INNSBRUCK VISIT

Inspiration comes from many directions thus motivating us to achieve better results in our everyday life ! Over several years I have enjoyed visiting “ Fatcyclist.com ”

whose blog started whilst his life was in turmoil and after the loss of his wife Susan in the recent years has turned into an inspirational journey that has raised an estimated $us 3 m for a variety of causes !

Today he has followed through on a commitment made in march with the pre release of his first of three books . Released in good humour it offers various options in price relating to a person’s budget and desire to personalise the book .

Judging by the quality of the Blog posts over the years it will be a sellout ! Pre order by 10th November or get trampled in the rush ! These two photos would fit in well with some of the topics that he has raised in the blogs I have recently read .

In my early life I never contemplated the possibility that I would arrive in my 67th year in good health but with no income . Along the way I have had both success and failures so it will come as no surprise to hear that like so many I got horribly burnt by the collapse of the “ financial markets ” in 2008 ! So I am happy to see the “#OWS ” movement flourish in all parts of the world . Dismayed to see so many countries forget the “ Right of Free Speech “ that democracies afford us .

Friday I was driving some Polish visitors from Innsbruck Airport to their destination in Hintertux where they will spend the week skiing . Their desire to visit the centre of Innsbruck to have a look around brought us to the square where the “ Occupy Innsbruck ” was a few Saturdays before . Being a paved area I was not surprised to find no tents in view .

Parking on a street adjacent to this square , the visitors went walkabout whilst I waited with the vehicle . Not knowing how long these people would be I stayed with the vehicle . When a traffic warden ( not sure what you would call these subcontract employees ) came by she said nothing but looked the vehicle over . Later she returned and said I need a ticket . Not having coins I was unable to feed the section ticket dispenser and so I showed her the Euro50 note that was all I had with me . Having been out on the bike earlier I had left my coins and small notes in the cycle jacket . She then pointed to the bank so off I went and returned to find that this miserable baggage had put a ticket on the vehicle .

Normally I drive a UK registered car so as the vehicle was sign written by the owners with Austrian reg plates I chased down the road and confronted her . Being a small untidy looking woman she went to “ Nicht Verstehen ( don‘t understand)” several times with an ugly grin on her untidy visage . Several passersby told me that she was known locally for this sneaky behaviour . They said that she is responsible for local motorists avoiding doing business in that area and so those businesses have suffered .

After these comments I spoke with the owners of several empty shops and they also were of the opinion that this behaviour has impacted their shops . At 1500hrs of a Friday afternoon you would expect to see the street busy with passersby and people in those shops . Guess there must have been a reason for there being few people in the street on a bright sunny afternoon in the centre of this thriving City ?

Tirol Tourism spends large amounts of money to attract people to Innsbruck and the surrounds but this Euro21 ticket will guarantee that they get publicity ! Guess they are desperate to keep vehicles out of the city so I will not be carting people there any time soon . As regards the Junior Olympics in January I will not now attend and if the ticket is not cancelled I will regrettably recover the bike on loan to an Austrian Para Athlete ! Living on my savings is hard enough without “legalised Pickpocketing ”!

INNSBRUCK VISIT

LICENCED TO KILL

Horrified to see Truck driver with “ defective eyesight ”has killed for the second time !

The family of Notting Hill victim Eilidh Cairns are outraged about the February 2009 incident being shoddily investigated and in June 2011 that complacency has resulted in a death being repeated two years later !

Those interested to see more of these stories can use these links :

http://lcc.org.uk/articles/lorry-driver-that-killed-cyclist-in-2009-involved-in-second-fatal-collision

http://road.cc/content/news/47057-eilidh-cairns-killer-implicated-second-london-lorry-fatality


WHEN WAS KEEPING TRAFFIC MOVING MORE IMPORTANT than collecting Evidence ?

Has the Police Authorities taken any action regarding “ Investigation Procedures ” or even retraining of any of the Police Officers involved in the Feb 2009 incident ? Likely answer is NO !

Cyclists in traffic are constantly “ bullied ” and yet we have the “ Polis ” trying to get more people on their bikes ! Seeing “ Boris ” riding without a helmet encourages people to emulate the risk . Many people I find with facial injuries have these in places where the helmet strap could have been and in one of my reports from the Tour de France I stopped to help Touring Cyclists who left their helmets at home . The damage to the scalp was enough for an ambulance ride , and disrupted their touring holiday , “ it can’t happen to me ” attitude prevails .

This latest death was on a pedestrian crossing involving a 97yo lady that survived the Nazis by moving to London . Marlebone Road is dense traffic day long and the pedestrian crossings are mostly on traffic lights but I will not go into detail . Driving this stretch of road over the years I have found it either free flowing in excess of the speed limit or crawling at a snail’s pace and it is never a pleasant experience .

Had the Authorities investigated the first accident in the correct manner then there is every chance the driver would have been “disqualified from driving ” or even possibly served a custodial sentence but the £200 penalty and 3 points is derisory for “ uncorrected eyesight ” ! Did the CPS decide this was the minimum charge that could be presented in court as a result of the incompetence exhibited at the accident site ?

Coroners Courts have an important job and rarely do they fail to satisfy the needs of all concerned but on this occasion there have been failures that need to be addressed for the future benefit of all ! As it stands both the magistrate handing down the £200 penalty and the Coroner in the first incident must be asking themselves if they could have done more and thus one hopes they will be more rigorous when they deal with further Traffic Deaths ?

LICENCED TO KILL

CYCLIST SHOT !

OCCUPY OAKLAND

Cyclist “ flicks ” at the Oakland Police and gets shot ?

First Amendment of the Constitution in the USA is now totally irrelevant ! Watching the “ Livestream ” from Oakland the world is seeing “ Nazi style behaviour ” in the land of the FREE ?

Who in their right mind authorised the “ Policing Tactics ” that are taking place these last days ? All year we have been witnessing the third world countries demonstrating and gradually winning their Freedom despite the “ Terror Tactics ” used against them and with encouragement from the White House and other US Government Officials BUT in their own backyard in the USA , the Local and State Authorities are “APEING ” the repressive tactics that are being used in Syria , and earlier in Egypt and Libya !

President Obama has spoken about what is going on with the #Occupy Movement and in what I would describe as a conciliatory manner BUT is he now going to have to call in the troops to guard the “ Protesters ” from the Local Police Authorities ?

Many times I have called for the “ #Occupy Protesters to guard against “ Infiltration ” by radicals and trouble makers who want to provoke the Police , seems these elements are the justification for the use of “ RUBBER BULLETS ”! Tear gas used on a MOB bent on violence is understandable but the majority of these protesters are simply US citizens expressing dissatisfaction of the current situation in their lives and looking to wake up the authorities so that changes can be made for the betterment of their communities .

Internet access allows the WHOLE WORLD to see and Judge what is taking place and the fact that these events are “ Infiltrated by the occasional Rotten Apple ” does not justify a repeat of “ CRYSTAL NIGHT ” in any part of the USA !


Comment by someone on the scene :

" Coming to your town soon , thrills , chills , pepper spray , mace , water cannons , rubber bullets & live ammo. This is exactly what the power elite want a excuse to use force , unless the other 98% stop watch the boob tube , wake up and get out and protest nothing will change.

"They've got the guns, but we have the numbers " Jim Morrison

An Item from another report :

" ‎Let’s remember the words of Abraham Lincoln: “any people anywhere, being inclined and having the power, have the right to rise up, and shake off the existing government, and form a new one that suits them better. This is a most valuable — a most sacred right — a right, which we hope and believe, is to liberate the world.”

Sources :

http://roarmag.org/2011/10/man-shot-in-face-with-rubber-bullet-during-oakland-raid/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+roarmag+%28Reflections+on+a+Revolution%29

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/police-said-to-fire-tear-gas-at-protesters-in-oakland-calif/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/sunday-review/wall-street-protest-shows-power-of-place.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all


http://gawker.com/5849826/want-to-talk-to-the-ceo-of-citigroup-heres-his-cell-phone-number?tag=Occupy-Wall-Street


http://gawker.com/5850054


http://wlcentral.org/


http://www.thenation.com/blog/164017/first-amendment-our-permit


http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/66553.html


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9oZefVZc0A&feature=youtu.be


http://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/21/justice/new-york-protest-arrests/


http://www.smh.com.au/national/treasurer-disappointed-by-protest-violence-20111023-1me8o.html


http://www.smh.com.au/national/occupy-sydney-protesters-front-court-20111023-1me8a.html


http://techpresident.com/blog-entry/ows-online-movement-starting-level



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2052960/Occupy-Wall-Street-Robert-Diane-Maresca-attempt-trademark-protest-name.html


http://aworldbeyondborders.com/


http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/12172/labor_and_occupy_movements_continue_to_stand_in_solidarity/


http://champagnecandy.tumblr.com/post/11948118055/atlanta-mayors-last-tweet-before-sending-police


http://motherjones.com


http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/police-said-to-fire-tear-gas-at-protesters-in-oakland-calif/


http://agreatbigcity.com/occupy-st-vincents-joins-occupy-wall-street-to-protest-health-insurance-practices

CYCLIST SHOT !

AVOID “AUSI.COM ”!

It's Cold and raining , so i thought to clean up some of my overdue correspondence !

HA ! FAT CHANCE ! AUSI.com won't let me ! Now 14.30 and still can't email !

Since 4am this morning I have been trying to access “Ausi.com ” email facility , to send emails ! During that time , I have had annoying  repetitions of their ads interpose on to the “ Compose ” function thus cancelling the connection ! Seems that , Ads are so important to the Server Owner , that they swamp the available Broadband " Bytes !

Over ten and half hours have passed , and despite repeated efforts , I am unable to send the emails ! Now I admit I make mistakes , thus putting the wrong letter , in the frame , with my clumsy one digit efforts , but transferring from login to compose just does not work recently ! Thus I have to go to the emails and then try to go to “ compose ” and this is when “Ausi Travel ” or “ Sydney Accom ” drop in and my Ausi.com connection drops out !

I HAVE NO INTEREST IN READING ABOUT THESE ADVERTISERS and if i was given a million dollars tomorrow , I would not spend one cent with their organisations !

For nearly 10 years I have used “ ausi.com ” as my principle email address and whilst I realise that ads are providing me with a free service I AM NOT PREPARED TO WASTE 15MB to send one email ! And that is what I have used today and I have still to send those necessary emails !

CONGRATS “ everyone .com ” YOU OWN THE WORST SERVICE that money can buy ! Continual requests to upgrade what should be a FREE service are WASTED EFFORT ! When your free service is THIS BAD , why spend money to get , “ same old, same old ” !

In 2004 whilst I was at the Athens Olympic “ ausi.com ”, changed server and I lost many contacts , when this happened ! One lost email address was , the family who sent the “ Aussie Flag ” to The Athens YHA . Having met them at the roadside of the 2004 Tour de France , I did not have their Perth Address with me in Athens , so email was my point of contact . Well I am still hopeful that they will one day send a reminder via “ ausi.com ” , but they are not the only ones , I hope will one day renew contact .

These days when I encounter anyone I ask them to Google “ Skippydetour ” so that they have a choice of contact point . Regrettably like my bank accounts I am stuck with this shameful service , no doubt I will have to replace my email address with a more reliable service and would ask that anyone contacting me start using “ cc ” Skippydetour@hotmail.com so that I get to see any emails sent to me . Transitioning will take huge amounts of effort since so many of the places I correspond to have “ ausi ” as the referral address and like so many others I cannot recall all my current correspondence let alone all the previous !

Is is now 11½ hours since I tried to send an email and 25MB lost in this endeavour , and even when I go to “ Hotmail.com ” I find that “ Ausitravel & Sydney Accom “ arriving on the screen and after losing another 5MB I have still not sent the emails . Having “ ausi.com ” as my screen saver obviously is part of the problem . The other major part is that “ BOB ” the cheaper of “ A1” the local broadband provider’s choices is a disaster offering 12bytes U/load & 15bytes d/load most of the day !

Click on a story on Twitter or Facebook and Multi MB appear in the computer , as quickly as you can click your fingers , so IF you can receive these whilst awaiting the “ Compose ” function in both email carriers WHAT IS GOING ON HERE ?

Watch several “ SKYPE ” friends flash up and can’t get a connection there either ! Sorry , I am not ignoring people BUT there is obviously a MAJOR PROBLEM with the connections !

With the rain outside and the computer problems , today’s morning , has not been the best way to pass time , I hope that the afternoon will see an improvement !

AVOID “AUSI.COM ”!

My Personal “ Hill 108 “ for Wouter

The 2011 Giro d’Italia’s tragic loss of Wouter W. remains as a constant memory with many ! Personally I find that as I ride the bike over various different terrains certain memories come to mind with recollections of various events over a lifetime of activity whether from travelling in Australia or Europe . Scenery in the Austrian mountains is similar to the French and Italian Alps so much so that you can imagine you are in another locale as you round each corner of the road . On parts of the road today the colours of the leaves reminded me of views in the Eastern States of the USA where Autumn sees a smorgasbord of startling colours ranging from Reds through Yellows to Greens . Normally I only see Greens on these rides .

Brandenberg Valley is a cul-de-sac and the round trip is about 26km but is shaped like an inverted W. so this is why I am reminded of Wouter !

Mornings I like to take the western road which runs north to Aschau in B. for about 9km and I nearly always side track and ride up into the village thus adding height in the sunlight . Here is a view of the back of the valley on the westerly ascent :





Instead of turning uphill the road veers right with a descent of 15% for about a mile runs along the valley floor and then ascends to another group of houses and farms before declining gradually to a gulley and then there is a sharpish climb of a couple of kilometres to Brandenburg where the descent of 9km to Kramsach begins with several false flats along the route .

Taking this route today was only interrupted on one occasion by cattle being herded through the village on the outskirts of Brandenburg . One old guy only arrived at his gateway after some cows decided to try out the taste of his flowers . About 4km from Kramsach there is a splendid view south of the valley and beyond .

Arriving back in Kramsach I turned about and set off uphill to repeat the route riding the Easterly side of the valley which remains shaded much of the morning on the ascent . As I was climbing through the windy section a clown on a noisy motocross bike scraped my shoulder to show his dimwitted sense of humour . Not only did he pollute the atmosphere with noise and fumes he also demonstrated his stupidity since when I described him to one of his neighbours , the woman said she would have her husband a “ Cop” speak to him ! Love to have been around for the result !

As mentioned elsewhere Alpe d’Huez Annually in June has an event raising Funds for “ Cancer Charities “ , this area lends itself as ideal for doing something similar as a large number of Dutch visit this area each year for Skiing ! Perhaps “ Tirol Tourism “ can find a way to fund the initial event and thus create another opportunity for those who will be surplus to the 5000 participant limit imposed by the Dutch Organisation for their 2012 event . There are any number of other worthwhile events that could locate here as an alternative venue since generally the weekday traffic is minimal by comparison to so many areas and access to Kramsach is by way of the Autobahn Exit there .

My Personal “ Hill 108 “ for Wouter