Passed another practical.

Ya, not much else happened.

::Check your blind spot.

Got into a near accident on Tuesday.
Was in a bad mood cause I just screwed up during bike practical that day.
I keep screwing up in my practical lessons cause I alwas check incorrectly.
All this checking kind of stuff is confusing.
They only tell you where to check, but they don't tell you what to check for.
I mean, like check in this direction, but check in this direction for what?
Maybe some people can handle that, but I find it confusing.
Maybe something wrong with my brain la.

Anyway, I decided to go cycling to work off my bad mood.
I was cycling near the AMK bus interchange where there's a left turn and I was going straight. Then suddenly this red car came up beside me, tried to turn, realised I was there, braked and horned.
Scary thing is that I could only see it when it was right beside me.
I dodged, mercifully it could stop in time, and we both went on our way.
(For your info, it's collision type. #4: The Left Hook in this article here.
Btw, it is a good article, but apply the tips as you see fit cause in my experience, some of them may have undesirable consequences)
I was pissed, like "Wah lau, crap car, think I'm slow cause I'm a bicycle and try to turn in front of me! #^$%%&^$&!!!!"

Then my sister suggested that maybe the driver didn't see me cause he didn't check his blind spot.
Strangely after hearing that, I was less angry.
Cause I myself always don't check blind spot.
Then I get scolded by the SSDC instructor.
So I forgave that driver cause, everyone will make mistakes la, besides, he didn't kill me, and it's also my fault for not being alert.... but now I will be more careful.
Guess it's fate's way of letting me know why I should check my blind spot on a motorbike or in a car.
To avoid squashing poor cyclists when I turn.
Well, now I understand, I understand.

I also learnt another thing, don't go on road if you're in a bad mood.
You'll be distracted with your own thoughts and less alert.
Even though it didn't look like it most of the time according to my sister, I knew I was considerably less alert that day.
Kind of dangerous.

~*~

While we were bringing the bikes down on Tuesday night, we shared the lift with two Indian guys with motorbike helmets.
They asked us, "You live here right?"
We were like, "Yes?"
Then they were like, "Do you know someone who lives here called Kumar?"
Well, we didn't.
Anyway, I met someone at my bike lesson called Kumar.
Don't know if he lives here though.

Then, I saw the guy who owns the Hayabusa parked downstairs washing (well, at least I think that's what he was doing, cause it was so dark I oculdn't see properly) his Hayabusa.
Awwwwww.

::Traffic Police safety video for pedal cyclists

The road safety video

(Yes, it’s a little old, but still…)

Well, it does have a few good points, but I do have a few issues with the video…..

1) Who the hell wears elbow pads and knee pads?
Ya, wearing a helmet on the road is a good thing (unfortunately, I don't, but I might be persuaded to), but elbow pads and knee pads? That does seem a little excessive.
Motorcyclists wearing elbow pads and knee pads is one thing.... but bicyclists? (Yes, I know some motorcyclists would even find wearing elbow and knee pads excessive).

Wearing a helmet while riding somewhere like a park or cycle track is in my opinion safe but unnecessary.

2) Do I see a white rear light somewhere?
I thought rear lights must be red? Dunno about front lights though, someone said that they must be white, mine used to be white until I bought a trippy multicoloured colour-changing light from my school (from a stall set up by the School of business people) and now the front of my bike looks like a rave party.

3) And stay as close to the left kerb as possible? That is just wrong.
Some things I have encountered in the extreme left of the left lane:

• Big puddles
• Long twigs
• A dead bird (yes, a dead bird, I only saw it when my front wheel was inches from it, and I'm lucky it didn't fly up and slap me in the face)
• Glass.
• Holes and cracks and other assorted stuff.

(Yes, I can't bunnyhop, so what?)

In some situations, it would be better to move out a little, such as

• moving out a little does give you somewhere to escape to in case a driver miscalculates the distance needed to pass you, however, it also pisses off some drivers, so use as you see fit.
• when you need to go straight on a left turn or straight and left turn road, so that you don't end up being sandwiched between a left turning car and the kerb.
• When stopping , so that a car doesn't get tempted to stop beside you, effectively blocking your view from other traffic.

And how are you going to overtake (yes, it happens) or make a right turn anyway?

4) And pay attention to the damn traffic when you're on the road.
Yes, even at a red light or whatever, don't stand around and talk cock with your friend. Watch the damn traffic! You can even pick up clues about what risks you may face when you start moving, eg. the driver talking on his cellphone, the guy on the 2B sportbike with the probation plate and the girlfriend riding pillion (most of them speed and ride recklessly, are preoccupied with showing off to their girlfriends, and haven't been in enough accidents to get scared yet), the motorcyclist which won't stop playing with his throttle (Likely to be impatient, aggressive: in my bike lesson, when I end up beside one, I can be sure of one thing: I'll have to give way to him cause he won't).

5) Riding on the pavement is ok IF

• the route is safe for both you and pedestrians sharing the pavement with you (wide pavement, light human traffic, etc.)
  
• you have competent bike handling skills (no need to know how to bunnyhop or wheelie or what, just need to be able to balance at extremely slow speeds, negotiate tight turns at low speed, stop consistently)
• good judgement
• discipline (no stunts (yes, even if there is a pretty girl you want to impress) or swerving in and out or riding fast or whatever)

However, crossing the road becomes problematic.
Often, one has to check three opposing and difficult to see directions for cars before crossing. For example, to the right directly behind you, to the right in front of you, and to the left in front of you. This is made worse by the fact that cars usually do not expect bikes to move out onto the road at all, especially not at that speed. Plus, need to check in front of you so you don't fall into any hole or hit any pedestrian, especially cause most pedestrians are even more careless than drivers, move unpredictably and don’t look where they’re going.
Can become quite a handful on a moving vehicle.
(Yes, I don't dismount. Hehe)
If you dismount, you may have to stop at the centre to wait for the traffic on the other lane to clear, with your bike perpendicular to the traffic and your bike's big butt effectively blocking the traffic behind you. Cue horning.
Most of my bad encounters with cars happened while I was riding on the pavement and needed to cross the road.

Depending on where you are, riding on the pavement can indeed be more problematic and dangerous than taking the road directly beside it.

And try not to ride on a crowded pavement, duh.

Actually, it depends on the route, some routes are easier and safer by pavement, some by road. It’s up to your own judgement.



What I find even more disturbing is that the video seems to treat bicyclists only as temporary road users and doesn't educate them about things that are far more important, such as what to look out for, where to check, changing lanes, right-turning, what kind of risks they face, etc.

And most importantly, patience, alertness, anticipation, level-headedness, good judgement, discipline and a respect of the people (and animals) that are sharing wherever you choose to ride with you. And whatever you choose to do, be decisive!!!! (this one I learnt from learning to ride motorcycle, hehe)

Just my two cents. (And I’m not anywhere near the world’s most perfect bicyclist, so use at your own risk).

::Nature is sexy

Nature is sexy.

Or maybe just horny.

::Ode to spell checkers

I have a spelling checker
I disc covered four my PC.
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot see.

Eye ran this poem threw it.
Your sure real glad two no.
Its very polished in its weigh,
My checker tolled me sew.

A checker is a blessing.
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.

Each frays comes posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule.
The checker pours o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.

Bee fore wee rote with checkers
Hour spelling was inn deck line,
Butt now when wee dew have a laps,
Wee are not maid too wine.

And now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
There are know faults in awl this peace,
Of nun eye am a wear.

To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud,
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.

That's why eye brake in two averse
Cuz Eye dew want too please.
Sow glad eye yam that aye did bye
This soft wear four pea seas.

by Jerry Zar, Dean of the Graduate School, Northwestern Illinois University

Taken from: http://sheldonbrown.com/humor.html

::Pedestrians Bite Back

Road Witch Trials: Examples of traffic calming(?) art pieces.
One would think that the drivers would be more enraged than calmed.
Well, at the very least, it's art.

And some guy proposes safer roads without crosswalks and road signs.

::The wonders of advertising

BILLBOARDOM: a gallery of creative outdoors

::Modern rules of advertising

Modern rules of advertising

::The Treadmill Bike

The Treadmill Bike

But.....w-w-what use is it?

(Ya, I'm aware it's probably a joke.)

::Droodles

Some droodles for you guys, some funny and some not so funny. Happy mugging!!

::Know your countries

Some catchy song about all the countries in the world.

But....
I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY LEFT OUT SINGAPORE!!!!!

See what else they left out (scroll down).

::This is broken

Don't worry, you're not the only one that is.

www.thisisbroken.com

::Pizza and an apology

Help, I'm getting addicted to pizza! Recently, I've been eating at least one pizza a week. I am going to go broke calling for pizza. HELP!!!!

Oh btw, today I rode to SSDC to book lesson and on my way back, my sis was like, "right turn ahead". So we filtered right, and when the light turned green, my sis was like, "sorry, left turn". And I was like "huh?! wtf?!"
So we like didn't know what to do and at last I noticed that the SSDC car (those white training cars) beside us (turning left) had not moved off yet (probably going wtf why arent they moving at us), and we decided to tun left in front of all the left turning cars. And fortunately we made it through safely.

Come to think about it, we were already wrong anyway, but I should have asked the driver to stop before making the left turn. Fortunately, he seemed to have anticipated it. It was a dangerous and foolish thing to do and I'm surprised we didn't get horned.

Well, I don't think they'll read this anyway, but to whoever was in the SSDC car: Sorry, I'm in the wrong, I am really very sorry and I hope I didn't spoil your lesson. And sorry to all the cars behind us as well. Very very sorry!

::Money money money

Check this out man: http://2dogsnme.livejournal.com/68774.html

I shall refrain from giving any comments (in case I get sued la).

::Whew.

Handed in my IGRA project.
It's a little thing where you can move furniture around a 3D room.
Well, it was not easy.
IT WAS FUCKING CRAZY!
THE DEBUGGING WAS CRAZY!!!
But it's over now ahahahaha.

In between debugging, I was so frustrated that I went to play Sims2.
Debug-> get so pissed off that I start playing Sims 2-> eat -> play Sims2 -> suddenly get inspiration and continue debgging -> etc.

Every time I play Sims2 now, I 'heart pain' for the programmers.
It's not easy coding all those things, yes, even all those small small basic things no one thinks about.
Collision detection and point and click selection in 3D is really not funny to implement.
(Coupled with the computer's ability to misunderstand your code in ways you never thought of, of course).

And what's more, they even have all these extras.
For example, at the Create a Family page, where the Sims are standing in front of this screen, their actions are pretty lifelike. It wasn't necessary but it was a nice touch.
When I saw that, I felt like going up to the programmers and going "You guys really don't need to do this! We don't need it! Really! We don't mind if you just make them rotate around. Wait, we don't even mind if you just put static images there!"

Anyway, I was pretty impressed.
Good job, people.
Making stuff in 3D is really not fun.
It's fucking tedious.
First all the meshes,
the textures,
then the code.
(And what a lot of code it is!)
Then the debugging.
The debugging.
The debugging.
The debugging.
The goddamn coordinates (that I can never get right).
The unhealthy food.
The skipped meals.
The total lack of a life.
The sleepless nights.
And the 'neh'-ing from your parents for not sleeping at night.
=_=

Oh btw, my new school website sucks.
Get some better navigation, people!
We want to get to the stuff we access everyday with just one click, ok?

I should be happy. I got what I asked for.

I have always been untalented. I don't mind.
But it would be nice if others didn't treat it as though it was that odd.