternoon particularly since Friday is forecast as “ wintery weather “, not really surprising after two and a half weeks of 25+c sunshine in October .

This evening I turned on Facebook to find a plethora of “ Good Wishes ” from the friends that have been developed in recent times ! Apologies to all for not answering people individually since I would be repeating myself constantly . Seems there are many out there who notice people’s birthdays but skim requests for assistance in getting out the message to help others . During June I asked for help to give Tyres to “ Para Athletes ” and got a handful of “ Views ” of the post . In August I Asked the 700+ friends to take a look and tell me what I should do to make the effort work and about 2% took a look . Not encouraging particularly when I then requested a “ Hand Biker ” to take a look and I am still awaiting his reply . Well Mark if you won’t help your colleagues who am I to tell you that I feel let down .

15 seasons of trying to help “ Adaptive / Physically Challenged /Para Athletes “ and I can’t get help to give away expensive tyres ? Seems like I am trying to help the wrong people ?

Well Fatty finally revealed the extent of the injuries suffered by the Guide on his French Trip but a commenter advised he is now at home in California making progress in his recovery . The ride revealed in this blog was one that I had done several times in recent years and I can tell you that going to Alp d’Huez without making this climb is a wasted opportunity .

Hearing that the “ End to End Tandem ride ” in the UK last weekend failing to complete the task was disappointing as it seemed they would break the record until the last stage . This and other events have had me thinking about trying to find HELP to make the ride from Perth to Sydney and then around the Coast to the “ Tour Down Under ” later this year .

Financially impossible without Air Travel and some of the expenses covered but with HELP from others I could do the physical effort and would enjoy riding with a “ Para Athlete ” or other motivated people . Where I could do the trip “ roughing it ” I imagine that others being on the trip would require a Motor Home at the very least !

Good Wishes are appreciated BUT posting this story to your FACEBOOK WALL will catch the attention of many others and perhaps there are those out there who would be interested to email me on

skippi@ausi.com

and discuss the opportunities that might arise !

SO CAN I ASK ALL THAT HAVE WISHED ME WELL TO GO A STEP FURTHER AND POST THIS BLOG TO THEIR WALL !

Oct 3, 2011

OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR BLOOMBERG

Thanks to your NYPD actions the “ Occupywallstreet ” movement is now a World Wide News Story that is growing legs as a “ Cause Celebe ” ! Police telling members of this movement that a plastic sheet covering their “ Sleeping bags “ are considered “ Tents ” at best could be described as laughable and certainly PATHETIC ! Even coverings for electronic equipment being deemed a “ Law breaking Offence ” is laughable !

When will you realise that you live in a democracy and that the “ HOME OF THE FREE ” of yester year with your attitude is no longer a “ truism ” ? With your wealth I doubt you are part of the 99% that these people are trying to assist ! In past years Sydney , Australia has held “ Sleepovers ” in Martin Plaza for the purpose of “ Highlighting ”the difficulties that “ Homeless ” suffer on a daily basis and thus raising funds for the purpose of alleviating some of their suffering . Even the “ Mayor of Sydney “has been one of those taking part in these events , of course YOU are unlikely to do this are you ?

Summon some common sense and get along and see for yourself what is Taking place , look at overseas media on the internet and see how your administration is viewed by others !

Recently your NYPD was featured in “ Cycling Circles ” as they tried to change the attitude towards cycling in New York and because a minority of “ bad apples ” breach road rules the majority of “ law Abiding Cyclists ” were hassled and fined ! Great advertising for the “ Tourism Industry ” that tries to survive in the current economy !

Daily in Austria I am hearing multiple reports about the “ OccupyWallStreet “ movement and it is even featuring as a discussion item on programs such as “ Reality Check ” on the ORF radio station FM4 . Doubtless your NYPD misleading the “ Campaigners ” onto Brooklyn Bridge roadway was deliberate , as the NYPD was able to promptly mobilise the resources to remove those arrested ! Had your “ Professionals ” considered their options they would have realised the “ Public Relations Disaster they were creating for your future endeavours to downplay the aims of this movement !

Each American Generation seems to have it’s “ Rights of Passage ” such as “ Kent University ” and the “ Tea Party Movement ” recently and now you are working towards making this the 2011/12 occasion !

As a 66yo I have enjoyed success in earlier life that could have included me in the 1% but through a combination of events I find that I am living at or below the “ poverty line ” as so many of your fellow citizens . Too late for me to change my circumstances and so I can see where these people are getting their support .

Had I found myself in your position I would have sat down with these people before 17th September and worked out a schedule of events that would have allowed “ Common sense ” to prevail ! Now you are playing “ Catch up ” and when the march on Wednesday takes place you have a choice to exercise “ Goodwill ” or attempt another exercise such as on Brooklyn Bridge ! Meanwhile NYPD resources used in the fight against CRIME are being utilised to make a “ Political Statement ” of support to the 1% who probably will not even realise what is going on OR thank you for your efforts since they feel they were responsible for your re-election !

Worldwide Media now in New York will await your actions already savouring the “ Headlines ”!

Oct 2, 2011

OCCUPY WALL STREET

Police Brutality does not solve anything ! Whether there is truth in the stories printed by the New York Media remains to be seen but that some “ Protesters ” were treated more harshly than others seems likely .

What is clear from this photo is that there are many more supporters of this movement than would have been the case if the NYPD had behaved better towards those " sleeping out " , thus creating adverse publicity and perhaps hostility towards the Authorities .

Here is the link to one of the more even handed media outlets :

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/police-arresting-protesters-on-brooklyn-bridge/

What these people are doing affects us all since there are few who do not have to have a “ Bank Account ” and I can tell you from personal experience of the many occasions the “ Banks ” have profited even when I have followed their own rules to keep their fees / charges under control .

Occupy Wall Street has their website :

https://occupywallst.org/

When you read through their entries you will see they leave you to make up your mind about what they are trying to achieve . Personally I think some of the “ misguided actions ” by the NYPD has created more publicity for their actions rather than restraining and diminishing their purpose ! I recall many occasions where “ Martin Place ” in Sydney was turned into a “ Campsite ” where people were encouraged by the City Authorities to bring their Sleeping Bags and camp out to see what the “ Homeless ” endure each night . Seemed to be very popular and once the publicity was achieved the whole thing quietly died away . Had NYPD behaved a little more kindly would there be World Wide publicity that is encouraging other groups to set up in more Cities around the World ?

Had the authorities left well enough alone I think that with the arrival of the cooler weather there would have been a greater reluctance for many people to participate NOW we will see more and more people deciding that they need to commit themselves to support an Action that is now known worldwide thus calling for either the Authorities to behave more kindly towards their fellow citizens or behave in an unacceptable manner which will only reinforce the message this action has highlighted !

Media attention is growing as I am hearing multiple reports on Austrian FM4 daily and I am sure that this is far more than the organisers had anticipated two weeks ago !

Mismanagement of this situation has now made it a “ Cause Celebre ”!


My comment to the " occupy Wall STREET site " was turned back with a 404 error message ? Whats that ?

My comment :

Whilst i am not in New York i am able to tell you that you are getting Multiple reports of your ACTION on Austria FM4 amongst daily amongst other media organisations here !
My blog www.parrabuddy.blogspot.com addresses some of my views on what is happening .
I am sure that more and more your ACTION will grow as the Media clambers over itself to get to the REAL STORY of this day and world in which we now live !

Those camping out SHOULD be allowed to cover themselves even if " Tents" are not legal ! Here goes the news again with YOUR STORY the lead item , and OCCUPY BOSTON has in the last days been highly visible also !

BRAVO !

Monday 3rd October

During the last days i have been trying to leave comment on the "Occupywallstreet " site ! Get a " 404 error" message each time !

Are the Authorities trying to block their site and prevent access ?