I’ve been verbally abused by several people, most of whom seem to believe that cyclists are not allowed on towpaths. There are a number of pedestrians who walk four abreast, ignore my bell to alert them to my presence then decide to lecture me about sharing space and riding too fast as I creep past them.
Most cyclists know that pedestrians have right of way on towpaths, pedestrians have right of way pretty much everywhere except motorways. Cyclists are usually more aware of these rules than pedestrians, as access rules for cycles in England are complex, where as pedestrian access rules are not. Also, walkers are never asked to justify themselves, whereas cyclist have to regularly, like in this not-so-subtle survey.
Since all the “Pedestrian Priority” signs went up, I have experienced an increase in hostility from pedestrians on towpaths. I believe that the signs have inflamed the negative, anti-cyclist and entitled views of a particular group of towpath users, who now seem to have decided that a cycle overtaking them at 5mph after a courteous ringing of my bell is too fast.
Don’t even get me started on people not cleaning up after their dogs.
People who wish to ride their bikes or run at a dangerous speed will do so whatever you attempt to do. A good deal of current attempts at speed calming are
barriers to access for many groups (A frames, Chicanes), but provide little deterrent for those who wish to behave in an antisocial manner.
As usual, you appear to be pandering to the same group of negative, anti cyclist walkers whose sense of entitlement wants us off the towpaths and causes
exaggeration of the danger cyclists pose.
I think you should be putting up signs that simply promote the sharing of the space, that make clear the responsibility of all user groups to be considerate of
others, as, for too long, the actions of the very few (in my experience) have been used as a stick with which to beat cyclists.

Got a bit ranty… 😳

I largely agree, Gonzy, the point I’m trying to make is that too many people sit around saying how terrible everything is and that our government should do something about it without getting off their backsides to either pressure the government or help in other ways. It seems that the default setting is now to blame the government without taking individual responsibility, a cop out, basically.

Daveosaurus Rex, Muslims in Need[/url] have been bloody amazing during this. They have the logistical links to really get aid moving around Syria and Lebanon (before they closed their borders). Without them, none of our local action groups would have had the reach or resources to get the aid where it needs to be.

Sorry THM, should have ignored him, really.

So you’re saying the best thing to do in international relations is to wait until all out hell breaks out, then jump in and blow the piss out of everything?

How am I copping out by suggesting we all do more? I was actually suggesting that sitting around hoping the government fixes it for us is very much a cop out.

Methinks someone has a narrative they want to fit us all into.

You’re comparing Zanzibar to Syria, right?
Because they’re the same thing? I see where you are coming from, but the situation in Zanzibar is one where external intervention by a UN backed body may be helpful to avert further tensions spilling over into violence. I think Syria is a bit past that point, don’t you?

THM, maybe now you and othera will finally understand the position of Christopher Hitchens in tegards to Iraq. Worse things than this latest round of attrocities occured on Saddams watch. Doesn’t matter though when it’s Kurds does it? Because they aren’t proper Muslims and so not worthy of the lefts outrage.

Wat?

Everyone is always so fixated on what our government and/or military chooses to do. Neither our government or our military are capable of acting in the interests of the Syrian people. Air Strikes kill civilians and make the fundamentalists’ argument more appealing. Troops on the ground will drag the conflict out and suppress the inevitable civil war, which will break out again when we leave (see Afghanistan/Iraq). Offering logistical support to the FSA creates a proxy war (which is kind of where we’re at) which will drag on for years to come. So there’s nothing constructive that our government/military can do.
Then we have to ask ourselves what we can do, either individually or collectively. Now, we can’t put an end to the bloodshed, we can’t stop the massacre. But we can do our best to support those who have dedicated their lives to protecting and supporting the survivors. We can show the people of Syria that they are not alone, that we are trying and they are in our thoughts.
We cannot control the war, but, like the aftermath of a natural disaster, there will be much to do. It will be done quicker and more lives will be saved if it is done with our help and support.

Don’t wait around expecting your government to help, they can’t.

Love that track, when I was a teenager, I played it to my girlfriend when I found out she had been cheating on me. pretty creepy looking back, but then 17 year olds are dicks really…

Back to the music, quite an obvious one really, but I just love them.

After all, what do you think we should or could do to actually stop it? invade Syria?

Show the people of Syria that we are with them. Help them in any small way we can.

The following video is by Abdullateef Khaled, who is a **** hero in Syria, he’s building a whole town for people whose homes have been destroyed, he’s maintaining a network of orphanages and is risking his own life every day getting aid into Idlib and Aleppo.

My wife and her friends filled a container with food, clothes and medical supplies that he has since been able to distribute around Syria to those who need it most. The second container is going out before Christmas.

So no, **** it, there’s nothing we can do. 🙄

Perhaps the darkest night of the year. Our Syrian brothers and sisters need our anger more than ever. Write to your MP, protest, raise your voice however you can. Help however you can. Do not think that there is nothing you can do, there are countless groups and organisations sending help, aid and supplies to Syrians, both in their own country and around the world, find them, offer your time, money, skills, voice or whatever you have to offer.

Make no mistake, this is a massacre. A massacre we can not ignore.

I’m not a religious person but I don’t call myself an atheist because of the militant style attitude that I usually encounter along with it. Almost as bad as vegans :p

Oi!

I’m an atheist vegan!

I’d come round and smack you for saying that, but I’m too tired and I don’t see any point in anything. 😉

Now it’s my time to shine.

Scotch Egg, anyone?

Also this.

I doubt very much that everyone else would get the same feelings as I do watching this, but to me, this is perfect.

EDIT: AAAAARRRRGGGHHHHH, why, why, why do you not post videos?!?!?

Ellen Allien & Apparat – Metric

EDIT 2: thanks DezB

I like Clipping, but I used to love Jonathan Snipes’ earlier group, Captain Ahab. Not the same as Clipping, not at all, but they were sensational live.

Genesis Longitude

Karate Monkey

Singular swift

Stooge

Charge Cooker[/url]

To be fair, this is just a shopping list of bikes I like, but I’m proper bimbler. If you’re feeling a little more aggro, the Ragley Marley might be a good choice.

Just sit on a few bikes, go for a few rides, see what’s comfortable, and what will look good with a basket on the front. 😉

Consumer electronics

EDIT: Really NSFW

But hang-on, this all started with you genre lumping metal. Also, minor threat is there, so the D.C. scene is represented. The list is not exhaustive and is obviously a matter of debate, I only posted it as a counter to the hypothesis that metal all consists of the same rhythms, sounds and vocals.

Dezb, I like Suuns, not seen them live yet though.

Atheist – Very much an acquired taste, hence the relative obscurity of Technical Jazz/Death Metal.

Meshuggah – The more acceptable face of Tech Metal (they’ve even got a whole subscene named after their “Djent” style.

Dillinger – Post-Hardcore Screamo Metal/Mathcore is, I think, the correct term.

Sunn 0))) – Two men in hooded cloaks, playing guitars at a glacial pace, plugged into 20 odd amps, with the singer from Mayhem and a choral section, with a name derived from their favourite brand of amp. I don’t think it’s possible for a band to be more metal than that.

Death – It wasn’t a cliche when they invented it.

Insect warfare – I just love ’em.

Tool – Prog Metal – Pink Floyd for the post-Cobain generation.

The point is that, like every other style of music, Metal is a very broad church containing a multitude of sounds, influences and techniques.

Here’s a diagram from the wonderful “Metal Evolution” TV show to illustrate just how broad that church is.

. All I know is it’s all made up of the same guitar sounds, the same vocal sounds and the same rhythms that have been done before many times.

Is that what I said though? Really? duh.

Nuff sed.

Sorry can’t post videos, through a mixture of ineptitude and being on my phone.

Yeah, you’re right, it does all sound the same…

jazz metal

Djent

dillinger

Doooooooooooom

Death!

Insect warfare

tool

But you’ve probably been exposed to a lot more hip hop than metal.

The last 20 minutes of Dead man’s shoes.

The scene right at the end of Control when the camera ascends the chimney and fades out.

Oh, and this beauty

Should have seen that coming. 🙂

I’m currently in exactly the same boat, having had a few weeks off the bike. I have a set of jones bars on my singlespeed, they work really well with some ESI chunkys. My commuter has a set of “alt” bars with a 20 degree sweep, again with ESI grips and they do the trick. I’ve been through about 50 different bar and grip combinations to find my happy place and it seems it lies between 20 and 50 degree back sweep with the option of different hand positions. Tried ergons for a while, but they did nothing for me but make my hands numb.
After time off the bike I find I have to go through the pain for a few rides to see any improvement.
Best of luck pal, I (literally) feel your pain.

Took a bunch of mates to see Autechre, supported by, among others, Russell Haswell, who makes somewhat inaccessible electronic noise. After a bit of you tubing, most of my mates (most of whom are into rock music or fairly generic house) were convinced they were gonna have a really shit night listening to “the sound of a washing machine full of bricks”. Every last one of them bloody loved it. Proof that quality music made with intelligence and passion by talented people, if given the right exposure, will be appreciated by a surprising number of people.

I guess I’d be happier if more people has an appreciation of the more avant garde side of music (be that electronic, metal or classical) if only to never again have to hear the line “that’s not bloody music, that’s just noise, that is”.

For me, it’s a coalescence of environmental, genetic and experiential factors which really add up to someone being a ****.

I’ve met some pretty weak people who happen to be **** as well.

What I’m saying is that some people are born ****, some have it thrust upon them and some have to work at it.

They’re still all **** though.

People are ****, they have always been ****. The fact that they are sometimes **** in front of you has no bearing on whether there are more or less **** in the world. Of course there are more **** now than before, there are more people now than before.

Black Sabbath
Mr Bungle
The Boredoms
Napalm Death
Acid Mothers Temple

Hatter, saw the Vengaboys in April, they were amazing!

Did you read the story, or just the headline?
The two that were caught could not be proved to be the same two that had the knife, so had to be let go. Why pursue a pointless charge against kids you don’t have the evidence to charge?

But I’m guessing the OP doesn’t really want to cut gluten out of their diet, they just thought it might be easy to blame gluten for all their dietary problems. 😉

Gluten, the Economic Migrant of the diet industry.

Did someone just compare gluten with refined sugars?

If you want to get healthier, just cut out processed food. Many gluten free products are far worse for your health than their counterparts containing gluten.

Everything in moderation.

you are jivehoneyjive and I claim my £5.

Stanley Hip Flask

That’ll do.

this do?