west end riot

Well, what do you know... In Italian football, a Lazio fan was killed during a clash with Juventus supporters at a highway rest stop. A police officer fired a warning shot into the air from his pistol to break up the clash, he somehow hit a young man in the neck, who was in one of the vehicles (not sure exactly how that could happen...). As you could imagine, fans rioted a few hours later, attacking a police station near Lazio's home ground. Hundreds of youths dragged metal barricades and trash bins to block off one end of a bridge, and then proceeded to storm the yard of a police station, hurling stones at passing police cars and smashed windows in an attack at the nearby Italian Olympic Committee headquarters. The match between Lazio and Juventus was postponed, and as news of the incident spread, a scuffle between supporters and police in riot gear occurred at the match betwen Atlanta and AC Milan. The match went ahead, but a small group of fans covered their faces with scarves and tried to smash the glass barrier keeping them from the pitch, which led to the players leaving the field in the seventh minute. The game was abandoned, and two other matches were postponed. Now, lets hope that this kind of thing never happens down under...

What's with the campaign launches this week? The Coalition had theirs in Brisbane today, while Labour's campaign launch will be at the same venue on Wednesday. It feels weird, as far as I'm concerned the campaigns have been going on for ages...

I have been thinking lately about getting a motorbike licence and a motorbike, with low fuel consumption and ease of parking in mind. However, the thought of getting in an accident has put me off it for now. I got my hair cut at lunch today, and while waiting, I was reading the Gold Coast Bulletin, and on the front page was an article about yet another motorcyclist death yesterday. It was the 20th motorcyclist to die on the southeast region's roads this year. I know that a lot of motorcyclists out there are speeding idiots, weaving between cars at high speeds without any regard for road rules, but this is a generalisation. Its the few idiots that ruin it for the rest and give them a bad name, something which also happens with cyclists. The problem is that it is not always the cyclist's fault - people in cars have to keep a close eye out when sharing the road with their two-wheeled counterparts. I've heard too many stories of accidents occuring with drivers running over cyclists, or sideswiping motorbikes, and I think its the reason that I prefer riding on footpaths, as much as pedestrians hate it. So, for now, no motorbike, though it would be good to get a decent bike to ride in to work...