Report cards from the League of American Bicyclists for all 50 states in terms of how bicycle-friendly they are can be found here. We got #1 in teh Northeast and #3 overall. Go MASS!
Steve Martin’s band jamming in front of the Paul Revere House in the North End on Memorial Day. Damn, I was so close to, on a whim, wandering around the North End yesterday. It would’ve been pretty cool to have stumbled upon this.
Carbon fiber. Want!
Aliante bookshelf is a project developed for the Carbon Fiber Design Contest 2012 by Olympus FRP, winner of the 1st prize. The aim of the contest was to promote the use of the carbon fiber material with its intrinsic characteristics of strength and lightness in the furniture product category.
The idea behind Aliante bookshelf is to create a ‘low air-resistance’ piece of furniture. The inspiration comes from aeronautics (Aliante is the italian word for glider) and the shape of the shelves reminds the wings of the aircraft. The winglets at the end of the shelves also create the bookends. The overall dimensions of the bookshelf are quite big (2,2 mt high and 2,7 mt wide) despite its very light and slim structure.
Every single detail has been considered to properly design the structure of the bookshelf: the two central ‘columns’ give strength to the frame; the shelves are thicker at the middle and they become thinner on the side; the depth of the ‘wings’ is 32cm near the central structure and 22cm at the end, so that you are able to put bigger and heavier books where the structure is more resistant. The result of these technical solutions is a piece of furniture with a sculptural and aerodynamic form language which strives to become a must for the high class interiors.
Eric “The Eel”—the holder of the record of the slowest performance in the 100m freestyle—is returning for a second go this summer in London.
Whale shark, Gulf of Tadjoura (off the coast of Djibouti). There’s something about this photo that describes what can be so terrifying about diving or snorkeling in open water though I can’t put my finger on it.
Pretty neat little story in the CSM about how it’s more than just those that ride bikes that benefit from the biking boom, its growing influence in Washington, and some surprising statistics about how common it is as a form of transportation outside the urban centers.
While congressional critics belittle bicyclists as a marginal, almost silly special interest group, others herald them as self-reliant citizens who get around without the need of imported oil and mega-highway projects that cost taxpayers billions. Instead of a boondoggle, continued funding to improve biking and walking conditions in the US represents a sound investment that saves taxpayers money now and in the future.
Even if you will never ride a bike in your life, you still see benefits from increased levels of biking. More bicyclists mean less congestion in the streets and less need for expensive road projects that divert government money from other important problems. Off-road paths, bike lanes, sidewalks, and other bike and pedestrian improvements cost a fraction of what it takes to widen streets and highways. It’s proven that bicycling and walking increases people’s health and reduces obesity, which will translate into huge cost savings for government and a boost for our economy.
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But it’s important to remember that biking and walking are not strictly an urban way to get around. A new report from the Rails to Trails Conservancy (which I helped write) shows that biking and walking in rural America is far more widespread than most people realize.
The Art of Film & TV Title Design… from PBS’ Off Book
Slinky on a treadmill. When it teeters on the edge of the treadmill, this video has more drama than most movies you’ll see this summer.
