Friday 15 February 2013

Oscar Pistorius - a quick note.

I have to say that I am quite confused. I clicked on "new post" and in that same moment I knew it woud be hard to try to write down something with a sense.
Oscar Pistorius has always been one of my heroes and I am speechless.
I really want to believe that he's innocent.
It's tragedy for all the sports world.

Thursday 14 February 2013

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

Just a short post to wish a happy St. Valentine's Day to everyone out there!

Have a nice day with your loved ones!

Sunday 10 February 2013

Caffrey, another two-legged cat!

Do you remember my post about Anakin, the kitten that was born without pelvis and back legs?
Today I am glad to speak about Caffrey, another cat that has been able to adapt and live with two legs, both on the same side:
Caffrey lost his back leg because of a car acccident when he was three years old. Ten years later the front leg of the same side had to be amputated because of a bad illness.
From what we see on the video Caffrey seems to have a good balance and no problems at all moving around.
Congrats to Caffrey for his motivation and to his human friends for assisting him!

Friday 8 February 2013

Loud Bicycle: not your ordinary bike bell.

We all know how risky it is when cars do not see cyclists or just do not stop where they should: sometimes it looks like bicycles are kind of invisible for car drivers.
When a car driver like also to play loud music while driving, then our chances of being noticed are even lower, as the classic bike bell cannot go through the decibels coming from the car's speakers.
This is the main reason why Jonathan Lansey, an engineer from Boston, invented the "Loud Bicycle" system: basically a car horn that can be conveniently mounted on your bike and gives the same sound of a car honk.
Have a look:

It's true that car drivers tend to stop immediately when they hear someone honking, this is the reason why this system can work wonders.
A big plus, at least for people like me that tend to forget things, is that this horn works on a rechargeable battery, but a single charge will last for one or two months.
The "Loud Bicycle" system will be available in August but at the moment it's possible to preorder it.
For further informations visit LoudBicycle.com.

Thursday 7 February 2013

An incredible video on Starlings.

It's called "A Bird ballet" and has been shot near Marseille by Neels Castillon:


It's incredible how starlings are able to draw these geometric figures in the air while flying in groups.
You'd better watch it in full screen here.

Tuesday 5 February 2013

Specialized recall!

I know it's not fresh news but still I think it's better to share this kind of informations.
If you own one of the following Specialized road bikes
2012 Tarmac SL4
2013 Tarmac SL4
2013 Crux
2013 Secteur Disc
you'd better visit this page as there may be problems with your frame or your fork.
Ride safe!

Friday 1 February 2013

Paperman!

I am going definitely offtopic with this post, but as I am still confined indoors recovering from the flu I feel authorized to post it.
Disney Pictures has published on Youtube the full version of "Paperman", the short film that arrived in the cinemas last November together with "Wreck-it Ralph".
Do not miss the opportunity to watch it:

It's incredible that even in cartoons sometimes the minimalist approach leads to the greatest results.
In an era of digital animations and 3D a plain black-and-white animation can be so inspiring.