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 !

Nov 29, 2011

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. ”

Nov 25, 2011

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 .

Nov 20, 2011

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."

Nov 19, 2011

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 !

Nov 16, 2011

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 ?