Another weapon in the war between four wheels and two.

Here I have another weapon in the on-going war between those on two wheels and those on four. This is a purpose made weapon designed to persecute car drivers. Or at least that it what some of the media and some drivers will have you believe.

It isn't really that way, not in the slightest. There have been a lot of reports in the media of late about the clash between cyclists and car drivers, predominantly in places like London, where they frequently have to share the road, and frequently end up disagreeing for various reason. It came to a head particularly when a particularly ill-advised young woman tweeting happily about having knocked a cyclist down, and the subsequent media to-and-fro about both that case in particular ("It was the cyclist's fault, honest...") and circumstances in general.

Now that was, on its own, rather surprising that it went so far (including a BBC interview with lawyer present, claiming more than anything that she'd 'Take the stupid tweet back if she could' - no actual apology for being on the wrong side of the road...) in such a public manner. But now it has gone to a wider conversation about the 'Battle' or 'War' between drivers and cyclists, the use of headcams in general and the right of those on two wheels to be on the road.

As a motorbiker, I sit very much in the middle of that fight. I'm both a motorised vehicle who can run with the cars, and someone on two wheels who can often do things that only cyclists can do. And in my past I have been both a car driver and a cyclist for extended periods.

Categorically; cyclists, car drivers and bikers can be just as bad as each other. I've seen each demographic do stupid, reckless and illegal things many, many times. What I will say is that I've seen car drivers do it far more than anyone else, but this is largely a product of sheer numbers. There are far more cars than bikes or bikers.

I have run with an action camera for the last year or so now, largely because I found I was seeing far too many near-incidents each time I got on the road. And whilst I will hold my hands up to having been stupid a couple of times - the vast majority have been through no fault of my own and have been down to things like dodgy overtaking on motorways or running red lights. But in that time I've also captured cyclists being stupid and motorbikes doing downright suicidal things.

I'm not interested in targeting any particular demographic, and that is thing that needs to be understood. From the perspective of those on two wheels (motorised or not), we are far more vulnerable than any car driver, and are subject, statistically, to far more risk of poor driving due to the larger number of cars out there. We who carry these cameras are not interested in brining a particular demographic down, we are interested in a small extra measure of protection afforded to us by the fact that anything that does occur, does so on film. And you'd be surprised how often that makes people straighten up when they see a camera.

The fact is, we're all equally entitled to the road. Arguments about things like whether cyclists pay road tax are irrelevant. No-one pays road tax. You pay vehicle duty on anything motorised, but that has nothing to do with how the roads are funded.

Cyclists are allowed to be on the road. You should respect them and be careful of them, because they are the most vulnerable of us. They're still people, they aren't simply obstacles.

Car drivers are allowed to be on the road. You should respect them and ride/drive in a manner that causes little interference in what they do. They're still people, not simply hazards.

Bikers are allowed to be on the road. They sit somewhere in between the two, demanding some caution and respect, whilst the onus is still on them to ride with the pack sensibly.

We are all just people, trying to get on with life of the roads, and there really should be enough room for us all. Cameras aren't out there to persecute, they're out there to keep us all on the straight and narrow. I'd applaud and encourage anyone to have one when they are on the run, be it cyclist, biker, or car. I encourage scrutiny, because hopefully it will lead to us all being that bit better on the road.

Rights for all, or rights for none.

So, here we go. Another senseless moment of violence gripping us all. A man killed in broad daylight on a Woolwich street, seemingly targeted purely for being a squaddie out and about. Two men, whatever the whys and wherefores, appear to have simply hacked him to death, then stood around filming speeches about their reasoning whilst waiting for the police to turn up.

It is horrific. It is unquestionably wrong in every way possible.

Now, with that said and plainly stated, I am going to put aside the reasons of who and why for a little while.

The inevitable reaction at this point is one of grief and anger. You will be sad that someone could be struck down like this, and you will be angry that someone dared to think themselves judge, jury and executioner on an apparently innocent and random person. And there is nothing wrong with any of these feelings.

But where we end up with a problem is where this leads to people pronouncing that we should 'Bring back hanging' and even worse a number that stated that we should allow the people involved to be tortured in public as recompense.

Still more are now speaking of Muslims in general and how evil they are, and how we shouldn't allow immigration anymore because it lets in the wrong sort, or that we've lost our identity.

I'll tell you what our identity is. Its a nation of cosmopolitan people, that once included all of the commonwealth - people of different backgrounds, races, colours and creeds - who created a great country where no-one is allowed to be persecuted, and everyone is entitled to human rights.

Everyone.

This doesn't change because of a crime like this, regardless of how public. Think about it for a moment. How many times has something like this happened in our country, but in less public circumstances, and without the 'Terrorism' brand across it? How many times has one person murdered another in cold blood, and never had the situation treated in this manner.

The truth is that we need to be maintaining the human rights of everyone, including the people that commit the crimes, because if you start making exceptions to who does and who does not get treated with basic human rights, then you will make more and more until damn near no-one has them.

It is a lesson that is taught to us throughout history, time and again, that when you change the rules of basic rights to live for any demographic, you introduce change that results in the removal of rights for far more people, and the detriment of society for everyone.

And who is entitled to judge who is worthy of those rights? Who would make those choices as to who can live or die, who can have the right to not be tortured and who will be lynched on the street like the atrocities of old?

Not you.

Not me.

Because we have always got it wrong. It always escalates. It always ends up being a chapter in history that we end up telling our children and giving it impressive names such as Holocaust. Holomodor. Great Purges. Ethnic Cleansing. When we decide a group no longer deserves to be treated with basic human rights.

It is only by applying true societal rules that we can achieve sanity. By all means, these people will be judged, but they are still people. They still must be allowed to stand and made to answer for what they have done, but not placed on a scaffold as entertainment. Not placed on a gibbet for all to see.

These people do not represent Islam. If you read Islam properly, it is just as peaceful or otherwise as Christianity or most of the other religions. I have known countless Muslims, and all of them just as good as you or I. Just as sane as you or I. So don't let the actions of these individuals reflect on an entire demographic.

Whether they be criminals or not, whether they are a particular religion or not, how they did this, why they did this. None of it matters as far as human rights go. You cannot simply dehumanise them offhand for this. Know that they are evil, yes. But still a human.

For if nothing else, the very fact that we, as stiff-upper lipped British folk of different races, colours creeds, religions and persuasions, can stand united and show that our system of rights for all and justice for all will not fail in the face of their actions...

Then we have already won. Their acts will be, in the long view, tragic but inconsequential. We will not bow.

We are one race of humanity, composed of many peoples, all of whom must have rights or you cannot guarantee that any of us will.

Recipe time

So, here we go. Recipe time. I had other things planned for this post, but decided that this week I wanted to try and make some Italian style simple meals, and one in particular - made entirely from scratch and without any existing recipe - worked damn well.

So here we go.

Pasta with Tomato, Pancetta and Parmesan Ragu.

So, you'll need (Serves 2 portions):

• Pasta - I used fusilli, but it doesn't matter what type really
• Pancetta - I'd recommend using rashers rather than cubes
• Parmesan - Grab a decent triangle of it, rather than the pre-grated
• Passata - About 500ml
• 1 Clove of Garlic
• Black Pepper and Salt to taste

So first things first. Grab a couple of saucepans ready, one with water in for the pasta and one for the sauce.

Take the Pancetta rashers and slice them into pieces about 2cm square. Use as much or as little Pancetta as you like, but I prefer to use a decent amount, especially as it really makes the flavour come alive.

Put the Pancetta into the pan for the sauce and fry it for a few minutes until its started to brown and ever so slightly crisp. Don't overdo it.

Next add in the passata, and turn on the heat for the pasta.


Allow the passata to start to simmer and add in the garlic clove, crushed. Then season the sauce with liberal amounts of black pepper and a touch of salt.

At some point during this process your water will be ready for the pasta. Put it in and let it go. The amount of sauce you'll have is really for two people as a main meal, so either cook enough pasta for two, or cook for one and only serve up half the sauce in this sitting. Tis up to you.

So, once the passata is simmering nicely, it's time to make the biggest impact on the sauce. Grate some parmesan and add it in to the sauce. Again, the amount is up to you, but I like a fair bit in there. The best thing is to add some, stir it up, taste the sauce, and add more if needed. But believe me, when you do add it you'll find the sauce goes from basic tomato to something deliciously decadent in no time. The parmesan with its salty, earthy cheese flavour really makes a difference.

Keep simmering the sauce on low to thicken it up a little whilst the pasta cooks. As soon as the pasta is to your liking, drain it (although I advise not too thoroughly; a little bit of residual water keeps it fresh and binds well with the sauce) and place in a pasta dish (or dishes). Turn off the heat for the sauce and spoon it onto the centre of the pasta.

Remember, this is a rich dish and you don't need vast amounts of sauce to the pasta. A smaller amount will feel like it goes a long way.

Lastly, you can either add a little more parmesan on the top or serve as-is.

I'd recommend serving with a Sangiovese red wine and good company. Enjoy.

 

In times of great problems, small acts may be the only way to live.

Been a while, hasn't it? I confess that I've taken a deliberate break from facebook, blogging and the internet in general recently. I even had a post or two prepared on the subject of my disillusionment, but they fell by the wayside. Anyway, I was able to get out of the country for a while, which was something of a chance to refresh and recharge. But I digress.

I've often wondered, in reflective and pensive moods, whether or not we are simply here in this generation to witness the end of all things. With the environment being generally destroyed, mankind still too stupid to realise the futility of war, and a population that seems exponential, I've often wondered whether we will ever draw a line, and whether that will be in time.

Its also worrying to see so many things that I have always loved disappearing. Birds, insects, animals, countryside, coastline, cultures, people... so on. In the Algarve when I first went there somewhere around 17 years ago as a boy the place was quite undeveloped, full of wildlife and boasting a sky full of stars at night. Now hotels abound, development hides the land and the star visibility is not much different from the UK.

In many ways, my own perspective on all this counters with the knowledge that we are onlya very small part of this universe, and that the earth itself would keep on spinning without notice if all life and current thought were stripped from it. Were we, and all the life here, gone the universe would not notice in the slightest. But that doesn't stop me lamenting the loss of the unique beauty of this place.

Inevitably, whilst I have made lifestyle changes and conscious decisions to try and back my moral compunctions, one man can't really change the world. The only thing he can really do is small acts here and there that hope to flap a butterfly wing and turn the tide.

One of the small things that came my way was to wander across a rapidly drowning dragonfly in my travels in Portugal. Rescuing it took but a moment. More was spent trying to ensure it could dry out and hopefully survive, allowing it to cling on to my hand in order to shelter it from the wind.

Sadly, all effort was in vain, since the dragonfly had been waterlogged too long. Despite retrieving it and doing my damndest, it didn't survive. But even though it failed, the act was at least there. Small actions are about all we can do in this world. Their value can be as much in their intent as the result, and even whenthe result fails it is the will that you set towards the world that counts. It is what will be passed from you, to others and to the world around you.

So don't underestimate what you can acheive with small actions, especially those meant tosave the world you love and to leave more behind for those that follow. Small actions are the flap of a wing - even a dragonfly wing - that once in a great while contribute to the storm.