Showing posts with label week. Show all posts
Showing posts with label week. Show all posts
Monday, May 15, 2017
On Your Left! Its Bike to Work Week
On Your Left! Its Bike to Work Week
Good morning.
Its officially Bike to Work Week, so if youre lucky enough to be among the roughly %.08 of Americans who A) have a bike; and 2) have a job, this is your chance to shine!
Thats right, as counterintuitive as it may seem you really can use that two-wheeled vehicle with the pedals as a means of transport, and to that end the New York Times spoke to some dumb bike blogger about it:
Eben Weiss, the author of the blog Bike Snob NYC, offered some advice for the city: Institute a Drive to Work Week.
“That way, people can see how wildly impractical it is to drive to work compared to biking.”
Smug remarks aside, he said, “Riding in the city is freedom from traffic, timetables and transit delays.”
Oh, Im so clever--but did I actually say "biking?"
Oy. Ive become everything I once despised.
Anyway, I was pleased to see the aforementioned piece is already attracting the usual brand of insightful bike-related commentary:
Lifelong New Yorker
Bloomberg never should have started the CitiBike program without first impressing on would-be cyclists that the traffic laws apply to them too. They blow red lights, go against traffic and - on the fancy bike lanes on Queens Blvd. - completely ignore the helpful arrow on the ground and still go against traffic. Way too many of them are an ignorant and/or arrogant menace. I know this from daily experience and, I was knocked down by one while I was crossing in the crosswalk with the light in my favor.
Instead of complaining about cyclists, Lifelong New Yorker and Full-Time Imbecile should realize that he (or she, but lets just say "he") is a statistical anomaly in that he has not yet been killed by a driver on Queens Boulevard.
Meanwhile, via the aforementioned article, apparently the NYPD is observing Bike To Work Week with a "targeted initiative" to protect cyclists:
“This targeted initiative will make sure New Yorkers on bikes have clear bike lanes and safe conditions as more and more people take to the streets,” Mayor de Blasio said in a statement.
Hey, this sounds great in theory, but why do I suspect that as this directive makes its way down the chain of command it will go from "make sure New Yorkers on bikes have clear bike lanes" to "ticket cyclists for not riding in bike lanes"?
Officers from all 77 city precincts will be directed to focus on drivers who are committing traffic violations that endanger bicyclists. In addition, NYPD traffic enforcement agents will focus on parking violations most associated with bicycle accidents, like parking in a bike lane, double parking or parking in a No Standing zone.
Yep, theres that "A" word again. Are they really "bicycle accidents" if theyre caused by drivers putting their cars where they dont belong? After all, when I step on one of my kids Legos, I dont consider that a "dad accident." I call it a deliberate attack on the authority and physical well-being of the paterfamilias, and youd better believe I punish them accordingly.
Speaking of bike lanes and police, heres a member of the latter driving into a San Francisco cyclist as he rides his bicycle in an extremely awkwardly-situated example of the former:
(Via Joel)
Yesterday was not a pleasant Bike To Work Day for not one but two downtown cyclists.
Hoodline reader Tim Doyle, 48, was struck by a police car at 5:45pm while riding southbound on Second at Mission—in the streets recently installed bike lane.
A video of the collision that surfaced on YouTube today shows the SFPD vehicle pull into the right-hand turn lane behind another vehicle at the Second and Mission intersection. The squad car then pulled to the left into the bike lane and struck Doyle, throwing him and the bike to the ground.
Though this being San Francisco, I suspect this may all be part of an elaborate viral marketing campaign:
The video above was published on YouTube by Nexar, which recently-launched a free iPhone dashcam app for vehicles. With the companys mission to "rid the world of car accidents" and help drivers "stay protected on the road and avoid getting into tough spots," the dashcam begins recording as soon as the driver suddenly hits the brake, or initiates the app with a tap or voice command.
Thank you Silicon Valley for your ceaseless efforts on the part of motorists everywhere.
As for that awkwardly-placed bike lane, to find worse youd have to travel all the way to Brisbane, Australia, where they just installed this:
(Via Geoff)
Seems to me the island should be buffering the bike lane and not the other way around. Maybe installing bike lanes in mirror image is an Australian thing, like how their toilets flush backwards. By the way, heres some background on the above bike lane via the reader who forwarded it:
A couple of years a go Danish university student Rebekka Meyer, studying at University of Queensland was riding her bike to uni on Annerley Road when she stopped at the traffic lights. When the lights turned green she was run over by a truck, killing her.
There was a Coroners inquiry into the accident and one of the recommendations was for separate infrastructure.
Today Brisbane City Council created this in the area where the accident occurred.
Nicely done.
By the way, as you may recall from this very blog, Brisbane is the same place where residents are tormented by Freds discussing their sexual exploits:
FOUL-mouthed cyclists bragging about their bedroom exploits have sparked so many complaints from fed-up residents a councillor wants "keep quiet" signs erected along a popular cycling route.
Once again, its important to note that Freds have nonexistent sex lives and the extent of their "bedroom exploits" is the pre-ride application of chamois cream, so this is clearly a group of people with some delicate sensibilities indeed.
Anyway, as Bike to Work Week in the auto-centric Anglophonic countries devolves into the inevitable shitshow, Copenhagen would like to remind you that their city is a cycling paradise:
Well la-di-da, good for you.
Id happily emigrate there as a refugee from automotive tyranny, but apparently they dont look too kindly on asylum-seekers, so I guess Im just screwed.
Of course, thanks to Kickstarter our problems will soon be over, because someones working on a flying e-bike (though sadly theres no accompanying video):
Ill be adding safety features to the flying e-bike as well as a height meter, safety features will include something to stabilize, a backup battery that keeps it in the air if anything fails (which shouldnt be possible if everything goes according to plan). Price tag of this project is estimated on 50k as it will require a lot of technology, when the final product is available and tested properly for safety, everything will be reviewed to make this affordable for almost everyone, end price should not be more than double of a normal e-bike.
For the people that do not have any idea of what i have in mind, i am planning to make a combination of a bycicle and a drone/helicopter
I cant imagine what could possibly go wrong.
Available link for download
Sunday, May 7, 2017
NY Fashion Week SS09 Wrap Up II
NY Fashion Week SS09 Wrap Up II
Proenza Schouler
The designers of all those super pretty and cute dresses last season (and that of the model silhouette of this blogs FW08 banner!) did a 180 this season and went hardcore on us, and maybe a little bit punk.
The one thing that stood out from this collection though was the silhouette. It is definitely unique and edgy. It is not an immediately ew. But it sort of looks like the models are pinned onto a wall with by their sleeves. Or like those flying chipmunks (or whatever they are) we see in cartoons. The model in the cream suit jacket looks like her left arm is disjointed. I highly doubt this unique silhouette will be as well received as the pretty dresses last season (or I hope not!).Cynthia Steffe
The Cynthia Steffe collection on the other hand is very wearable and pretty (as usual). Ive always had a liking for them ever since I picked up something from this brand during Thanksgiving sale at Neiman Marcus.
Two things I love about this collection. First, it is very put together and neat, like this very chic dress here (left). This black/white circular print is is interesting and very versatile (it was used very prominently on the runway). Second, I love how wearable every piece is. Not only is this all white outfit (right) gorgeous in its own right, but individually these pieces are incredibly versatile. 
Besides the neat and the structured, they also offered the flowy and the floral. Ok, I probably wouldnt pair the blue floral outfit (right) as it is, but Id definitely wear those two pieces seperately. And Im simply LOVING those genie capris!Jill Stuart
The Jill Stuart collection is not exactly the most original or fashion forward show on the runway this season. Admittedly certain looks even reminds one of the Marc by Marc Jacobs runway a few years back (remember the long sleeved ribbed thermals layered with a very colorful array of other ballerina-esque items?). But this collection has its charm.
Mostly because I am a sucker for flowy, flirty, girly ballerina-esque looks, which this collection is the epitome of. That simple white dress is gorgeous. And I love those genie pants. They are like the pant version of a pretty flowy skirt. Image Source: Style.com
Available link for download
Friday, May 5, 2017
NY Fashion Week SS09 Wrap Up I
NY Fashion Week SS09 Wrap Up I
Who knew Victoria Beckham had a dress collection showing at Fashion Week? Where does the women get the time between her reality TV show, pedicures, designing jeans and sunglasses, whipping up a perfume and being a wife and a mom? But anyway, back to the collection. Despite her having graced Blackwells Worst Dressed List many times and indeed having a questionable sense of style on occasions, I am still very much want to like her collection. At the back of my mind, I guess my love for the Spice Girl era still lingers, making me want to love everything about them. And Posh has always been my favourite Spice.
However, despite my best efforts to want to be wow-ed, I was not blown away. It was a small and simple collection, to put it nicely. The entire collection could be summed up by a few looks. It was basically a collection that contained a few versions of the same dresses. They were all slimming pencil skirts of the same slightly longer length (which I think is great for more sophistication and class). It was definitely cohesive!
There was the simple round neck dress in blue. The clean cut strapless dress in black (perhaps a reminiscent of the little black Gucci dress? Turns out it wasnt even by Gucci!). I believe they also showed this dress in white on the runway.
There was the crochet (I think?) topped dress. They also have this in white. Then the dress shirt dress, which weve been seeing in the stores a lot lately. She has this in black with chiffon and silk, and of course, in white and black. 
Finally there was this silhouette, which is my favourite. I think this silhouette is very clever and very flattering to the female body. It curves at all the right places. I can totally see Victoria in it. This was possibly the most inspiring thing about the whole collection and of course she has this silhouette in many different styles. In black, in white, a casual less emphatic version and a more dressed up version. Although personally Im not sure itll look very good on me, since Im shorter (and definitely not as lithe as the models!), so the skirt will probably cut my legs exactly where it shouldnt! All in all, it was not a very inspiring (besides that shape of course) nor wow-ing collection. To give Victoria her credit though, it was indeed a very simple and classic collection. They are definitely not dated, which was her aim. And Im sure they are very well made and tailored given the $1500-$3600 price range. Plus, at 15 looks, she did not try to overdo the collection with more unnecessary looks. It is always quality over quantity after all. Though I think 4 looks wouldve suffice to get the creative message across. But then, that wouldnt be a very good show, would it?
Image Source: Style.com
Available link for download
Friday, April 14, 2017
Out on the shelf this week
Out on the shelf this week
This new set of activities were put on the shelves early this week. Between playing and helping me with housework (she is getting so good at folding laundry!), my youngest daughter can be found choosing these activities from the shelves to work on.
This is a dropper, colored water and wax paper activity.
The dropper allows for making many small water bubbles on the wax paper but when dropped close together they merge into one large bubble. Very fun.
The bubbles can also be slid around the wax paper by slowly dragging the dropper through them. And lastly, the water bubbles can be sucked back into the dropper and put back into the bottle, leaving very little to get wiped up with the sponge.
I set out a number of different sized lids for tracing circles.
Here is the garlic press, sponges and water activity. Details can be found in this post.
Contents: squash seeds, colored purple rice, green glitter, apple seeds,
green colored rice, elbow pasta, red colored rice, pink tissue paper
tinfoil circles, yarn, blue tissue paper and green tissue paper
This is the most enjoyed activity that is out. This mini muffin tin, turned collage tray holds all sorts of fun materials for collage making. I put squares of poster paper next to the tray on the shelf. We use white glue in a very small jar (the sponge stuck into the top serves as a cover) and the glue is applied with a paint brush. The sponge (for wiping sticky messes) and the paint brush get washed off after the activity is done. All of the glueing is done on a plastic cutting mat.
I dont even remember how many collages have been made, but both of my daughters enjoy the process every time. I think the collage tray (contents rotated periodically) will be on the shelf for long while!
Available link for download
Thursday, April 13, 2017
One Week Ago
One Week Ago
One week ago, just around this time*, I became a Mom.
That moment. That moment of meeting this little, beautiful, sweet person - it will forever turn me into a sentimental mess. Those 9 months of guessing if he was a boy or girl, wondering what he would look like, just trying to imagine who this sweet child was all came together in the most powerful moment I have ever experienced. The only word I can use is "perfect". The moment I met my son was simply perfect.
The birth of our little boy has changed me in ways I have only just begun to understand.
My heart has grown in a way I didnt even know was possible. But I do know that there is a now a place that belongs only to this baby boy. And it will be his forever.
* I attempted to write this post last night - when he was officially one week old - but instead I opted to sit with Mr. Fix-It, holding our baby, and soaking it all in. And crying my eyes out.
That moment. That moment of meeting this little, beautiful, sweet person - it will forever turn me into a sentimental mess. Those 9 months of guessing if he was a boy or girl, wondering what he would look like, just trying to imagine who this sweet child was all came together in the most powerful moment I have ever experienced. The only word I can use is "perfect". The moment I met my son was simply perfect.
The birth of our little boy has changed me in ways I have only just begun to understand.
My heart has grown in a way I didnt even know was possible. But I do know that there is a now a place that belongs only to this baby boy. And it will be his forever.
* I attempted to write this post last night - when he was officially one week old - but instead I opted to sit with Mr. Fix-It, holding our baby, and soaking it all in. And crying my eyes out.
Available link for download
Saturday, April 1, 2017
One Week
One Week
Available link for download
Sunday, March 12, 2017
Our Week in Pictures
Our Week in Pictures
We had a week full of adventures.
Running the Carlsbad Half Marathon
Driving cars at Legoland
Visiting Peacocks at Leo Carrillo Ranch
Painting cars at Art Soup
Playing at the beach
Available link for download
Monday, January 30, 2017
One Week Inception presentation
One Week Inception presentation
Below is the one week inception presentation that Taina Caetano and I (Paulo Caroli) have delivering on a few events, including the AgileBrazil 2013.
The coolest thing about this presentation: it is a sequence of photos taken on real Inceptions.
Agile br one_week_inception from caetano_tc
Available link for download
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