London - The police report described him as a "falling object" who lost control of his bicycle after being overwhelmed by the challenge of pedalling and waving at the same time.So ended the mystery of how President Bush collided with - and injured - a police officer while cycling at Gleneagles Hotel in Edinburgh on the first day of the G8 summit.The police report read: "The president approached the junction at speed on the bicycle. The road was damp. As the president passed at speed, he raised his left arm from the handlebars to wave to the police officers present while shouting: 'Thanks, you guys, for coming.'
"As he did, he lost control, falling to the ground, causing both himself and his bicycle to strike [the officer] on the lower legs. [The officer] fell to the ground, striking his head."The report went on to divulge how the president skidded 5m after knocking down the police constable, who was off duty for 14 weeks after the accident.The injured officer received a phone call of apology while on his way to the infirmary.
Somehow, I feel like I am becoming a geezer. After my bike accident, I have used a cane. I feel like poking a young whipersnapper...
Monday, February 27, 2006
Sunday, February 26, 2006
another geezer gone....
Hope Kolchak finds the strange creatures....
Darren McGavin, 83, a film and television actor who appeared on an almost limitless number of television series and shows and set a standard for cynical and hard-boiled gruffness as a reporter in "The Night Stalker" and a detective in "Mike Hammer," died yesterday in California.
A son told the Associated Press that he died in a hospital in the Los Angeles area. No cause of death was specified.
Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak on "The Night Stalker."
Few actors of his generation remained active longer. Mr. McGavin's acting career has been traced back to a 1941 stage appearance in "Lady Windermere's Fan." There were reports that he worked on a TV pilot last year. He won an Emmy for a role on the TV series "Murphy Brown."
But the 20 episodes of the "Night Stalker" series, in which he played a rumpled, grumpy Chicago news reporter whose determination to follow every lead allows him to save society from the dangers of the supernatural, seemed to define his career.
The episodes in which he played Carl Kolchak on ABC in 1974 and 1975 were distinguished by his portrayal of the dogged shoe-leather reporter and combined the appeal of the newsroom drama with the attractions of fantasy and the occult.
Before that, he played Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer in the late 1950s, staying just this side of farce in his demonstration of the ultimate toughness of the private eye.
Documentation of his early life seemed sparse last night. In some accounts, he was born in Spokane, in others in the San Joaquin Valley area of California. Delano is listed for his father's middle name, Bogart for his mother's.
Mr. McGavin had a year of college in California, then went east to the Actors Studio.
Survivors include four children.
Darren McGavin, 83, a film and television actor who appeared on an almost limitless number of television series and shows and set a standard for cynical and hard-boiled gruffness as a reporter in "The Night Stalker" and a detective in "Mike Hammer," died yesterday in California.
A son told the Associated Press that he died in a hospital in the Los Angeles area. No cause of death was specified.
Darren McGavin as Carl Kolchak on "The Night Stalker."
Few actors of his generation remained active longer. Mr. McGavin's acting career has been traced back to a 1941 stage appearance in "Lady Windermere's Fan." There were reports that he worked on a TV pilot last year. He won an Emmy for a role on the TV series "Murphy Brown."
But the 20 episodes of the "Night Stalker" series, in which he played a rumpled, grumpy Chicago news reporter whose determination to follow every lead allows him to save society from the dangers of the supernatural, seemed to define his career.
The episodes in which he played Carl Kolchak on ABC in 1974 and 1975 were distinguished by his portrayal of the dogged shoe-leather reporter and combined the appeal of the newsroom drama with the attractions of fantasy and the occult.
Before that, he played Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer in the late 1950s, staying just this side of farce in his demonstration of the ultimate toughness of the private eye.
Documentation of his early life seemed sparse last night. In some accounts, he was born in Spokane, in others in the San Joaquin Valley area of California. Delano is listed for his father's middle name, Bogart for his mother's.
Mr. McGavin had a year of college in California, then went east to the Actors Studio.
Survivors include four children.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
another geezer gone....
LOS ANGELES - Don Knotts, the skinny, lovable nerd who kept generations of television audiences laughing as bumbling Deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died. He was 81.
died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, said Paul Ward, a spokesman for the cable network TV Land, which airs "The Andy Griffith Show," and another Knotts hit, "Three's Company."Unspecified health problems had forced him to cancel an appearance in his native Morgantown in August 2005.The West Virginia-born actor's half-century career included seven TV series and more than 25 films, but it was the Griffith show that brought him TV immortality and five Emmies.The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld." The 249 episodes have appeared frequently in reruns and have spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.As the bug-eyed deputy to Griffith, Knotts carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. The constant fumbling, a recurring sight gag, was typical of his self-deprecating humor.Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and doesn't mind being remembered that way.His favorite episodes, he said, were "The Pickle Story," where Aunt Bea makes pickles no one can eat, and "Barney and the Choir," where no one can stop him from singing."I can't sing. It makes me sad that I can't sing or dance well enough to be in a musical, but I'm just not talented in that way," he lamented. "It's one of my weaknesses."Knotts appeared on six other television shows. In 1979, Knotts replaced Norman Fell on "Three's Company," playing the would-be swinger landlord to John Ritter, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt.Early in his TV career, he was one of the original cast members of "The Steve Allen Show," the comedy-variety show that ran from 1956-61. He was one of a group of memorable comics backing Allen that included Louis Nye, Tom Poston and Bill "Jose Jimenez" Dana.Knotts' G-rated films were family fun, not box-office blockbusters. In most, he ends up the hero and gets the girl - a girl who can see through his nervousness to the heart of gold.In the part-animated 1964 film "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," Knotts played a meek clerk who turns into a fish after he is rejected by the Navy.When it was announced in 1998 that Jim Carrey would star in a "Limpet" remake, Knotts responded: "I'm just flattered that someone of Carrey's caliber is remaking something I did. Now, if someone else did Barney Fife, THAT would be different."In the 1967 film "The Reluctant Astronaut," co-starring Leslie Nielsen, Knotts' father enrolls his wimpy son - operator of a Kiddieland rocket ride - in NASA's space program. Knotts poses as a famous astronaut to the joy of his parents and hometown but is eventually exposed for what he really is, a janitor so terrified of heights he refuses to ride an airplane.In the 1969 film "The Love God?," he was a geeky bird-watcher who is duped into becoming publisher of a naughty men's magazine and then becomes a national sex symbol. Eventually, he comes to his senses, leaves the big city and marries the sweet girl next door.He was among an army of comedians from Buster Keaton to Jonathan Winters to liven up the 1963 megacomedy "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." Other films include "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" (1966); "The Shakiest Gun in the West," (1968); and a few Disney films such as "The Apple Dumpling Gang," (1974); "Gus," (1976); and "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo," (1977).In 1998, he had a key role in the back-to-the-past movie "Pleasantville," playing a folksy television repairman whose supercharged remote control sends a teen boy and his sister into a TV sitcom past.Knotts began his show biz career even before he graduated from high school, performing as a ventriloquist at local clubs and churches. He majored in speech at West Virginia University, then took off for the big city."I went to New York cold. On a $100 bill. Bummed a ride," he recalled in a visit to his hometown of Morgantown, where city officials renamed a street for him in 1998.Within six months, Knotts had taken a job on a radio Western called "Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders," playing a wisecracking, know-it-all handyman. He stayed with it for five years, then came his series TV debut on "The Steve Allen Show."He married Kay Metz in 1948, the year he graduated from college. The couple had two children before divorcing in 1969. Knotts later married, then divorced Lara Lee Szuchna.In recent years, he said he had no plans to retire, traveling with theater productions and appearing in print and TV ads for Kodiak pressure treated wood.The world laughed at Knotts, but it also laughed with him.He treasured his comedic roles and could point to only one role that wasn't funny, a brief stint on the daytime drama "Search for Tomorrow.""That's the only serious thing I've done. I don't miss that," Knotts said.
died Friday night of pulmonary and respiratory complications at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Beverly Hills, said Paul Ward, a spokesman for the cable network TV Land, which airs "The Andy Griffith Show," and another Knotts hit, "Three's Company."Unspecified health problems had forced him to cancel an appearance in his native Morgantown in August 2005.The West Virginia-born actor's half-century career included seven TV series and more than 25 films, but it was the Griffith show that brought him TV immortality and five Emmies.The show ran from 1960-68, and was in the top 10 of the Nielsen ratings each season, including a No. 1 ranking its final year. It is one of only three series in TV history to bow out at the top: The others are "I Love Lucy" and "Seinfeld." The 249 episodes have appeared frequently in reruns and have spawned a large, active network of fan clubs.As the bug-eyed deputy to Griffith, Knotts carried in his shirt pocket the one bullet he was allowed after shooting himself in the foot. The constant fumbling, a recurring sight gag, was typical of his self-deprecating humor.Knotts, whose shy, soft-spoken manner was unlike his high-strung characters, once said he was most proud of the Fife character and doesn't mind being remembered that way.His favorite episodes, he said, were "The Pickle Story," where Aunt Bea makes pickles no one can eat, and "Barney and the Choir," where no one can stop him from singing."I can't sing. It makes me sad that I can't sing or dance well enough to be in a musical, but I'm just not talented in that way," he lamented. "It's one of my weaknesses."Knotts appeared on six other television shows. In 1979, Knotts replaced Norman Fell on "Three's Company," playing the would-be swinger landlord to John Ritter, Suzanne Somers and Joyce DeWitt.Early in his TV career, he was one of the original cast members of "The Steve Allen Show," the comedy-variety show that ran from 1956-61. He was one of a group of memorable comics backing Allen that included Louis Nye, Tom Poston and Bill "Jose Jimenez" Dana.Knotts' G-rated films were family fun, not box-office blockbusters. In most, he ends up the hero and gets the girl - a girl who can see through his nervousness to the heart of gold.In the part-animated 1964 film "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," Knotts played a meek clerk who turns into a fish after he is rejected by the Navy.When it was announced in 1998 that Jim Carrey would star in a "Limpet" remake, Knotts responded: "I'm just flattered that someone of Carrey's caliber is remaking something I did. Now, if someone else did Barney Fife, THAT would be different."In the 1967 film "The Reluctant Astronaut," co-starring Leslie Nielsen, Knotts' father enrolls his wimpy son - operator of a Kiddieland rocket ride - in NASA's space program. Knotts poses as a famous astronaut to the joy of his parents and hometown but is eventually exposed for what he really is, a janitor so terrified of heights he refuses to ride an airplane.In the 1969 film "The Love God?," he was a geeky bird-watcher who is duped into becoming publisher of a naughty men's magazine and then becomes a national sex symbol. Eventually, he comes to his senses, leaves the big city and marries the sweet girl next door.He was among an army of comedians from Buster Keaton to Jonathan Winters to liven up the 1963 megacomedy "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." Other films include "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" (1966); "The Shakiest Gun in the West," (1968); and a few Disney films such as "The Apple Dumpling Gang," (1974); "Gus," (1976); and "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo," (1977).In 1998, he had a key role in the back-to-the-past movie "Pleasantville," playing a folksy television repairman whose supercharged remote control sends a teen boy and his sister into a TV sitcom past.Knotts began his show biz career even before he graduated from high school, performing as a ventriloquist at local clubs and churches. He majored in speech at West Virginia University, then took off for the big city."I went to New York cold. On a $100 bill. Bummed a ride," he recalled in a visit to his hometown of Morgantown, where city officials renamed a street for him in 1998.Within six months, Knotts had taken a job on a radio Western called "Bobby Benson and the B-Bar-B Riders," playing a wisecracking, know-it-all handyman. He stayed with it for five years, then came his series TV debut on "The Steve Allen Show."He married Kay Metz in 1948, the year he graduated from college. The couple had two children before divorcing in 1969. Knotts later married, then divorced Lara Lee Szuchna.In recent years, he said he had no plans to retire, traveling with theater productions and appearing in print and TV ads for Kodiak pressure treated wood.The world laughed at Knotts, but it also laughed with him.He treasured his comedic roles and could point to only one role that wasn't funny, a brief stint on the daytime drama "Search for Tomorrow.""That's the only serious thing I've done. I don't miss that," Knotts said.
Monday, February 20, 2006
death of the 60's
CALGARY, Alberta - William Cowsill, lead singer of the 1960s singing family band The Cowsills, which inspired the TV series "The Partridge Family," has died. He was 58.Cowsill, who was suffering from emphysema, osteoporosis, and other ailments, died in Calgary, Alberta, on Friday, according to the family and Canadian record producer Neil MacGonigill. He had been in deteriorating health.The Cowsills, inspiration for the "The Partridge Family," recorded a series of top hits between 1967 and 1970, including "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" and "Hair."Four Cowsill brothers played in the band: Barry on bass, William on guitar, Bob on guitar and organ, and John on drums. Their mother, Barbara, and little sister, Susan, eventually joined the group.Barry disappeared after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans on Aug. 29. His body was recovered Dec. 28 from the Chartres Street Wharf.The band's career began in Newport, R.I. They were spotted by a producer for NBC's "Today" show which booked them for an appearance that led to a record deal.The band broke up in the 1970s. William, the oldest brother, moved to Canada about 35 years ago, where he continued his music career with Blue Northern, The Blue Shadows and the Co-Dependents.Cowsill is survived by two sons.
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Hemp should be legal....
North Dakota, three other states make pitch to allow hemp cultivation
Ag Commission Johnson says Drug Enforcement Agency ‘cordial,’ but cautioned about fed law complications
Grand Forks Herald
GRAND FORKS, ND -- North Dakota and three other states made their case today with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to allow the cultivation of industrial hemp, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson and counterparts from West Virginia, Massachusetts and Wisconsin met with several DEA officials.
In a news release, Johnson said his department is drafting new rules to control the production of industrial hemp, and that he wanted to solicit input from DEA. The new rules would implement state laws, passed by the Legislature in 1999 through 2005.
DEA officials were “very cordial” but cautioned that the process of legalizing industrial hemp production would be extremely complicated under existing federal law, Johnson said in a statement.
“DEA has never responded to our earlier inquiries,” Johnson said, “but today, we were able to present our case and learn from them what may be required in terms of regulations and safeguards.”
According to the state Department of Agriculture, industrial hemp (cannabis sativa) is widely grown around the world and is used in the manufacture of textiles, papers and rope. Its seed is also used for food and feed. Oil derived from the plant is used in cosmetics, paints and medicinal compounds. The industrial form of hemp contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive drug delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana, although DEA currently does not recognize industrial hemp apart from marijuana.
The United States is alone among industrialized countries in banning cultivation of industrial hemp, Johnson said, adding that Canada lifted their band in 1998.
He said industrial hemp could do well in North Dakota as a valuable rotational crop and another income source.
Ag Commission Johnson says Drug Enforcement Agency ‘cordial,’ but cautioned about fed law complications
Grand Forks Herald
GRAND FORKS, ND -- North Dakota and three other states made their case today with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency to allow the cultivation of industrial hemp, according to the state Department of Agriculture.
North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson and counterparts from West Virginia, Massachusetts and Wisconsin met with several DEA officials.
In a news release, Johnson said his department is drafting new rules to control the production of industrial hemp, and that he wanted to solicit input from DEA. The new rules would implement state laws, passed by the Legislature in 1999 through 2005.
DEA officials were “very cordial” but cautioned that the process of legalizing industrial hemp production would be extremely complicated under existing federal law, Johnson said in a statement.
“DEA has never responded to our earlier inquiries,” Johnson said, “but today, we were able to present our case and learn from them what may be required in terms of regulations and safeguards.”
According to the state Department of Agriculture, industrial hemp (cannabis sativa) is widely grown around the world and is used in the manufacture of textiles, papers and rope. Its seed is also used for food and feed. Oil derived from the plant is used in cosmetics, paints and medicinal compounds. The industrial form of hemp contains only trace amounts of the psychoactive drug delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) found in marijuana, although DEA currently does not recognize industrial hemp apart from marijuana.
The United States is alone among industrialized countries in banning cultivation of industrial hemp, Johnson said, adding that Canada lifted their band in 1998.
He said industrial hemp could do well in North Dakota as a valuable rotational crop and another income source.
Friday, February 17, 2006
poem
don't kiss your honey
when your nose is runny
you may think it's funny
but it's not.....
say it out loud....
when your nose is runny
you may think it's funny
but it's not.....
say it out loud....
Sunday, February 12, 2006
riding in comfort
Recumbent bicycle devotees sing praises of the low riders Comfort factor biggest reason cyclists make switch
Sunday, February 12, 2006
News Staff Reporter
The reclining cyclists on their low-riding bicycles may look a little strange. But those who've switched from the upright to the recumbent bicycle say they'll never go back.
"With some people, it's like they've rediscovered the bicycle,'' said Bob Krzewinski, coordinator of the Wolver-Bent Recumbent Cyclists. "All of a sudden they get on one of these things and start riding it, and they get a smile on their face and say, 'Wow! This is fun and comfortable. I didn't know bikes could be so comfortable.'''
Comfortable bikers will ride more, said Krzewinski, an airline pilot who lives in Ypsilanti. That will improve their health and make them less susceptible to obesity, too.''
On Saturday, the 25-year-old Michigan Human-Powered Vehicle Association met with the 10-year-old Wolver-Bent Recumbent Cyclists at the University of Michigan for their joint annual meeting.
As the owner of Ann Arbor Cyclery, 1200 Packard St., Jon Kieft has tested every kind of bike out there.
His hands-down favorite? The recumbent.
"I love it,'' he said. "I wouldn't ride any other bike after riding that. I'm not out to race, or ride hard off road. I ride recreationally with my family ... It's the comfort factor.''
He said recumbent bikes make up about 14 percent of his total bike sales, up from about 5 percent five years ago. Most customers are 40 to 65 years old and looking for a more comfortable ride, he said. The bikes range in price from $700 to $5,000, with the average bike around $1,600, compared to $700 for the average mountain bike, he said.
"They're becoming more and more popular, but a lot of people still haven't seen them,'' Kieft said. "They're not quite sure what they are, or why people are riding them. So they stare at you as you go past.''
Recumbent bicycles have been around since the late 1800s, but it was not until about 1990 that they started catching on in the United States. Enthusiasts claim they reduce the sore necks, shoulders, backs, hands, and bottoms that can result from riding a traditional bike.
John Vaughan of Ann Arbor bought his recumbent bike nearly three years ago. He now rides 1,200 miles a year during afternoon rides on local trails and streets.
He made the switch because his old bike made his hands hurt or numb.
"I have no discomfort at all now,'' said Vaughan, 51. "When I go on vacation, I take two- and three-hour rides without getting off the bike.''
The Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association sponsors an annual race of recumbent cyclists, said president Wally Kiehler of Grosse Pointe Woods, noting that cyclists can exceed 40 mph.
"With the recumbent, there is no pain,'' he said. "If you work on the correct muscles with the recumbent and have a better bike, you can go faster, also.''
Robert Kay of York Township, a dealer of Greenspeed recumbent bikes, sells his bikes at crank-it.com. He switches between his recumbent bikes and mountain bike depending on his mood.
"Sometimes people think you're riding a wheelchair; they think you might be disabled,'' he said. "And we have a lot of disabled customers; people who don't have balance, or have ridden a bike in the past and gotten injured.''
He said his three-wheeler bike is particularly good for those with balance problems.
Krzewinski still keeps his old Schwinn road bike in the basement, but hasn't ridden it in years.
"I was getting aches and pains on a regular bike, and thought, 'There's got to be a better way,' '' he recalled. "Now I can ride all day without a bunch of pain.''
For more information on Michigan Wolver-Bent Recumbent Bicyclists, which sponsors monthly rides in southeast Michigan, visit wolverbents.org.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
News Staff Reporter
The reclining cyclists on their low-riding bicycles may look a little strange. But those who've switched from the upright to the recumbent bicycle say they'll never go back.
"With some people, it's like they've rediscovered the bicycle,'' said Bob Krzewinski, coordinator of the Wolver-Bent Recumbent Cyclists. "All of a sudden they get on one of these things and start riding it, and they get a smile on their face and say, 'Wow! This is fun and comfortable. I didn't know bikes could be so comfortable.'''
Comfortable bikers will ride more, said Krzewinski, an airline pilot who lives in Ypsilanti. That will improve their health and make them less susceptible to obesity, too.''
On Saturday, the 25-year-old Michigan Human-Powered Vehicle Association met with the 10-year-old Wolver-Bent Recumbent Cyclists at the University of Michigan for their joint annual meeting.
As the owner of Ann Arbor Cyclery, 1200 Packard St., Jon Kieft has tested every kind of bike out there.
His hands-down favorite? The recumbent.
"I love it,'' he said. "I wouldn't ride any other bike after riding that. I'm not out to race, or ride hard off road. I ride recreationally with my family ... It's the comfort factor.''
He said recumbent bikes make up about 14 percent of his total bike sales, up from about 5 percent five years ago. Most customers are 40 to 65 years old and looking for a more comfortable ride, he said. The bikes range in price from $700 to $5,000, with the average bike around $1,600, compared to $700 for the average mountain bike, he said.
"They're becoming more and more popular, but a lot of people still haven't seen them,'' Kieft said. "They're not quite sure what they are, or why people are riding them. So they stare at you as you go past.''
Recumbent bicycles have been around since the late 1800s, but it was not until about 1990 that they started catching on in the United States. Enthusiasts claim they reduce the sore necks, shoulders, backs, hands, and bottoms that can result from riding a traditional bike.
John Vaughan of Ann Arbor bought his recumbent bike nearly three years ago. He now rides 1,200 miles a year during afternoon rides on local trails and streets.
He made the switch because his old bike made his hands hurt or numb.
"I have no discomfort at all now,'' said Vaughan, 51. "When I go on vacation, I take two- and three-hour rides without getting off the bike.''
The Michigan Human Powered Vehicle Association sponsors an annual race of recumbent cyclists, said president Wally Kiehler of Grosse Pointe Woods, noting that cyclists can exceed 40 mph.
"With the recumbent, there is no pain,'' he said. "If you work on the correct muscles with the recumbent and have a better bike, you can go faster, also.''
Robert Kay of York Township, a dealer of Greenspeed recumbent bikes, sells his bikes at crank-it.com. He switches between his recumbent bikes and mountain bike depending on his mood.
"Sometimes people think you're riding a wheelchair; they think you might be disabled,'' he said. "And we have a lot of disabled customers; people who don't have balance, or have ridden a bike in the past and gotten injured.''
He said his three-wheeler bike is particularly good for those with balance problems.
Krzewinski still keeps his old Schwinn road bike in the basement, but hasn't ridden it in years.
"I was getting aches and pains on a regular bike, and thought, 'There's got to be a better way,' '' he recalled. "Now I can ride all day without a bunch of pain.''
For more information on Michigan Wolver-Bent Recumbent Bicyclists, which sponsors monthly rides in southeast Michigan, visit wolverbents.org.
Friday, February 10, 2006
a sad way to go....
An 88-year-old Evanston man was killed Wednesday after a refuse container truck struck him while he was riding a bicycle, said Deputy Chief Brian King of the Wilmette Police Department.
The truck hit Edward K. Meyer, of 2518 Jackson Ave., at about noon at the intersection of Isabella and Poplar streets, King said. The intersection lies on the border between Evanston and Wilmette. Meyer was riding in the lane of traffic when the truck backed up over him.
The truck carried a large refuse container often used at construction sites and was coming from a site in Elmhurst, Ill., King said.
Witnesses contacted the police department when the bicycle was seen under the truck, King said. The driver did not immediately realize the truck struck Meyer.
Meyer was killed instantly, King said.
Evanston police responded to the incident and assisted Wilmette officers in handling the accident.
A team from the Wilmette Police Department will investigate, King said. No charges had been filed as of Thursday evening.
The names of the company and of the truck driver had not been released Thursday evening.
The truck hit Edward K. Meyer, of 2518 Jackson Ave., at about noon at the intersection of Isabella and Poplar streets, King said. The intersection lies on the border between Evanston and Wilmette. Meyer was riding in the lane of traffic when the truck backed up over him.
The truck carried a large refuse container often used at construction sites and was coming from a site in Elmhurst, Ill., King said.
Witnesses contacted the police department when the bicycle was seen under the truck, King said. The driver did not immediately realize the truck struck Meyer.
Meyer was killed instantly, King said.
Evanston police responded to the incident and assisted Wilmette officers in handling the accident.
A team from the Wilmette Police Department will investigate, King said. No charges had been filed as of Thursday evening.
The names of the company and of the truck driver had not been released Thursday evening.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
a great bike idea
A modest proposal
Contributed by Greg Gordon/For the Kaimin
Tuesday, 07 February 2006
This column is dedicated to the memory of environmental studies professor Bert Pfeiffer, who never failed to stand up for his beliefs and put his words into his everyday actions without dogma. Bert actively opposed the Vietnam War, and exposed the use of Agent Orange, a risky and unpopular position in the 1960s. A committed activist, Bert rode his bicycle to campus every day rain or shine well into his 70s, when he finally retired. Trusting in the goodness of the campus community, Bert never locked his bike, but simply left it standing outside Rankin Hall. When my head was filled with despair of global warming, nuclear proliferation and postmodern angst, nothing lifted my spirit so much as seeing 75-year-old Bert wobbling across campus on his rickety, one-speed bike.
Let me see if I have this straight:
1. Global climate change is drastically affecting our weather patterns, creating droughts and hurricanes, melting ice caps, raising sea levels and causing the proliferation of exotic species and tropical diseases. It is wreaking potential havoc on agriculture and ecosystem resilience, not to mention totally messing with the skiing. Cars are a major source of global warming.
2. Missoula suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the country. Cars are a major source of air pollution.
3. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death and injury in this country.
4. We are currently embroiled in a terrible war over access to oil.
5. Parking lots require an enormous amount of space.
6. Bicycles are the most efficient means of transportation on earth.
7. Bicycles are non-polluting, quiet and healthy.
8. The Office of Public Safety reports a grand total of ZERO pedestrian/bicycle accidents.
9. ASUM is considering banning BICYCLES????
The reasons for such drastic action according to Kaimin guest columnist Christopher Lilly and ASUM Senator Jake Pipinich are, as near as I can tell:
1. Bicyclists are rude and wantonly mow down pedestrians. Umm, not too sure about this, so I called the Office of Public Safety and they have no record of any pedestrian/bicycle accidents. I can say that I’ve had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting someone yakking on a cell phone who stepsed out in front of me, totally oblivious to the world around her. Both parties apologized and went on their way. I’ve also been hit twice this year by cars, the drivers yakking on cell phones. Solution: BAN CARS AND CELL PHONES, and issue tickets for rude behavior.
2. Bicyclists have beards, don’t shower and wear wool hats. Solution: Enforced dress code on campus.
3. Bicyclists are immature. Acting in accordance with your principles so as to make the world a better place for ourselves, others on the planet and our children is immature, but driving your SUV 10 blocks, circling three times for a parking space, and then rushing across campus yakking on a cell phone and wearing pajama bottoms to class is maturity?
I propose ASUM consider the following:
1. Ban cars on campus. (Mobility-impaired excepted). There is more than adequate public transportation from anywhere in Missoula to UM. We can put all those parking lots to far better uses. Like a new business school or perhaps the George Bush Institute of Democracy where Pipinich and Lilly could find justification for inflicting their notions upon the majority.
2. Issue free bicycles to all incoming students. Those Ivy League schools give students laptops; UM has to compete. How can we compete with Harvard? We have a bicycle-friendly campus filled with healthy, vigorous students and faculty that trot up a mountain between classes. Note to Lilly: chicks dig hard bodies.
3. Issue free ski passes with registration. Hey, while we’re at it, why not?
4. Ban cell phones and immaturity and rudeness.
5. Ban pedestrians. You don’t hear bicyclists complaining, do you?
6. OK, here’s a real solution: Why not just make bike lanes? A couple of guys with a can of paint can solve the whole thing by painting bike lanes on those wide sidewalks.
Seriously, what worries me about this issue is how instead of seeking input to a perceived problem (did I mention zero record of any reported encounter?) Lilly and Pipinich wish to impose their will upon others by manufacturing a problem and instituting Draconian measures. This seems to be reflective of current political discourse since Dubya took office. We miss ya, Bert.
—Greg Gordon, graduate,
history
Contributed by Greg Gordon/For the Kaimin
Tuesday, 07 February 2006
This column is dedicated to the memory of environmental studies professor Bert Pfeiffer, who never failed to stand up for his beliefs and put his words into his everyday actions without dogma. Bert actively opposed the Vietnam War, and exposed the use of Agent Orange, a risky and unpopular position in the 1960s. A committed activist, Bert rode his bicycle to campus every day rain or shine well into his 70s, when he finally retired. Trusting in the goodness of the campus community, Bert never locked his bike, but simply left it standing outside Rankin Hall. When my head was filled with despair of global warming, nuclear proliferation and postmodern angst, nothing lifted my spirit so much as seeing 75-year-old Bert wobbling across campus on his rickety, one-speed bike.
Let me see if I have this straight:
1. Global climate change is drastically affecting our weather patterns, creating droughts and hurricanes, melting ice caps, raising sea levels and causing the proliferation of exotic species and tropical diseases. It is wreaking potential havoc on agriculture and ecosystem resilience, not to mention totally messing with the skiing. Cars are a major source of global warming.
2. Missoula suffers from some of the worst air pollution in the country. Cars are a major source of air pollution.
3. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death and injury in this country.
4. We are currently embroiled in a terrible war over access to oil.
5. Parking lots require an enormous amount of space.
6. Bicycles are the most efficient means of transportation on earth.
7. Bicycles are non-polluting, quiet and healthy.
8. The Office of Public Safety reports a grand total of ZERO pedestrian/bicycle accidents.
9. ASUM is considering banning BICYCLES????
The reasons for such drastic action according to Kaimin guest columnist Christopher Lilly and ASUM Senator Jake Pipinich are, as near as I can tell:
1. Bicyclists are rude and wantonly mow down pedestrians. Umm, not too sure about this, so I called the Office of Public Safety and they have no record of any pedestrian/bicycle accidents. I can say that I’ve had to slam on my brakes to avoid hitting someone yakking on a cell phone who stepsed out in front of me, totally oblivious to the world around her. Both parties apologized and went on their way. I’ve also been hit twice this year by cars, the drivers yakking on cell phones. Solution: BAN CARS AND CELL PHONES, and issue tickets for rude behavior.
2. Bicyclists have beards, don’t shower and wear wool hats. Solution: Enforced dress code on campus.
3. Bicyclists are immature. Acting in accordance with your principles so as to make the world a better place for ourselves, others on the planet and our children is immature, but driving your SUV 10 blocks, circling three times for a parking space, and then rushing across campus yakking on a cell phone and wearing pajama bottoms to class is maturity?
I propose ASUM consider the following:
1. Ban cars on campus. (Mobility-impaired excepted). There is more than adequate public transportation from anywhere in Missoula to UM. We can put all those parking lots to far better uses. Like a new business school or perhaps the George Bush Institute of Democracy where Pipinich and Lilly could find justification for inflicting their notions upon the majority.
2. Issue free bicycles to all incoming students. Those Ivy League schools give students laptops; UM has to compete. How can we compete with Harvard? We have a bicycle-friendly campus filled with healthy, vigorous students and faculty that trot up a mountain between classes. Note to Lilly: chicks dig hard bodies.
3. Issue free ski passes with registration. Hey, while we’re at it, why not?
4. Ban cell phones and immaturity and rudeness.
5. Ban pedestrians. You don’t hear bicyclists complaining, do you?
6. OK, here’s a real solution: Why not just make bike lanes? A couple of guys with a can of paint can solve the whole thing by painting bike lanes on those wide sidewalks.
Seriously, what worries me about this issue is how instead of seeking input to a perceived problem (did I mention zero record of any reported encounter?) Lilly and Pipinich wish to impose their will upon others by manufacturing a problem and instituting Draconian measures. This seems to be reflective of current political discourse since Dubya took office. We miss ya, Bert.
—Greg Gordon, graduate,
history
Saturday, February 04, 2006
state of the union
I guess in this administration, if you don't agree, you don't get to go to the meeting.....oh, that's right, that is how he ran his campaign stops. Also, he never talks to people that disagree. Isn't it scary that he never gets to talk to real people.....
What Really HappenedBy Cindy Sheehant r u t h o u t PerspectiveWednesday 01 February 2006As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address last night.I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2245, huh? I just got back from there."I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.What did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing.I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.There have already been many wild stories out there.I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our freedoms and our country back.I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether he/she has paid the ultimate price for that country, from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away from me...or you.I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.
What Really HappenedBy Cindy Sheehant r u t h o u t PerspectiveWednesday 01 February 2006As most of you have probably heard, I was arrested before the State of the Union Address last night.I am speechless with fury at what happened and with grief over what we have lost in our country.There have been lies from the police and distortions by the press. (Shocker) So this is what really happened:This afternoon at the People's State of the Union Address in DC where I was joined by Congresspersons Lynn Woolsey and John Conyers, Ann Wright, Malik Rahim and John Cavanagh, Lynn brought me a ticket to the State of the Union Address. At that time, I was wearing the shirt that said: 2245 Dead. How many more?After the PSOTU press conference, I was having second thoughts about going to the SOTU at the Capitol. I didn't feel comfortable going. I knew George Bush would say things that would hurt me and anger me and I knew that I couldn't disrupt the address because Lynn had given me the ticket and I didn't want to be disruptive out of respect for her. I, in fact, had given the ticket to John Bruhns who is in Iraq Veterans Against the War. However, Lynn's office had already called the media and everyone knew I was going to be there so I sucked it up and went.I got the ticket back from John, and I met one of Congresswoman Barbara Lee's staffers in the Longworth Congressional Office building and we went to the Capitol via the underground tunnel. I went through security once, then had to use the rest room and went through security again.My ticket was in the 5th gallery, front row, fourth seat in. The person who in a few minutes was to arrest me, helped me to my seat.I had just sat down and I was warm from climbing 3 flights of stairs back up from the bathroom so I unzipped my jacket. I turned to the right to take my left arm out, when the same officer saw my shirt and yelled; "Protester." He then ran over to me, hauled me out of my seat and roughly (with my hands behind my back) shoved me up the stairs. I said something like "I'm going, do you have to be so rough?" By the way, his name is Mike Weight.The officer ran with me to the elevators yelling at everyone to move out of the way. When we got to the elevators, he cuffed me and took me outside to await a squad car. On the way out, someone behind me said, "That's Cindy Sheehan." At which point the officer who arrested me said: "Take these steps slowly." I said, "You didn't care about being careful when you were dragging me up the other steps." He said, "That's because you were protesting." Wow, I get hauled out of the People's House because I was, "Protesting."I was never told that I couldn't wear that shirt into the Congress. I was never asked to take it off or zip my jacket back up. If I had been asked to do any of those things...I would have, and written about the suppression of my freedom of speech later. I was immediately, and roughly (I have the bruises and muscle spasms to prove it) hauled off and arrested for "unlawful conduct."After I had my personal items inventoried and my fingers printed, a nice Sgt. came in and looked at my shirt and said, "2245, huh? I just got back from there."I told him that my son died there. That's when the enormity of my loss hit me. I have lost my son. I have lost my First Amendment rights. I have lost the country that I love. Where did America go? I started crying in pain.What did Casey die for? What did the 2244 other brave young Americans die for? What are tens of thousands of them over there in harm's way for still? For this? I can't even wear a shirt that has the number of troops on it that George Bush and his arrogant and ignorant policies are responsible for killing.I wore the shirt to make a statement. The press knew I was going to be there and I thought every once in awhile they would show me and I would have the shirt on. I did not wear it to be disruptive, or I would have unzipped my jacket during George's speech. If I had any idea what happens to people who wear shirts that make the neocons uncomfortable that I would be arrested...maybe I would have, but I didn't.There have already been many wild stories out there.I have some lawyers looking into filing a First Amendment lawsuit against the government for what happened tonight. I will file it. It is time to take our freedoms and our country back.I don't want to live in a country that prohibits any person, whether he/she has paid the ultimate price for that country, from wearing, saying, writing, or telephoning any negative statements about the government. That's why I am going to take my freedoms and liberties back. That's why I am not going to let Bushco take anything else away from me...or you.I am so appreciative of the couple of hundred of protesters who came to the jail while I was locked up to show their support....we have so much potential for good...there is so much good in so many people.Four hours and 2 jails after I was arrested, I was let out. Again, I am so upset and sore it is hard to think straight.Keep up the struggle...I promise you I will too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)