Syd

Natasha has a new (second-hand) bike. A lady from Marrickville won it in a competition but after being bucked off a couple of times decided to sell it. Which was lucky for us. We got a new Apollo for just $220. It needs some accesories added such as mudguards, lights and a rack but soon Natasha will be able to ride it to work. She has decided to name it Syd.




At Peace Park

Post Mass Party at Phuong's New House

Security at Parliament House Canberra

Some people just have no sense of humour...

Sydney City Council Grant

I'm sorry to say that Sydney City Council has rejected our grant application. Click on the letter to read it. Thanks to everyone who helped work on the application, we'll try again next year. We still have our fingers crossed for a grant from Randwick City Council which was approved this week but is now threatened by an attempt to rescind the motion by certain ALP Councillors.

Australian drivers still bloody idiots?

A new study from insurance company AAMI suggests Australian motorists are ignoring years of
government campaigns and television advertising promoting safe driving, with too many drivers still prepared to exceed speed and blood alcohol content limits, and prone to falling asleep at the wheel.

“The findings from the 2006 AAMI Crash Index are disappointing and disturbing because they show Australian drivers are prepared to break the law and ignore safety warnings, which sadly results in lives being ruined by serious injuries and fatalities,” said AAMI Public Affairs Manager, Geoff Hughes. “The research shows most Australian drivers (88%) continue to speed at least some of the time, and more than one-third (36%) speed to get to work or home sooner. This is a slight increase on 2005 (33%) showing driver behaviour is actually worsening,” Mr Hughes said. “As well as the speeding epidemic, four in ten drivers (42%) admit to driving when over the legal drinkdrive limit, with drivers of utility vehicles the most likely to admit to drink driving (over .05), followed by 4WD drivers (59% and 48% respectively). “One in ten drivers (10%) think its OK to drink and drive after a few drinks, so long as they feel capable.
This is the kind of arrogance that kills people, and shows some drivers have little value for their lives, or the lives of other road users,” said Mr Hughes.

The 2006 AAMI Crash Index is based on an in-depth analysis of AAMI claims data and a survey of 2384 Australians conducted by Sweeney Research.

Australians not waking up to fatigue
Three in ten Australian drivers (29%) admit they have momentarily fallen asleep at the wheel.
“Almost one-third of Australian drivers admit they have fallen asleep at the wheel
a potentially fatal situation that can be avoided by stopping to take a powernap, or an extended rest.
“However, one-quarter of drivers (26%) say that if they are tired while driving, they would be unlikely to stop and take a powernap,” said Mr Hughes.

Calls for alarm: ignoring the mobile phone message
Despite research identifying the dangers of driving while using a mobile phone without a hands-free device, and the introduction of tougher penalties for doing so, one in five drivers (18%) still engage in this dangerous practice.
“One in five drivers admit they drive while talking on their mobile without a hands-free kit
this
behaviour is most common among men,” said Mr Hughes.
“Drivers need to understand that while their eyes might be on the road while their on the phone, they don’t have two hands on the wheel, their mind is elsewhere, and they aren’t acting responsibly.
“Drivers should pull over to a safe place if their phone rings or if they need to make a call, or they should turn their phone off while driving so it cannot distract them from focusing on the road,” Mr Hughes said.
* National data includes all States and Territories except Western Australia, as AAMI does not operate there.

Driving others mad or safely around the bend

Which type are you?

Segmentation analysis by Sweeney Research on attitudinal and behaviour driving statements asked of all drivers who participated in the study, reveals four distinct types of driver: reckless and aggressive;careless and easily distracted; safe and patient; and confident but cautious.

Reckless and aggressive (26% of drivers)
· Show little respect for the safety and well-being
of themselves and other road users
· More likely to have an accident or be killed
· Tendency to display aggressive and antisocial
behaviour on the road
· More likely to drink and drive
· Drive above speed limit to save time
· Use mobile phones without hands-free
· Lose concentration while changing CDs, tapes or
radio stations

Careless and easily distracted (23%)
· More introverted
· Careless, rather then reckless
· Age and gender structure is in line with that of the
population at large
· Troubling segment due to the risks they often
unknowingly take
· Lose concentration
· Are easily distracted
· Momentarily fall asleep behind the wheel

Safe and patient (24%)
· Most patient of all drivers on the road
· Skill and caution behind the wheel is reflected in
their lower incidence of crashes, close calls and
other driving incidents
· Set the example for other road users
· Rarely yell or abuse other drivers
· Less likely to speed or lose concentration
· Less likely to drink-drive or use a mobile phone
without a hands-free kit

Confident but cautious (27%)
· Claim to be superior drivers
· Have a relatively low propensity to speed
· Better concentration behind the wheel
· Less likely to drink-drive
· Less likely to use a mobile phone without a
hands-free kit
· Despite their characteristics, the incidence of
crashes for this group is no lower than that of the
driving population as a whole

“Regardless of which ‘type’ Australian drivers might personally identify with, there is no doubt that everyone has come into contact with each of the types identified, whether it be in the peak hour rush to work or home, on a driving holiday, or just on a short journey to the supermarket,” said Mr Hughes.
“While some types demonstrate more risky behaviour than others, the important message is that all drivers have room to improve, and you’re never too young or old too slow down, keep two hands on the wheel and respect fellow road users,” he said.
This is the 12th annual AAMI Crash Index, published to educate the community about crash-related trends.

Key findings from the 2006 AAMI Crash Index:
1. Most Australian drivers (88%) exceed the speed limit at least some of the time
2. More than one-third of Australians (36%) sometimes speed to get to work or home sooner
3. Four in ten drivers (42%) admit to having driven when over the legal drink-drive limit
4. One in ten (10%) say it’s OK to drink and drive after a few drinks, so long as they feel capable
5. One-third of drivers (33%) say that after a night of heavy drinking they have been concerned that they have been over the limit when driving the following day
6. Three in ten Australian drivers (29%) admit they have momentarily fallen asleep at the wheel
7. One-quarter (26%) say that if tired while driving, they are unlikely to stop and have a powernap
8. One-quarter of Australians (26%) identified as being ‘reckless and aggressive’ drivers
9. Most Australian drivers (80%) have experienced a crash as a driver or a passenger
10. One in ten Australians (10%) drive more than 45 minutes to work or further education daily

Kevin Blechdom

KevyB is playing at the Marquee this Friday with several other cool bands, she's an amazing performer and it's only $15!

How much do you love your bike?

Chris and Rosie's Farewell

Chris and Rosie are heading off to the UK soon so last night we went to the Forrester's in Surry Hills to send them off.

Dylan, Kriena and Alison


Julian and Chris with a young fan


Kriena and Chris


Kate


Natasha and Jonathan


Nathan and I

Beautiful riders

Watch these riders diplay their total mastery of the road as they gracefully weave through gridlocked city traffic in a beautiful bicycle ballet. They make the cars look like obsolete dinosaurs.

The Hail Storm

This afternoon we were out shooting the final stages of "Trojan Horse" when all of sudden this big black cloud of doom came floating in from the South West and began dropping hail on us. We packed up the cameras and headed back to Ultimo through an amazing storm that left the streets of Sydney looking like a European city in the grip of Winter.




Fitz getting some shots of the storm


Surry Hills


Central Station


The view from our office




This locomotive is parked out the back of the ABC as part of Science Week


Nathan in his Greek Hero outfit

The Birdmen

This morning we went down to the harbour to shoot the birdmen segment.


Our heroic pilots...


Trying to get a wetsuit on Chris


Still trying




Trying to get the wetsuit off Chris


Ready to launch!


Nathan and I in Rod's boat waiting to film the splashdown


After all that hard work we had to go to the pub...


As usual we went to the Point Hotel

ZOOBOMBERS

Zoobombers


Bomb down the hill at high speed on a tiny bike then ride the train back up the mountain for another go...



Sprockettes


"We're not political. We don't want to subvert your dominant paradigm," Archibald says. "We just want to have a good time..."



Last November, after being spotted at a Critical Mass with a sign reading "Bomb the Zoo, not Iraq," several Zoobombers were profiled as potential terrorists by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force!


"We're a 'suspicious group,' post 9/11," Archibald explains, "because we ride around at night and encourage other people to have fun."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoobomb

Friday

I went out last night with some of my old chums from the 7.30 Report, it was a farewell dinner for Steve Taylor the Executive Producer who is taking a sabbatical to write a book. We went to the Olympic Hotel for dinner and then continued on to the Gaslight Inn which I highly recommend. $4 schooners on Oxford St!


Chris and Super Sarah




Kerry and me


I dragged Nathan along too


Nathan, Chris and Holly


Kerry and Brisso


Anna, Nouha and Jonathan