A Florida woman had an unusual request when she pulled into the Vista BMW in Coconut Creek on Monday morning. Her 7-foot-long pet boa constrictor had gotten loose in her Mini Cooper, and she needed help pulling it out. And the mechanics complied. Safely rescued the animal by removing a tail light, and gently extracting it without much difficulty. Apparently, the mechanic who did the deed seems to have Ophidiophobia (Yeah, that’s the word for fear of snakes) but he still braved himself for the task just because it was someone’s pet and he knows what it means to the owner. Good man. Read the full story here.
Pointing a laser beam on an aircraft can land you in the jail if you were in the US. But that is not the case if you happen to be in the middle of in Egypt’s Tahrir Square this past weekend.. And you might even get a lot of support for doing so if that said aircraft is hovering and monitoring the swell of protesters gathered at the public square.. Here is a shot of the awesome laser-on-helicopter show via The Atlantic’s In Focus
Laser Painted Helicopter in Cairo’s Tahrir Square (image courtesy: Reuters via The Atlantic)
Another view of the laser shots from the ground (Image Courtesy: AP Photo via The Atlantic)
Ground to air perspective of the laser shots at the helicopter (image courtesy: AFP via The Atlantic)
Here is a video of the June 30, 2013 incident showing the military helicopter illuminated by green laser lights from below, as it flies above Tahrir Square while a huge crowd of protesters opposing Egyptian President Morsi shout slogans against him and Brotherhood members, in Cairo.
NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s twitter account shared this awesome infograph this afternoon, detailing the stats/numbers behind the Citibike Bikesharing Program as it completed its wildly successful 1st month. At this rate, NYC can be assured that it is a smashing success and will remain a key part of the city’s transportation infrastructure for decades to come. Check it out the infograph below (also check out the comments in the embedded tweet below)
Spotted this image in the “In Focus” photo series by The Atlantic, covering protests from around the world. Might be a bit too much for the American sensibilities but the Spaniards are not bothered by all the skin on display. Apparently, more than a hundred cyclists gathered in the Spanish capital as they took part in the city’s 10th Naked Bike Ride aimed at highlighting the dependency on oil and road safety issues for cyclists. Here is one of them riding naked in a public fountain in front of the Royal Palace as others bathe in Madrid, on June 15, 2013. More pics (NSFW, obviousy) from the protest can be seen here.
Image Courtesy: AP Photo/Andres Kudacki – Naked Cyclist Protesting for better & safe biking infrastructure in Madrid, Spain
What is is about a train that makes people want to climb aboard? How did railroads help shape America as we know it, and what happened to the shape of America when cars and highways took their place as the primary movers of people? Can a passenger train revival help America weather unprecedented challenges to our way of life, allowing us to live both prosperously and sustainably in a hotter, more crowded, post-fossil fuel age?Our friend Malcolm Kenton, the Outreach Director of National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP), hopes to take an exciting transcontinental train journey for innovative and civic-minded members of the Millennial generation, organized by the Millennial Trains Project (MTP). Over the course of this journey, Malcolm will seek answers to the above questions and will attempt to reawaken young Americans’ connection with our landscape as viewed through a train window, and with the people we meet as we travel. Learn more about Malcolm’s project at http://crowdhitch.millennialtrain.co/campaign/detail/1157.
The journey, to take place in mid-August, is being described as a “TED Talks on wheels,” bringing together a group of at least 40 young adults who each raise $5,000 from friends and family by July 1, along with special invited guests who will be both riding the train and speaking with the participants at stops along the way.
Each Millennial who raises $5,000 must produce something of lasting value as a result of his or her experience, and Malcolm’s product will be both a film and a photo essay that will draw connections between Americans’ historic and cultural ties with railroads and the need for revitalized railroads to be a part of our green future. Please pitch in to help make this work possible: go to http://crowdhitch.millennialtrain.co/campaign/detail/1157 and click “Support this campaign.”
The idea for MTP is inspired by the annual Jagriti Yatra (www.jagritiyatra.com) on the Indian Railways, a trip that circumnavigates the continent, is sponsored by Dell and Google, and is almost universally recognized by the younger generation of Indians as an enviable opportunity. MTP has already obtained sponsorships from National Geographic Traveler magazine, NPR, the Associated Press, McKinsey & Company, Opportunity Nation, and Start-Up America.
Here is some pretty cool hand drawn and animated stuff (from fellow Redditor NathanwPyle) to gently remind fellow bicyclists in NYC about a few things to do and watch out for while on the street riding a bike. Oh, and some of these etiquettes are universal, not just applicable to NYC. When you finish scrolling through the pics. remember to check out Nathan Pyle’s website too for more goodness.
This is a laugh riot.. love the subtle jabs (and not so subtle at times) from Jon Stewart and his crew.. Apparently the pooer sections of the city seem to be more in love with the system than the upscale ones (i.e., uppity parts)
Despite the little negative publicity often encountered, the bike share system in NYC seems to be growing at a record pace. Here is a graphic from fellow Twitterati and NYC-er, Stephen Miller, that tells you how much the city loves the shiny blue bikes.
NPR gushes over the time-lapse video goodness of a traffic circle in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as Saigon), captured by British photog, Rob Whitworth (who describes himself as an architectural photographer by day, time lapse photographer by night). Though I grew up in India and have seen it all when it comes to traffic congestion, there is no doubt the roundabout showcased in this video is plain crazy. Should be an awe inspiring sight to witness how they manage traffic and control the flow of traffic in real time without incidents. Maybe during my next visit to SE Asia I’ll take a detour and study it up close? Oh, while we are at it, don’t forget to check out Rob’s other two videos – one each from Shanghai, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
