Not quite the news

[magid]

Yesterday there was a reasonably good-sized snow storm over the Cape. I kept hearing about it on the news during my completely dry commute, and seeing the occasional snow-draped car. It seemed unreal, though, since the weather was so different here; it's not that far away, really.

Also during yesterday's commute: an NPR story on the first kosher culinary school (in Jerusalem, not surprisingly). How exciting! Not only is this good for kosher restaurants everywhere (I can keep hoping that Boston will someday have a high-end kosher restaurant), but once they start having short courses, I imagine there will be tours for kosher foodies to take classes and tour Israel.

Thanks to Queue for the link to pictures of the sideways bike. The advantage seems to be steering both front and back, but I'm having trouble imagining that that's worth having to learn to balance differently, and to have your back to the curb as well. Thoughts, anyone?

Hordes of rampaging roosters, Batman! Well, maybe just one gang. No looting yet, but when there's outlaw fowl, who knows what will happen?

Comments

[fj.livejournal.com]

We see the sideways bike from time to time in our neighbourhood, and it looks idiotic. First of all it looks totally unstable, actually, the guy needs to go at high speed not to wobble, more so than a normal bike. The other thing is that he has blocked by way of how he holds his head an important part of his peripheral vision in the direction he is going -- the curb as you point out -- which means his reaction time to events from the curb will be longer.

I wouldn't be caught dead on it. It is dangerous.

Re:

[magid.livejournal.com]

Curbs have unpredictable pedestrians, and there are side streets with cars entering, too.

According to the patent,
"The device moves to the right and the rider keeps the device balanced by constantly correcting the coordinated rear and front steering systems. It may take some practice to make this correction reflex, but once mastered this device offers more control and artistic expression than a currently available bicycle."

This article mentions different types of balance, too. (Thanks again to Queue for the links.)

I don't feel a need for artistic expression on my bike (though perhaps if I were involved with some sort of bicyclical performance art...), and the current balance works for me.

I just can't see this catching on, though the fact that it exists is cool.

rampaging roosters

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Hee. I mean, yeah, it's scary to be attacked by chickens, but still, it's kind of a funny image. And the guy who says they're probably not trying to attack anyone - yeah, right. Roosters can be nasty, vicious territorial critters. It's not just about food.

Re: rampaging roosters

[magid.livejournal.com]

I particularly like the image of roosters chasing someone in a wheelchair, who then ends up chasing them... I can see some sort of slapstick routine so easily...

What's with all the odd chicken stories these days? It was only last month that NPR ran that story about the town that was hiring a chicken catcher, after all. Is it a sign of the poultrification of society?