Seven and a half miles of streets were car-free from 10 AM - 3 PM on Sunday October 10th 2010. In October 2011, we’re doing the initial route again, and adding new spurs to El Pueblo/Olvera Street and South LA, for a total of ten miles.
CicLAvia makes the streets safe for people to walk, skate, play and ride a bike. There are activities along the route. Shop owners and restaurants are encouraged to open their doors to people along the CicLAvia.
Ciclovías started in Bogotá, Colombia, over thirty years ago as a response to the congestion and pollution of city streets. Now they happen throughout Latin America and the United States.
Connecting communities and giving people a break from the stress of car traffic. The health benefits are immense. Ciclovías bring families outside of their homes to enjoy the streets, our largest public space. In Los Angeles we need CicLAvia more than ever. Our streets are congested with traffic, our air is polluted with toxic fumes, our children suffer from obesity and other health conditions caused by the scarcity of public space and safe, healthy transportation options. CicLAvia creates a temporary park for free, simply by removing cars from city streets. It creates a network of connections between our neighborhoods and businesses and parks with corridors filled with fun. We can’t wait to see you at CicLAvia!
10 October 2011
08 October 2011
What are the Top 10 Programming Languages?
The Top 10 Programming Languages
They're mostly ones you'd expect'and then there's Lua
By Ritchie S. King in IEEE Spectrum magazine / October 2011
Click the image to enlarge.
To do that, you can search the Web and find numbers to use as a proxy. And you can tailor the search to target different kinds of popularity: Which languages are the most sought after in the job market? Check a job site. Which are used by elite programmers? Look in on their chat sessions. How established is a language? Visit an online bookstore—new and esoteric languages don't have many reference books dedicated to them.
The data here come in part from TIOBE, a software research firm based in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The analysts there produce an aggregate index each month. I also looked at Welton's LangPop.com, which shows the results of individual searches, such as on Craigslist, Internet Relay Chat, and Powell's Books.
Generally speaking, the languages being talked about by programmers online aren't quite the same as the ones at the top of the TIOBE Index or those that have spawned a lot of book titles (C++ is an exception). The most sought after by employers seem to be PHP, a language used in Web development, and SQL, which is used for writing database queries. No surprises there.
What has been interesting in recent years is the rise of JavaScript for writing Web-based applications that connect users to databases—think Gmail. In fact, JavaScript's ascent is largely due to Google's creation of the V8 JavaScript engine, a speedy compiler that powers its Chrome browser.
And then there's Objective-C, which underlies Mac OS and iOS and was barely in TIOBE's top 40 in 2008. But since then, it's climbed rapidly in popularity because people have been using it to write apps for the iPhone and iPad.
About the Author
Ritchie S. King formerly dealt with numbers full-time as a chemical process engineer. Unlike most engineers, though, he enjoyed writing reports and making charts more than any other aspect of the job. In 2009, King decided to make writing about science and technology a full-time gig. He landed an internship at Spectrum this past summer and is currently finishing journalism grad school and interning at The New York Times.SOURCES: TIOBE, LangPop.com. Because of rounding, categories may not total 100 percent.
© 2011 IEEE Spectrum magazine
© 2011 IEEE Spectrum magazine
05 October 2011
03 October 2011
How to find out which cars are cheap to insure
Check out the HLDI ratings. The lower the number, the cheaper to insure.
Below is an example for Four-door models. For numbers for other categories (2-door, luxury, sports, SUVs, luxury SUVs, pickups, and station wagons/minivans, please click here. There are also links further below, and more explanations.
Insurance losses:
Loss results are stated in relative terms (100 represents the average result for all vehicles in each loss coverage category).
Auto insurance covers damage to vehicles and property in crashes plus injuries to the people involved in the crashes. Different insurance coverages pay for vehicle damage versus injuries. Different insurance coverages also may apply depending on who's at fault — first-party insurance pays for your own losses, while third-party pays for losses to other people and property for which you're liable.
Losses vary widely among vehicles under all six coverages — even vehicles that are similar in size and type.
All losses are stated in relative terms, with 100 representing the average injury, collision, or theft loss for all vehicles. For example, a result of 122 is 22 percent worse than average, and 96 is 4 percent better than average. The vehicles are listed within each group in ascending sequence results. For convenience, the overall results are color-coded to indicate better and worse than average. The results also are adjusted, or standardized, to reduce possible distortions from other non-vehicle factors — operator age, calendar year, density, gender, marital status, model year, risk (standard or non-standard), and state. Collision and comprehensive are also adjusted for deductible amount.
These insurance loss results generally are good predictors of the experience of current versions of the same vehicle models. But when automakers substantially redesign their passenger vehicles, the experience of an earlier model with the same name (but not same design) may not predict the experience of the newer design.
Below is an example for Four-door models. For numbers for other categories (2-door, luxury, sports, SUVs, luxury SUVs, pickups, and station wagons/minivans, please click here. There are also links further below, and more explanations.
Insurance losses:
Four-door models
2008-10 models
| Vehicle | ALL COVERAGES | Collision | Property damage liability | Compre- hensive | Personal injury protection | Medical payment | Bodily injury liability | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acura TSX | 92 | 111 | 73 | 116 | 89 | 93 | 71 | |||
| Chevrolet Malibu (NEW) | 97 | 94 | 83 | 98 | 111 | 112 | 105 | |||
| Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid | — | 80 | 78 | — | — | — | — | |||
| Chrysler Sebring | 117 | 93 | 116 | 84 | 148 | 146 | 151 | |||
| Dodge Avenger | 132 | 111 | 135 | 100 | 164 | 170 | 159 | |||
| Ford Fusion | 98 | 98 | 85 | 91 | 112 | 125 | 106 | |||
| Ford Fusion 4WD | — | 98 | 73 | 93 | 106 | — | — | |||
| Ford Fusion Hybrid 4dr | — | 121 | 84 | 113 | 65 | — | — | |||
| Honda Accord | 86 | 82 | 79 | 86 | 105 | 99 | 89 | |||
| Hyundai Sonata | 104 | 103 | 95 | 82 | 124 | 130 | 114 | |||
| Kia Optima | 126 | 118 | 115 | 98 | 169 | 165 | 141 | |||
| Mazda 6 | 92 | 86 | 92 | 92 | 95 | 102 | 98 | |||
| Mercury Milan | 95 | 102 | 86 | 81 | 109 | 111 | 94 | |||
| Mercury Milan 4WD | — | 107 | 87 | 77 | — | — | — | |||
| Mercury Milan Hybrid 4dr | — | 84 | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Mitsubishi Galant | 129 | 118 | 117 | 95 | 176 | 166 | 154 | |||
| Nissan Altima | 104 | 109 | 89 | 97 | 137 | 135 | 100 | |||
| Nissan Altima Hybrid | — | 110 | 89 | 98 | 114 | — | 92 | |||
| Nissan Maxima | 114 | 128 | 76 | 164 | 121 | 108 | 98 | |||
| Saturn Aura | 91 | 80 | 97 | 77 | 97 | 107 | 102 | |||
| Subaru Legacy 4WD | — | 75 | 52 | 105 | 75 | — | — | |||
| Toyota Camry | 107 | 113 | 99 | 91 | 139 | 132 | 102 | |||
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | 97 | 109 | 93 | 99 | 85 | 93 | 90 | |||
| Volkswagen Jetta | 102 | 108 | 98 | 89 | 95 | 103 | 108 | |||
| Volkswagen Passat | 94 | 101 | 87 | 101 | 94 | 89 | 88 | |||
| Volkswagen Passat CC | 96 | 116 | 73 | 101 | 96 | 97 | 86 | |||
| Volkswagen Passat CC 4WD | — | 109 | — | 117 | — | — | — | |||
| Volvo S40 | — | 110 | 98 | 104 | 81 | — | — | |||
| Volvo S40 4WD | — | 75 | — | 116 | — | — | — |
See losses for other vehicle groups:
- Four-door models
- Two-door models
- Luxury models
- Sports models
- SUVs
- Luxury SUVs
- Pickups
- Station wagons/minivans
See the best and worst vehicles in each coverage type
See losses for other model year ranges:
Loss results are stated in relative terms (100 represents the average result for all vehicles in each loss coverage category).
Insurance losses
by make and model
Auto insurance covers damage to vehicles and property in crashes plus injuries to the people involved in the crashes. Different insurance coverages pay for vehicle damage versus injuries. Different insurance coverages also may apply depending on who's at fault — first-party insurance pays for your own losses, while third-party pays for losses to other people and property for which you're liable.
Losses vary widely among vehicles under all six coverages — even vehicles that are similar in size and type.
These tables show insurance losses for hundreds of passenger vehicles grouped by body style and size under six insurance coverages: collision, property damage liability, comprehensive, personal injury protection, medical payment, and bodily injury.
Results are based on the loss experience of 2008-10 models from their first sales through May 2011. For vehicles that were newly introduced or redesigned during these years, the results shown in this publication are based only on the most recent model years for which the vehicle designs were unchanged — either 2009-10 or 2010 only. Results are grouped according to vehicle body style and then according to size.
These insurance loss results generally are good predictors of the experience of current versions of the same vehicle models. But when automakers substantially redesign their passenger vehicles, the experience of an earlier model with the same name (but not same design) may not predict the experience of the newer design.
How to sit correctly at your computer.
Sitting correctly at your computer, by Jennifer Nelson
Hands. Keep your arms by your sides and position bent elbows slightly higher than your wrists, and your wrists slightly above your hands. Wrists should be in a neutral position. You want to be an arm's length from the screen with the keyboard directly in front of you. The keyboard should be 2 inches above your thighs.
Feet. Keep your feet flat on the floor in front of you, hips' width apart, with knees bent at a little more than a right angle. Keep an inch or two between your knees and the seat to allow for better blood circulation.
Chair. Sit so your thighs are horizontal, with your hips slightly higher than your knees. Keep your knees hips' distance apart (do not cross your legs or ankles). A 100- to 110- degree reclined angle in the chair (rather than a 90-degree angle) may be more comfortable. Rest your forearms so your shoulders are relaxed.
Monitor. Place your monitor so your eyes, looking straight ahead, are between the center and the top of the screen with your chin parallel to the floor.
Head. Your head should be in alignment with your back, not leaning forward. Position your shoulders over your hips and your ears over your shoulders.
Hands. Keep your arms by your sides and position bent elbows slightly higher than your wrists, and your wrists slightly above your hands. Wrists should be in a neutral position. You want to be an arm's length from the screen with the keyboard directly in front of you. The keyboard should be 2 inches above your thighs.
Feet. Keep your feet flat on the floor in front of you, hips' width apart, with knees bent at a little more than a right angle. Keep an inch or two between your knees and the seat to allow for better blood circulation.
Chair. Sit so your thighs are horizontal, with your hips slightly higher than your knees. Keep your knees hips' distance apart (do not cross your legs or ankles). A 100- to 110- degree reclined angle in the chair (rather than a 90-degree angle) may be more comfortable. Rest your forearms so your shoulders are relaxed.
Monitor. Place your monitor so your eyes, looking straight ahead, are between the center and the top of the screen with your chin parallel to the floor.
Head. Your head should be in alignment with your back, not leaning forward. Position your shoulders over your hips and your ears over your shoulders.
26 September 2011
25 September 2011
Suzanne Takes You Down, by Leonard Cohen
Suzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you want to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind.
And Jesus was a sailor
When he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching
From his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain
Only drowning men could see him
He said "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But he himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind.
Now Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbour
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind.
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