bike friendly cities of the world

Here is some news for bike enthusiasts.
A recent article in CNN named 15 most bike friendly cites of the world:

Happy bikers

Amsterdam, Netherlands, Europe
      The " bicycling capital of Europe" where 40 percent of the city's traffic is on bikes.

Barcelona, Spain, Europe

Berlin, Germany, Europe  
  400,000 people bike to work each day

Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe

About a third of the workforce gets to the office by bike and an estimated more than a million kilometers are pedaled every day.

Christiania, Denmark, Europe

A neighborhood of 850 where cars are banned

Paris, France, Europe

One of the world's largest public bicycle rental programs that distributes 20,000 bikes through1,450 rental stations throughout the city and offers free rides under 30 minutes.

Boulder, Colorado

Devotes 15% of its transportation budget to improving and promoting bicycle travel. They have even launched a pilot program to get kids biking to school.

Chicago, Illinois

Calls itself  "the most bicycle-friendly city in the United States."  

Davis, California 

A city of 65,000 people that has more bikes than cars.

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Has 170 km of bike paths and the highest percentage of bike commuters in the country.

Portland, Oregon

Considered  the bike capital of the U.S., has a 260-mile bike path network and the highest percentage, 10%, bike commuters in the country.

San Francisco, California

Has taken initiatives to remove car parking to make room for bike parking,

Beijing, China  

Probably the city with most bicycles in the world

Cape Town, South Africa

Offers public commuter showers for bikers

Bogotá, Colombia, South America

Hosts special Sunday Ciclovía events where main thoroughfares are closed to cars

Perth, Australia

Has more than 700 km of bike routes

tony the tiger wins freedom to walk and exercise

Tiger

Tony is a 10-year-old siberian bengal tiger who has been kept as an attraction at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, LA. by the owner Michael Sandlin since 2003.

Tony lives in a horrible condition in a concrete cage where he is harassed by visitors and surrounded by lights, the smell of fuel and the sound of diesel engines 24 hours a day seven days a week with nowhere to escape and nothing to do. He's been there since 2003. 

Tony was discovered by chance by Sky Williamson at the truck stop in 2005 and since than activists have been fighting for years to no avail to have him freed and sent to a wildlife preserve. Organizations such as Big Cat Rescue has repeatedly offered to take Tony but did get approval.

Tony’s conditions have been brought to the attention of authorities by thousands of people. However, despite state laws preventing private ownership of exotic animals, officials did nothing to rescue the tiger. Instead, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) bent the rules in favor of Michael Sandlin.  LDWF recently renewed Sandlin's permit to keep Tony because he has owned Tony (tiger) before the laws were enacted in 2006. Which means Tony got stuck at the truck stop were he had been confined since 2003

In April of 2011, the Animal Legal Defense Fund's (ALDF) intervened on behalf of Tony and filed a lawsuit against the LDWF arguing that granting Sandlin a permit in the first place violated state law.

On Friday, May 6, District Judge R. Michael Caldwell of the East Baton Rouge District Court granted the Animal Legal Defense Fund's (ALDF) request for a permanent injunction against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), preventing them from renewing the annual permit that allows Michael Sandlin to keep Tony as of this December 14. 

With newly granted freedom, Tony the truck stop tiger is free to walk. The ALDF plans to work with the LDWF to find the best sanctuary where Tony can live out the rest of his days in a suitable environment.

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Sources:

ALDF Wins Freedom for Tony

Cat Fight Ensues Over Tony the Tiger

Obese man dies, was found fused to the chair he sat in for 2 years

obesity prob

In March of this year, Bellaire, Ohio police received a call that a man was not responsive. 

The police found the man was fused to a chair he had not moved from in two years because he was so obese. The police were forced to cut a hole in the wall of his house just to get him out. He was taken to the hospital in morbid condition where he eventually died.

Apparently, the man had not moved in two years and his girlfriend served him food while he stayed on that chair. Man’s skin was fused to the fabric of chair and he was sitting in his own feces and urine with maggots visible, The condition was horrible that the officer had to throw away his uniform after helping remove the man from the chair.

The landlord told that the man used to be an active person and said she had no idea how bad his condition was since he covered himself with a blanket every time she came to visit.

 

What was surprising is that two other people, a man and the obese man’s girlfriend, also lived in the same filthy house. They were ordered to clean up or get out.

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SOURCES

Obese Ohio Man found fused

Bellaire Man Found Stuck in Chair Dies at 43

higher rate of cancer reported among gay men

According to a BBC report, a study of 122,345 people in California suggests that the gay men are twice as likely to have had cancer. It is not clear from this study why this might be.

The survey was based on interviews of "survivors" so is not a true representation of the number of cancer cases. It was not possible to conclude that the gay men have a higher risk of cancer. Further research would be needed to determine if homosexual men were actually getting more cancer or had greater survival rates than heterosexuals.

There was no such link in women. However, lesbians and bisexual women were reported to have poorer health after cancer than heterosexuals.

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SOURCE

BBC Health News

Seattle named the most walk friendly city in the U.S.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), established in 1999 with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration, is located at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. PBIC’s mission has been to improve the quality of life in communities through the increase of safe walking and bicycling as a viable means of transportation and physical activity.

PBIC recently announced the first round of Walk Friendly Communities! After evaluating applicant communities in several categories related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort, PBIC has recognized 11 communities for their commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety.

walk friendly communities

Seattle got the highest "platinum" ranking.

Here is the list of walk friendly cities:

Platinum Level

Seattle, Washington

Gold Level

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Arlington, Virginia

Hoboken, New Jersey

Santa Barbara, California

Silver Level

Charlottesville, Virginia

Decatur, Georgia

Bronze

Austin, Texas

Charlotte, North Carolina

Flagstaff, Arizona

Wilsonville, Oregon

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Sources:

http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/

www.walkfriendly.org

bolani – delicious Afghani food by bolaniandsauce

Today, after a bike ride, I stopped and walked my bike past the farmer’s

market in Brentwood, Los Angeles. There were two guys who stopped me and offered a few samples of food to eat. Apparently, it

www.bolaniandsauce.com/

was there first day at that Farmer’s market. The food was tasty and I wanted to know more about them. I was told it was the product was Bolani, an Afghani food, and these two vendors were representing a business “BolnaniandSauce”.

BolaniAndSauce AKA East and West Gourmet Afghan Foodwww.bolaniandsauce.com/), based in Concord, California, was founded by an Afghan family. Their home made Afghan food was initially sold at a few of the Bay Area’s farmers’ markets. However, this healthy and tasty food rapidly became popular mainly through word of mouth. Now they are known as "Ambassador of Love" in most of the San Francisco Bay Area's Farmers' Markets and even beyond, including Southern California. (

PRODUCTS by BolaniAndSauce

These products are tasty and healthy and will be great addition of your meal

Bolanis

Bolani is a traditional Afghani flatbread stuffed and baked with either spinach, pumpkin, red potato, or green lentil filling. Bolani is usually served warm. It is all natural, fresh, healthy, made with organic ingredients and contains no trans fats, additives or preservatives. It handmade daily and absolutely delicious and healthy. The company makes following types of bolanis, inclucding the most popular with spanich:

  Spinach Bolani

  Pumpkin Bolani

  Potato Bolani

  Lentil Bolani

           

Sauces and Spreads

Sauces and spreads are ideally used for complimenting the Bolanis, but they can also be used to accompany or cook your own dishes. All the spreads are vegan with the exception of Garlic Mint Cheese. They are all preserved with natural ingredients such as garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, citric acid. They are all low in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sodium – but packed with nutrition. The company provides the following varieties ofSauces and Spreads:

  Garlic Mint Cheese

  Cilantro Pesto

  Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

  Lentil Curry

  Eggplant Pesto

  Hummus

  Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

  Basil Pesto

           

Dips and Pepper Jellies

  Sweet Jalapeno

  Sweet and Sour Carrot

LOCATIONS - where to find

Today East and West Gourmet Afghan Food participates in up to 100 farmers’ markets every week. The product is also found in a number of stores.

Whole Foods markets

Andronico’s Market

Mollie Stone’s Market

Northern California Farmers' Markets – a number of locations

Southern California Farmers' Markets

BRENTWOOD  FARMERS MARKET (West Los Angles)

741 S. Gretna Green Way, L.A., 90049

Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Brea    

Birch Stree at Walnut Avenue  

4 PM to 8 PM Year Round       

Manhattan Beach         

Noon to 4 PM Year Round

13th Street between Valley and Morningside Drive

Torrance         

8 AM to 1 PM Year Round

Wilson Park on Crenshaw Boulevard, between Carson

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For more information:

http://www.bolaniandsauce.com/home.php

info@bolaniandsauce.com

(925) 687-0817
(877) 687-0817

Bicycling ban in City of Black Hawk, Colorado

Bicycling ban, Black Hawk, Colorado

Bicycling is healthy and fun but, apparently, not everybody thinks so.

Black Hawk, population 100, "The City of Mills," is one of Colorado's oldest cities. It is one of a number of towns that grew up in "Gregory's Gulch," the narrow ravine where Georgia prospector John H. Gregory first discovered lode gold in the western part of Kansas Territory in 1859.

Well the times have changed. Now, this small casino town in Colorado is cracking the whip on “pedaling.”  Yes, you read it right, the city is cracking down on bicycling because the casinos complain that cyclists get in the way of buses used to bring gamblers in and out of town.

In January, 2010, the town approved the ordinance banning biking on nearly every street and only paved thoroughfare in town.  Cyclists may still pass through town, though they are now required to walk their bicycles.  According to the City of  Black Hawk Ordinances 2009-20 and 2010-3 “bicycles are prohibited within the City on certain streets.”  If you want to buck the ban, be willing to pay a hefty $68 fine as police are already issuing tickets.

According to the Denver Post, The City Manager Mike Copp said that due to an increase in traffic, the city has taken a proactive approach.  The new ordinance, enacted in January, ”is best for its citizens, for its businesses, which in this case are casinos, and its visitors.” 


The Black Hawk Bike Ban issue got a lot of international press and led to many campaigns to challenge this ban to prove that Colorado is a great state for bicycling:

Rally to End Bike Bans

Dismount Black Hawk

Bicyclists and Tourist Boycott Black Hawk Colorado

http://cityofblackhawk.org/

Jack LaLanne, the fitness guru, dead at age 96

Jack LaLanne, the original fitness guru, died Sunday, January 23, at age 96, at his home in Morro Bay, California. Apparently, Jack died of  respiratory failure due to pneumonia.

Jack LaLanne, 96, R.I.P.

Jack practiced what he preached nearly till the end of his life: exercising daily, eating healthy food and getting plenty of fresh ocean air.

The son of poor French immigrants, he was born in 1914 and grew up to become a sugar addict, he said. The turning point occurred one night when he heard a lecture by pioneering nutritionist Paul Bragg, who advocated the benefits of brown rice, whole wheat and a vegetarian diet. Paul Bragg told him "'Jack, you're a walking garbage can.”

Jack LaLanne credited fitness with transforming his life as a teen and he worked over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too. Jack LaLanne hosted a popular workout show for several decades, opened a chain of gyms, and created a popular line of fruit juicers.

He was the original fitness guru who inspired television viewers to trim down, eat well and pump iron for decades before diet and exercise became a national obsession. He was a TV icon of fitness in the 1950s and 1960s, with regular shows featuring stretching, lifting, aerobics and more.

He is survived by his wife of 51 years, two sons and a daughter

Favorite quotes by Jack LaLanne:

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late."

"It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life. How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."

celebrities and diabetes

People from all walks of life, including celebrities,  are prone to suffer from diabetes. Here is a list of famous people who have (had) diabetes:

Halle Berry, a diabetic

Anne Rice - Novelist

Bill and John Davidson - The bosses at Harley Davidson Motorcycles

Billie Jean King – Tennis player

Bret Michaels -  singer for the band Poison,

Drew Carey – actor, comedian, TV game show host

Elliott Yamin – singer, American Idol,

Elvis Presley - The former king of rock 'n roll

Halle Berry - Actress

Jay Cutler – football player

Johnny Cash - The famous country musician

Larry King – TV Talk show host

Mary Tyler Moore - Actress Mary Tyler Moore

Mike Huckabee – Politician, the former Arkansas governor

Mikhail Gorbachev - The former leader of the Soviet Union

Nick Jonas - Singer of the Jonas Brothers

Patti LaBelle - Singer

Peter O'Tool – Actor

Randy Jackson - American Idol judge

Ray Kroc - The founder of McDonald's

Salma Hayek - Actress

Sharon Stone - Actress

Sherri Shepherd - actress, comedian and co-host of "The View"

Tommy Lee – drummer

Vanessa Williams  - actress, singer

View the original article here

Delicious soup to go by the Gourmet Soup Kitchen, Santa Monica

soup

The Gourmet Soup Kitchen, located on 1112 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, is creation of the Founder, Chef Amy Caplan and, partner, contributing chef Daniel Tout. They specialize in natural vegetarian soups and their goal is to make eating healthy easy and delicious for everyone.

The Gourmet Soup Kitchen offer over 30 soups with artfully created flavor combinations to please and fulfill every craving. It includes numerous choices of cuisines, including Italian, Indian, Asian and American. They exclusively use fresh vegetables from local farmer’s markets, along with only the finest natural ingredients. In a nut shell, it is the healthy and hearty nourishment for both the heart and the soul.

All soups are VEGAN except soups with some (*) contain a very small amount of low fat milk. Some soups (**) are mildly spicy. All soups are LOW FAT & LOW SODIUM.

COST & PAYMENT

All soups are $6.00 per frozen "ready to go" 16 oz. serving.

Payment by cash or local checks only

DELIVERY

There is a 10 soup minimum on all deliveries and a $10 delivery charge.

They deliver to the Westside only (including as far north as Malibu, south to Marina Del Rey, east to Westwood and all communities within this area).

GIFT CERTIFICATE

Gift certificates are available for $30. They are good for five (16 oz.) containers
of soup. They can be purchased at any of our farmers market locations.

ORDER

Tel (310)393-6902      amy@thegourmetsoupkitchen.com

Soups can be ordered by phone or email. Special orders (order on Friday for Sunday pickup) can also be picked up at the following Farmers Markets:

PACIFIC PALISADES FARMERS MARKET

1037 Swarthmore Ave. Pacific Palisades, 90272

Sundays 7:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

BRENTWOOD FARMERS MARKET

741 S. Gretna Green Way, L.A., 90049

Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

LARCHMONT VILLAGE FARMERS MARKET

209 N. Larchmont Blvd., L.A., 90004

Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

CENTURY CITY FARMERS MARKET

1800 Ave. of the Stars, L.A., 90067

Thursdays 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

SOUP VARIETIES

AFRICAN PEANUT**

CARROT GINGER

CORN CHOWDER*

COUNTRY VEGETABLE

CUBAN BLACK BEAN**

FRENCH ONION

GOLDEN LENTIL**

HARVEST PUMPKIN*

INDIAN YELLOW CURRY**

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKPEA

MOROCCAN SPICED VEGETABLE & CHICKPEA

MULLIGATAWNY

MUSHROOM BARLEY

OLD WORLD LENTIL

PORTUGUESE SPINACH AND WHITE BEAN

PROVENCAL MINESTRONE

ROASTED TOMATO & BASIL*

RUSTIC POTATO LEEK*

SAVORY SPINACH PEA

SPICY SIX BEAN**

SPLIT PEA

SWEET PEA & BASIL/MINT*

THAI COCONUT CURRY**

THAI CURRIED PUMPKIN**

TIBETAN LENTIL**

TOMATO AND RICE*

TORTILLA**

TUSCAN WHITE BEAN

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Soups Containing Lentils...

GOLDEN LENTIL

AFRICAN PEANUT

MULLIGATAWNY

INDIAN YELLOW CURRYTIBETAN LENTIL

OLD WORLD LENTIL

MOROCCAN SPICED VEGETABLE & CHICKPEA

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Tomato Soups...

NEPAL TOMATO BISQUE

TORTILLA

TOMATO AND RICE

ROASTED TOMATO AND BASIL

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FOR MORE INFORMATION:

http://thegourmetsoupkitchen.com

The Gourmet Soup Kitchen

1112 Montana Ave. #85

Santa Monica, CA 90403

(310)393-6902

Contact: amy (a) thegourmetsoupkitchen.com