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Intimate strangers

Susan Orlean writes about the lopsided intimacy of big cities and social media.

Life in Manhattan is like living inside a gigantic Twitter stream. What you get to know about people you don’t…

Can you take 4 mins and sign this petition to rally Stephen Colbert to Restore Truthiness on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial?

September 3

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Coworking Spaces

I’ve never been much of a fan of incubators. Some have made the model work. My favorite of the bunch is Betaworks, based here in NYC. Betaworks is more than an incubator, but they have…

September 2

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“ So apps are cool and powerful, but open government and open data goes much deeper than the latest iPhone app to find the best parking spots. The more the city ties public data access to app development and competitions like BigApps, the more they veer away from facilitating the public’s fundamental right to know. Open data in NYC? That’s so 2009. « Spatiality

August 31

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“ these sites now have thousands of data sets on them. In order to be navigable they need to have excellent design. More importantly, you need to have a new breed of librarian - one capable of thinking in the online space - to help create a system where data sets can be easily and quickly located. Creating effective open government portals

August 31

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“ Discrepancies in the performances of the secondary education systems are relevant, it is even more so when connected with social mobility. From all the countries that have been studied, the United States is the one where the gap between the academic performance of wealthy and poor families remains the widest, as if American education was not good enough to help the intellectual and social elevation of the children with a humble background. At the opposite end, Canada, South Korea and the Scandinavian countries are where the children have, despite belonging to different social classes, the most similar results, thus showing that the education they are receiving is comparable whether they are from a rich or poor background. Rabah Ghezali: What American Dream? Why the Social Elevator Stalls

August 30

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look, i’m on Gizmodo!

i know it’s a bit late, but rober carlsen featured my commute in his summary explanations of Mobile Logger. if you cycle and have an iPhone, this is a must have app. (via @gizmodo’s Mobile Logger: Everybody With an iPhone and a Bike Should Get This App)

August 27

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Good News from NYDOT

Some choice tidbits from the New York City Department of Transportation 2009 Sustainable Streets Index:

3.2% increase in bus and subway ridership in 2008; 12.3% increase in bus and subway…

August 27

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London Cycle Hire Stats

The Telegraph published an interesting graph showing London cycle hire usage plotted against temperature and rainfall. The data suggests usage is related to temps and rainfall (not…

August 17

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#BikeNYC hosts Couchcrash ‘10 on Governors Island

Governors Island is a small island located off of the tip of Manhattan. It’s one of those places where you go to get away from it all and this Saturday, that’s exactly what we will do. Once on the island, we will picnic and lawn game till our hearts burst with couchsurfing love.

We’ll be joined by Couchsurfers who are attending CouchCrash 2010 and NYC area cyclists who use twitter and other forms of social media to connect with each other. If you’re on Twitter search for #BikeNYC.

Note the following:

Bring food, a blanket, portable water, and be prepared to share.
We value style over speed. Dress to impress.
You MUST repackage all adult beverages. The ferries are know to have check points that check for more than that. Be mindful of the rules. ;)
If it rains, you are on your own. Visit @newamsterdamize for the latest updates.
When in doubt call or SMS NoNeck’s hotline at +1.646.867.2263.

This event will have four meeting points.

1. Bike Ride - 11:30 am - Meet at the Williamsburg/Greenpoint Greenmarket at 11:30 am. We will promptly leave at Noon to catch the 1pm ferry in Lower Manhattan. This route will take us over the Williamsburg Bridge and down the East Side Greenway. No need to dress sporty, we ride wicked slow. At the farmer’s market, we will meet in front of the Red Jacket farm stand at the intersection of Union Ave and Driggs Ave. We will promptly leave at NOON!

2. Manhattan Ferry at Battery Maritime Building (WE WILL ride to this ferry landing) - 12:50ish - 1:15ish pm - Since the Brooklyn ferry only takes 20 bikes at a time, meeting at the bottom of Manhattan is ideal for any large group of cyclists. If you are meeting us there via Subway/own bike path, look at GI’s website for the most up-to-date info.

3. Brooklyn Ferry at Atlantic Ave (We WILL NOT ride to this ferry landing) - 1:00 pm - Meeting at the end of Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. While I could outline all of the ways to get there, I advise you look at GI’s website for the most up-to-date info. Since it’s a first come, first serve ferry that only takes 20 bikes at a time, I HIGHLY recommend you get inline and meet us on the island. Note, it takes longer to board the boat than it does to ride the ferry to Governors Island. It’s a GREAT ferry to take to get off the island. ;)

4. Governors Island - 2:00 pm onward - We will be picnicking on the island in Noland Park, in front of the Admiral’s house. If you don’t have a bike, Noland Park is just up the hill from the Brooklyn Landing, and a 8 min walk from the Manhattan Landing. Consult a map if you need further directions.

** Once again, the weather… Since we can’t predict it, stay tuned to http://twitter.com/newamsterdamize for the latest updates **

Facebook Link - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=120857984630586

August 17

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muy caliente! Gustavo Dudamel at the Proms - Arturo Márquez - Danzón Nº 2

August 16

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The Clarinet Polka on the tuba.

August 16

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“ Crosswalks in NYC are about as effective as traffic lights are in Beirut… New York Study of Pedestrian Victims Leads to Unexpected Conclusions

“ The Guide Horse Foundation is against the use of riding size horses indoors because of the risk of injury to the horses, the blind handler and the general public. While our research has indicated that Miniature horses make suitable guide animals, large guide animals of any species can create a hazard for the public when used in an inappropriate setting for an animal of that size. Guide Horse Foundation - Miniature horses for the blind

#BikeNYC hosts Couchcrash ‘10 on Governors Island

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