Meg Whitman Governor Campaign Memorabilia For Sale On eBay November 3rd
31 October 2010
Halloween Edition
EventHorizon1984
With the Meg Whitman for California Governor campaign spending over $160 million, most of it hers all from eBay seller fees, one might think the milk from the cash cow stops flowing when the voting concludes on November 2 2010. Except for the extensive after campaign clean up spending, that would be the case for most elections. But we are talking about the loved or despised ex-CEO of eBay Margaret Whitman. With a small army of eBay sellers who know opportunity is knocking.
Think of it. Tens of millions of dollars spent on signs, buttons, stickers, leaflets, notepads, pens, clothing, ballons, napkins, identification badges, tickets, photos, autographs, and other campaign trinkets. Given away FREE by the Meg Whitman for Governor organization. Free memorabilia, sometimes carted away in bulk after campaign events by eBay sellers. Free memorabilia that can be listed for free on eBay.
And did we forget to mention the potential millions in illegal sales of rips from Meg Whitman campaign television ads?
If you're an eBay seller, don't you miss this golden multi-million dollar sales opportunity.
November 3rd, eBay. Be there, Aloha.
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"called me a whore, they've called me a liar, they've called me a Nazi"
Meg Whitman, 26 October 2010
"a monkey could drive this train"
Meg Whitman, as train driving eBay CEO, circa 1998-2008
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The Sutchi Hui Pedestrian versus Chris Bucchere Bicyclist Incident. San Francisco Vehicular Fatality.
The Case of Sutchi Hui Pedestrian versus Chris Bucchere Bicyclist. One Dead In San Francisco.
9 April 2012
EventHorizon1984
We are not a current events type of space. But sometimes something comes up ......
On 29 March 2012, in the city of San Francisco, a bicyclist identified as Chris Bucchere collided with a pedestrian identified as Sutchi Hui. Mr. Bucchere survived the impact. Mr. Hui died later at the hospital.
While this type of sad event happens around the world daily, it's what happened after the collision that made headlines.
One viewable by the public online post.
"Never post anything you don't want repeated in RL."
SoccerkickrevivaL
An individual identifying themselves as "Chris Bucchere" wrote a post about the incident on the Mission Cycling AM Rider Google group (http://groups.google.com/group/mc-am-riders).
We pieced together and verified from various sources, the contents of that Mission Cycling AM Rider Google group post. See below.
Wrecked
Dear Missionistas / Raiders of the Morning, Famiglia and Amigos,
I wrecked on the way home today from the bi-weekly Headlands Raid today. Short story: I'm fine. The pedestrian I clobbered? Not so much.
Around 8 a.m. I was descending Divisadero Street southbound and about to cross Market Street. The light turned yellow as I was approaching the intersection, but I was already way too committed to stop. The light turned red as I was cruising through the middle of the intersection and then, almost instantly, the southern crosswalk on Market and Castro filled up with people coming from both directions. The intersection very long and the width of Castro Street at that point is very short, so, in a nutshell, blammo.
The quote/unquote 'scene of the crime' was that intersection right by the landmark Castro Theatre – it leads from a really busy MUNI station to that little plaza where The Naked Guy always hangs out. It was commuter hour and it was crowded as all getup. I couldn't see a line through the crowd and I couldn't stop, so I laid it down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk in the least-populated place I could find.
I don't remember the next five minutes but when I came to, I was in a neck brace being loaded into an ambulance. I remember seeing a RIVER of blood on the asphalt, but it wasn't mine. Apparently I hit a 71-year-old male pedestrian and he ended up in the ICU with pretty serious head injuries. I really hope he ends up OK.
They asked me a bunch of stupid easy questions that I couldn't answer, so they kept me for a few hours for observation, gave me a tetanus shot and sent me on my way.
Anyway, other than a stiff neck, a sore jaw/TMJ, a few bruises and some raspberries, I'm totally fine. I got discharged from the hospital durning the lunch hour. The guy I hit was not as fortunate. I really hope he makes it.
The cops took my bike. Hopefully they'll give it back.
In closing, I want to dedicate this story to my late helmet. She died in heroic fashion today as my head slammed into the tarmac. Like the Secret Service would do for a president, she took some serious pavement today, cracking through-and-through in five places and getting completely mauled by the ragged asphalt. May she die knowing that because she committed the ultimate sacrifice, her rider can live on and ride on. Can I get an amen?
Amen.
The moral of this little story is: WYFH
Hoping you'll all keep the rubber side down,
Chris
We here would love to make a few choice personal comments about this masterpiece, but it would not be fit to print.
"All we want are the facts"
Joe Friday, Dragnet
Let's go over some of this
The above post was attributed to Chris Bucchere, because his email address was attached to it. One problem with that logic; if you want to get one of his email addresses it's easy enough to use Google to get one.
For instance you can get a Chris Bucchere email address from http://feedhaus.com/.
Or make one up, with his name imbedded within.
All well within the realm of what any simpleton Internet Troll could accomplish.
To objectively state that Chris Bucchere made that post, where a computer is involved, you need to link the IP address associated with that email address to him. Match the MAC address to a device he has access to or owns. And then prove he was at that specific device at the time of the post.
If that post was made from a smart phone, best of luck trying to reverse trace the phone number and phone that made the post.
Ok, neither are outrageously difficult to obtain, but that's another discussion.
Not to say this is impossible. But the reverse process, a search warrant for Chris Bucchere's phone and Internet records, requires some probable cause.
You can read the appropriate California statute for yourself:
Penal Code Section 1523-1542
So did Chris Bucchere, the one in the collision, make that post?
The site associated to that group, MissionCycling.org, had this to say:
"The mailing list this was posted to exists solely to allow the broader cycling community to communicate about cycling events and related topics. It was by no means an official Mission Cycling members list. Chris Bucchere’s post came as a surprise and shock to all of us who read it."
The owners of that Google group say it's him, but that's not proof.
Let's take a different and public tact.
"There's a war out there, old friend. A world war. And it's not about who's got the most bullets. It's about who controls the information. What we see and hear, how we work, what we think... it's all about the information!"
Cosmo, Sneakers (1992)
There is a growing misconception that the poster known as "Chris Bucchere" only made that one incident post. This is not true.
View for yourself some posts attributed to poster "Chris Bucchere", going back to 2010, on the Mission Cycling AM Google group.
To do this, use Google and search for "site:groups.google.com groups.google.com/group/mc-am-riders "chris bucchere"".
Because that group closed itself to the public, use the Google "Cached" option to view messages.
A cursory examination shows that the poster known as "Chris Bucchere" had a good online rapport with other group members. Not out of the ordinary with online groups. Plus he left multiple Internet links identifying himself. Abet any Internet Troll could do this.
But when you read his postings, you will find out he had a good offline, that is a person to person relationship, with other group members. Internet Trolls are not known for doing this, unless they're into Identity Theft.
A Detective would have no problem determining if the poster known as "Chris Bucchere" is the Chris Bucchere the Police interviewed on 29 March 2012.
The original post was deleted, making an online public reading difficult. But not impossible. If you're really the curious type, do a Google search for "Wrecked - Mission Cycling AM Riders". Suggest using the quotes ("").
We suspect that link leads to the post that's making news around the world.
Currently that link will not yield that post, and at present it's not Google cached yet. However the original post might show up in the Google cache in the coming weeks. Should it appear, you'll probably see it circulating around the Internet.
Unless Google decides to quash it, or has already deleted it.
"the southern crosswalk on Market and Castro"
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"
What does the area involving the death of Sutchi Hui look like?
The view as provided by www.dailymail.co.uk:
The view as provided by www.sfgate.com:
The view as provided by zzz.sfbg.com:
The view as provided by sfist.com:
"I was cruising through the middle of the intersection and then, almost instantly, the southern crosswalk on Market and Castro filled up with people"
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"
There is an article, "The Chris Bucchere Accident", which includes video of pedestrians in the Castro & Market Street area. The area of the above photos.
You can judge for yourself whether pedestrians can fill a crosswalk "instantly."
"I couldn't see a line through the crowd and I couldn't stop, so I laid it down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk in the least-populated place I could find."
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"
One might wonder what "laying the bike down" means. It's a term taken from a motorcycle maneuver, which involves hitting the pavement and sliding.
Here's a motorcycle explanation and photo:
How to Lay Down the Bike
There is an interesting section within; "Today's bikes are also capable of stopping faster than ever before, making the advice about always lying down to avoid a crash obsolete."
Now imagine a bicycle and bicyclist going sideways, not upright. Into a crowd of pedestrians.
Likely scenario would be the two wheels are facing the crowd, with the bulk of the bicycle protecting the rider.
Our opinionated question is 'Why didn't he turn (left or right)?'.
"The light turned red as I was cruising through the middle of the intersection."
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"
"The light was yellow, sir."
Jake Elwood, The Blues Brothers (1980)
According to the Police there is a, 'motorist who reported seeing Bucchere and another cyclist fly through several red lights and stop signs before the deadly Castro district crash.'
We'll have to wait and see what statements were made by other people AT the incident area.
It was after all, the commuter hour and crowded.
Unconfirmed at this point, is the notion that there were traffic cameras, and other cameras, automatically recording the incident.
"I laid it down and just plowed through the crowded crosswalk"
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere"
Is a bicycle considered a vehicle in California?
V C Section 21200 Laws Applicable to Bicycle Use Peace Officer Exemption:
"A person riding a bicycle or operating a pedicab upon a highway has all the rights and is subject to all the provisions applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this division"
Answer: Yes.
Much has been made of whether the light was yellow or red. Isn't a bicycle/vehicle supposed to yield to pedestrians, whether the light is red, yellow, or gren?
Right-of-Way at Crosswalks
21950. (a) The driver of a vehicle shall yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
(b) This section does not relieve a pedestrian from the duty of using due care for his or her safety. No pedestrian may suddenly leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard. No pedestrian may unnecessarily stop or delay traffic while in a marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(c) The driver of a vehicle approaching a pedestrian within any marked or unmarked crosswalk shall exercise all due care and shall reduce the speed of the vehicle or take any other action relating to the operation of the vehicle as necessary to safeguard the safety of the pedestrian.
(d) Subdivision (b) does not relieve a driver of a vehicle from the duty of exercising due care for the safety of any pedestrian within any marked crosswalk or within any unmarked crosswalk at an intersection.
According to part (d) a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk has right-of-way. Meaning the vehicle yields. Read, STOP.
"Reporters. They want a comment." Robert Goren
"Can they print a hand gesture." Alexandra Eames
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Then there's this tragedy.
Teen Driver Arrested After SUV Hits 3 Cyclists In Concord, Killing 2
The driver was "arrested on manslaughter charges in the death of 2 bicyclists. Essentially reckless driving, speeding, and two fatalities.
That incident took place on 7 April 2012 at "9:30 a.m." The arrest was recorded in an article posted at 10:50 AM.
Contrast that action with Chris Bucchere, who according to MissionCycling.org, "reckless riding on that day", probably GPS tracked going 35.2 mph in a 25 mph zone, resulting in one fatality?
This incident took place on March 29, 2012. Over a week later the "Prosecutors have not filed charges but are looking into the case."
Guess in San Francisco, if you're under two vehicular fatalities, it's ok.
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"Don't try to usurp my throne, bitch! *I* am the slowest person in the group."
The poster known as "Chris Bucchere", 7 December 2011
"Recently retired from asking for or seeking anything from anyone. Now simply accepting my destiny."
Chris Bucchere
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Some references.
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Posted on 09 April 2012 at 17:24 in Business, Commentary, Current Affairs, EventHorizon1984, Google, Legal, Web/Tech, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
Technorati Tags: bicycle, blammo, Castro Street Bomb, Chris Bucchere, Concord, Dear Missionistas / Raiders of the Morning, Famiglia and Amigos, Mission Cycling AM Rider, San Francisco, STRAVA, Sutchi Hui, The pedestrian I clobbered, Wrecked
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