Mr Ritchie, sometimes known as the angel or watchman of The Gap,
is acknowledged to have stopped about 160 people from jumping to their deaths.
Good on ya, mate!
This week the world has one less quiet hero. But let’s celebrate what he did and not just mourn his passing.
steephill.tv has some of the nicest Giro photos. Today’s stage 6 photos are especially nice. But yesterday’s stage 5 photos brought back many memories for me since the route covered the same Modena to Bologna ride I did myself. Of course, the Giro added another 120km to what I did back in April 2011!
I have to admit I was smitten with cycling in Italy. I find it hard to define why. Yes there is the weather, the scenery, and the respect cyclists get. But somehow history plays a role.
I can’t remember where I saw it but apparently in 1950s Italy there were millions of bikes on the roads, serving as basic transportation, and at the same time there were less than half a million cars. This was largely due to the lingering effects of WWII and perhaps it is part of what makes cycling the great Italian phenomenon that it is.
EDITED TO ADD (2012-05-16): The site where I read about the bike to car ratio in 1950′s Italy was flandriacafe.com. And the bike to automobiles ratio was quoted as 4 million to 340 thousand.
A Damascus surgeon on why he continues working in dangerous, demoralizing, conditions:
What motivates me? My honour, my duty as a doctor.
Thank you, Doctor. Thank you for bringing us at least one good story out of the bad.
Another person making a difference. Somyod Somsamai braves waist-deep, leech-infested water to deliver the mail. Way to go!
I have a new hero. Hushyar Ali devotes his life to defusing landmines.
Caring for your carbon frame was a nice find I made while rebuilding my bottom bracket. I stumbled on it while trying to figure out the best way of re-attaching my chromed metal chain stay protector. The glue was giving way and the thing was ready to fall off.
While Jim Langley’s page was very useful it wasn’t until I talked to the guys at Cyclesmith that I learned about double-sided carpet tape. Besides sticking quite well, the carpet tape — what I ended up using — has some thickness to it which I think will keep the edges of the chromed piece away from my carbon stay.
I finally did my own servicing of my bottom bracket. It was squeaking like crazy. I have the Shimano FC-7800 Hollowtech II Crankset and used the Filzer Hollowtech tool from MEC. It wasn’t really that hard but luckily I found some videos to help make sure I am on the right track. The best video I’ve found features Nick at Hope Technology. I am always petrified that I will over-tighten something on my carbon bike so I also purchased the Filzer (Low) Torque Wrench also from MEC.
We’ve been hard at work on Present Laughter for a number of weeks now. Cast and crew already feel like family. We run this classic play from Sept 22 to Oct 08. Theatre Arts Guild tickets are available now in the usual locations. If you’ve never been to the Pond Playhouse then you’re in for a treat; the 90-seat capacity makes it a cozy, intimate, experience.
I love stories like this about a man cycling around Cambodia making friends as he goes. I can confirm this effect through my own, much less adventurous, travels.
When you are on a bike you are moving closer to the same speed as those around you and people from all walks of life are more likely to just spontaneously start communicating with you … or at least be open to you initiating contact.
I’ve found more about Tim Durrin’s particular story at http://khmerization.blogspot.com/2010/12/american-war-vet-to-cycle-for-six.html
I was thinking about a particular web service when I coined this today but I think I stated it generally enough that it can apply to any type of service:
Bullock’s Law:
Services that are free and helpful will later come at a price, add harmful features, or be shown to have been harmful all along.
No brainer? Maybe. Pessimistic? No, just realistic. No one can keep offering something for nothing even when they want to.
Bruce Schneier The Register – Security