“My glass was half full, but some jackass came along and drank it.”

After seeing the images of the amazing devastation in Japan, it’s difficult to construct a post. All of the issues, or stories, or agendas that I might broach pale in comparison to what they are contending with. If I had a heart, it would certainly go out to them. One thing I have noticed while taking in the various news feeds, is that not once has any of the talking heads made even a single mention that if it were not for the incredible engineering and the stead fast resolve and preparedness of the Japanese people, the death toll could have very well been in the hundreds of thousands.
(Please note that at the time of writing this, the state of the meltdown was not known. Writing posts ahead of time under the guise of writing in real time is proving to be difficult.)
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Photo taken from the boinger of Boings.


Why must American media relish in the destruction?
As a matter of fact, in a number of amateur videos I’ve seen shot by people while the initial quake was taking place, I noted that some people were standing in doorways holding plastic bins over their heads, or organized together in open parking lots, or in one case, as the camera panned across the room, a woman was seemingly unfazed, talking on the phone;
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As a culture, I’ve found that the Japanese people are focused, directed and all around badasses. I have no doubt that they will eventually emerge from this event strong and smiling. It is an incredible country full of amazing spirit, and for that they have my undying respect. Something that their friends to the West could take a lesson from.
While here on the other side of the Pacific, on the very day that this unprecedented disaster took place, Washington has approved a spending plan that would cut funding to a domestic tsunami warning center.
What could possibly go wrong?
And in a brief burst of news regarding this country’s own version of ‘V for Vendetta’, the group that goes by ‘Anonymous’ has cyberwarred their way into my heart.
After their recent attack on the Westboro Baptist Church, I eagerly anticipate their next move.
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WE ARE ANONYMOUS.
WE ARE LEGON.
WE DO NOT FORGIVE.
WE DO NOT FORGET.
EXPECT US.

Now that I have probably successfully stuck my name front and center on THE MAN’s to-do (away with) list, let’s get into some news of a bike related sort. Up first we’ve got a flyer for the third annual East Bay Rally Cat event;
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I’ve missed the boat on the last two years of this, but if there was ever an event that aroused my interest, it would be this. My sweet East Bay? Mixed terrain? Yep, both present and accounted for. Secondly, the proceeds for this bash go to Spokeland, which doesn’t suck in the slightest.
And thirdly, I cleaned out a bunch of crap from my garage, boxed it up and sent it on to the organizers, so I stand before you as an official ‘sponsor’. Please note, if you request that I sponsor your event, understand that you will get an envelope or box of whatever happens to be closest to my reach.
If this might be something that strikes your fancy, and by all means, it should, and assuming that the black helicopters haven’t taken me out by then, I’ll see you there.
Of course the following day we here in the Bay Area have a custom bike show at which you can do whatever you like without fear of being threatened with a law suit by the organizers for your transgressions;
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Not only will I be present manning the kegs (did someone say something about the fox watching the hen house?), but should any young lovers be interested in my services in preforming a wedding or baptizing their child (I’ll just pour a drink on their head), I have recently been officially ordained in the Church of Dude;
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As the date of The Second Coming inches ever closer, all of you suckers will be left behind turning to salt or whatever, and I will be on the fast track to Heaven aboard my magic carpet.
Next up, this clip has been floating around for a piece but deserves another go around, as Chris Akrigg is generally a bike rider’s bike rider;

I sure do like the cut of that fella’s jib.
The Yin to the Akrigg clip’s Yang, I will book end it with one that might leave you scratching your head. I initially saw this on The Bike Snob and was only slightly encouraged by the sheer number of negative viewer comments, a majority of which it seemed were posted by cyclists. In the meantime however, the comments have been disabled;

Holy lord, what a bunch of fools. I have to say though, I am a big fan of AZ. He’s a cool guy, and has been in the trenches for as long as anyone can remember. Some consider him to be a sort of patron saint of bicycle messengers, but in as far as this clip is concerned, appears to be the equivalent of a teacher in a special education class filled with poo flinging retards. I assume that this will eventually be made for public consumption, if it hasn’t already, and I shudder to think how the general population will ultimately view cyclists as a result.
Secondly, as observed by Bunnyhawk via the Twitter;
“The saddest part is the plea for healthcare (which they deserve), right after explaining how little they care about their health.”
That’s a right-smart observation.
Lastly in industry news, it’s recently come down the pipe that beloved component and clothing manufacturer Raceface is soon set to be closing their doors.
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Fingers are crossed that this is an ugly rumor, but based on initial reports, it’s looking pretty bleak.
Between the devastation in Japan, milkshake throwing messengers and our friends to the North going the way of the Dodo, today’s post has been nothing short of a total bummer, for which I have no proper conclusion.
Maybe I can just leave you with something like, ride your bike, don’t be a dick and live today like you might not have a tomorrow.
Not a bad mantra.
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13 Responses to ““My glass was half full, but some jackass came along and drank it.””

  1. chad March 14, 2011 at 8:07 am #

    WORD.

  2. cruzian831 March 14, 2011 at 8:26 am #

    here’s an article:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12codes.html?_r=3&hp

  3. 999 March 14, 2011 at 10:33 am #

    maybe those people in the video can win some common sense in their next alley cat. friggin dorks.

  4. Kid Rock Tickets March 14, 2011 at 12:31 pm #

    I love it. Irrelevant piece of information: I studied crreeative writing in Sheepwash, Devon.

  5. Kid Rock Tickets March 14, 2011 at 12:34 pm #

    I love it. Irrelevant piece of information: I studied crreeative writing in Sheepwash, Devon.

  6. Jim March 14, 2011 at 1:10 pm #

    I think it’s cute that Anonymous has declared war on the US Government and the banks, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they bring about the collapse of these institutions, but I’m wondering which targets they’re trying to take out first. Those bad Navy folks providing aid to the Japanese? The evil bureaucrats who send my mom a social security check each month? Those jerks at HHS who are trying to provide health insurance coverage ot the nation? *That* government? The banks that manage the CalPers and union pensions, and for that matter my 401(k)? The evil stock market people who generate the wealth that jerks like me spend on bicycle gear? *Those* banks?
    We’ve got some problems in a lot of our institutions, but when a group starts sounding like 1996-vintage Newt Gingrich on a meth bender, maybe we ought to ask a few questions.

  7. Vaeringjar March 14, 2011 at 2:35 pm #

    I wish Anonymous would go after the governor of Wisconsin. Those in the Westboro Baptist Church are annoying but relatively harmless in the grand scheme of things. The dismantling of public sector benefits will prove an opportunity for the private sector as well, speeding up its race to the bottom. Fortunately I think I have an opportunity to work in the EU. Unfortunately the only second language I know is the language of love–and the latter is a premature boast, as I tend to ejaculate before I’ve found the right word.

  8. Cycling Tourist March 14, 2011 at 8:31 pm #

    @Vaeringjar: You’ll like this story of actually hitting them where it hurts: http://wonkette.com/440574/wisconsin-union-members-will-destroy-walker-backing-bank-by-withdrawing-1-billion-in-pension-funds

  9. K March 15, 2011 at 12:23 am #

    This probably isn’t going to make your day Stevil, but I believe the Anonymous threat on Westboro Baptist Church was nothing more than a hoax, probably instigated by Westboro in an attempt to elicit sympathy/attention. What a bunch of douchebags.

  10. Vaeringjar March 15, 2011 at 2:46 pm #

    Thanks, Cycling Tourist, good humor.
    Madison has always struck me as a cool town, and Yellow Jersey’s a great shop.

  11. Ted March 15, 2011 at 5:37 pm #

    So fighting for free speech means pacifying it? Westboro Baptist Church is fully allowed to do the hateful, ridiculous things they do under our Bill of Rights. Who are these nerdy idiots to prevent them from doing it and how dare they do it in the name of the people?
    I agree with parts of their letter, WBC *is* a bunch of nutjobs; but those whacked-out zealots have as much right to protest as we do to protest against them. Wasn’t there a video about how Buffalo recently dealt with these morons?
    I think the link is here:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dITnvsAcyKI
    Most of all, Stevil, I’m surprised that you – a blogger and exerciser of freedom of speech/press – agree with this. How would you feel if a conservative group that disagreed with your views hacked your website in the name of free speech?
    If it’s a hoax, my bad & please disregard.

  12. Stevil March 15, 2011 at 5:55 pm #

    Thank you Ted, and you make a valid point. I suppose I just feel as though hiding behind freedom of speech isn’t an excuse to spread hateful and hurtful propaganda, nor would it give them the right to protest the funerals of service men and women or the little girl who was murdered in the Arizona shooting spree.
    Though to your point, if someone disagreed with my philosophies (which to date has been among other things, encouraging people to not live with their heads in the sand, to engage in the voting process, to generally think for themselves, and I think I mentioned something about supporting local businesses and domestic manufacturing once) and sabotaged my site as a gesture of ‘free speech’, I would take exception to that. It’s a murky balance though, and certainly one that I don’t have an answer to. My declared support of Anonymous and their efforts to sabotage the Westboro Church was a knee jerk reaction, but just the same, it’s one I can’t help but smile slyly at.

  13. Pat March 15, 2011 at 8:01 pm #

    The video was fine. Not much has changed with couriers forever. There are a certain type of people that do that job that have a general disposition that was displayed in that video.
    I am just bummed that they didn’t interview Shawn (the guy with the beard) he is the real character of the whole bunch.
    Bunny Ears and Slayer in the Bike Shop for all of Easter Sunday, pervert invitational alley cat…Yah Thats shawn.