netZoo » travel http://netzoo.net musings on new media, social web, culture, tech from a Cubs fan in Los Angeles Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:28:35 +0000 en hourly 1 Copyright © 2010 netZoo andysternberg@gmail.com (Andy Sternberg) andysternberg@gmail.com (Andy Sternberg) posts 1440 celebratin' good times since y2k Andy Sternberg Andy Sternberg andysternberg@gmail.com No no http://netzoo.net/images/feed_logo.gif netZoo http://netzoo.net 144 144 Will All Major U.S. Cities be Connected by High Speed Rail by 2050? http://netzoo.net/will-all-major-u-s-cities-be-connected-by-high-speed-rail-by-2050/ http://netzoo.net/will-all-major-u-s-cities-be-connected-by-high-speed-rail-by-2050/#comments Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:02:20 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2440

It’s possible, according to a new report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) calling for a New Deal-like public works juggernaut that would eventually connect all major cities located within 100 and 500 miles of each other.

Here in Los Angeles, we’d be happy to see our long-promised subway to the sea come to fruition (it’s still due this year). Check out the U.S. PIRG report below:


The Right Track: Building a 21st Century High-Speed Rail System for America –

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]]> http://netzoo.net/will-all-major-u-s-cities-be-connected-by-high-speed-rail-by-2050/feed/ 0 What Happened to Rome’s Bikesharing system? http://netzoo.net/what-happened-to-romes-bikesharing-system/ http://netzoo.net/what-happened-to-romes-bikesharing-system/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:51:08 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2115

bikesharing romeOne of the greater curiosities coming out of my short trip to Rome was the seemingly-thriving bikesharing system. I saw dozens of kiosks around the area where we stayed (Trevi Fountain / Campo de Marzio / Via Veneto / La Spagna).

BUT WHERE WERE THE BIKES?!?

Turns out that the original bikesharing company – Roma’n'Bike – folded and was taken over by the government transit company ATAC (which runs the buses and the Metro) on June 3rd. Bikesharing rates were changed, rules were altered, and within a month, most of the bikes disappeared. Blogs like the Italian-language http://bikesharingroma.com are not buying into the idea that this is necessarily theft-related. Based on the terms of the bikeshare, ATAC could charge your credit card 250 Euro within 24 hours of the bike not being returned.

Now perhaps it’s the language barrier or perhaps I’m missing something. Are Rome’s 50-150 bikesharing bikes missing or stolen? Or is the entire program broken? I’ve found few answers online and fewer when I was there.

More background from the Bike-Sharing blog:

The on again off again love affair with bike-sharing in Rome is on again. As of today, June 1, 2009, Roma’n’Bike was taken over by Rome’s Public Transport Company, Azienda Tranvie ed Autobus del Comune di Roma (ATAC) and rechristened, “atac bikesharing.” This odyssey chronicled in this blog: November 15, 2007: Roam around Rome, June 16, 2008 Bon Giorno, Roma and March 14, 2009 Cemusa closes Roma’n’Bike has been played out like a romance novel. Cemusa, the international advertising company is the jilted suitor, Rome’s Mayor, Gianni Alemanno embraces Bike-sharing then gives it the “cold shoulder,” while the citizens of Rome’s efforts to nurture and grow the program have further embellished the story.

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]]> http://netzoo.net/what-happened-to-romes-bikesharing-system/feed/ 0 bikesharing roma PHOTOS: Rome, Italy July 7-9 2009 http://netzoo.net/photos-rome-italy-july-7-9-2009/ http://netzoo.net/photos-rome-italy-july-7-9-2009/#comments Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:24:24 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2109

The final set of photos from our spectacular seven days of travel to Naples, Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii, and Rome. I’ll provide more detail later but want to get all of these photos up while they’re fresh. View the entire collection of Italy photos in my flickr collection, video from the trip can be found here.

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]]> http://netzoo.net/photos-rome-italy-july-7-9-2009/feed/ 0 VIDEO: The Farnese Bull http://netzoo.net/video-the-farnese-bull/ http://netzoo.net/video-the-farnese-bull/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:35:17 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2098

A walk around the spectacular Toro Farnese on display at the Museo Arquologico Nazionale in Naples, Italy. My girlfriend Lisa Borodkin, who holds a degree in Art History (among others) on the color commentary.

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]]> http://netzoo.net/video-the-farnese-bull/feed/ 0 PHOTOS: Pompeii, Italy, July 6-7, 2009 http://netzoo.net/photos-pompeii-italy-july-5-6-2009/ http://netzoo.net/photos-pompeii-italy-july-5-6-2009/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 07:43:33 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2090

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]]> http://netzoo.net/photos-pompeii-italy-july-5-6-2009/feed/ 1 VIDEO: Inside the Blue Grotto, Anacapri, Italy http://netzoo.net/video-inside-the-blue-grotto-anacapri-italy/ http://netzoo.net/video-inside-the-blue-grotto-anacapri-italy/#comments Sat, 11 Jul 2009 19:02:21 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2085

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]]> http://netzoo.net/video-inside-the-blue-grotto-anacapri-italy/feed/ 0 VIDEO: Monte Solaro Chairlift – Anacapri, Italy http://netzoo.net/video-monte-solaro-chairlift-anacapri-italy/ http://netzoo.net/video-monte-solaro-chairlift-anacapri-italy/#comments Wed, 08 Jul 2009 07:06:11 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2081

stay tuned for more here and view the slideshow here.

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]]> http://netzoo.net/video-monte-solaro-chairlift-anacapri-italy/feed/ 2 PHOTOS: Anacapri, Italy, July 3-6 2009 http://netzoo.net/photos-italy-trip-july-2009/ http://netzoo.net/photos-italy-trip-july-2009/#comments Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:46:00 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=2079

Updated as they’re uploaded to flickr.

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]]> http://netzoo.net/photos-italy-trip-july-2009/feed/ 0 Video: Paul McCartney at Coachella http://netzoo.net/paul-mccartney-at-coachella/ http://netzoo.net/paul-mccartney-at-coachella/#comments Sat, 18 Apr 2009 17:10:05 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/?p=1984

paul mccartneyI saw McCartney over 15 years ago at Soldier Field with the parents and it was one of the greatest concerts I ever saw. Amazingly, at age 67, Sir Paul the Macca was as on top of his game as ever last night at the desert music festival on the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio. He hit nearly all the high notes and many of those are high high high. Over 2.5 hours McCartney and his band played 35 songs. Wow. Standouts were “The End,” “Helter Skelter,” and “Live and Let Die.” See the awesome videos shot below by YouTube user mwillie70. Here’s the setlist via the OC Register:

There’s a ton of blather from me about to go up about his deeply moving performance, largely a tribute to his late wife Linda on the 11th anniversary of her death from breast cancer. Read all about that shortly. But the power of the set list speaks for itself …

Main set: Jet / Drive My Car / Only Mama Knows / Flaming Pie / Got to Get You Into My Life / Let Me Roll It (with a coda of Purple Haze) / Honey Hush / Highway / The Long and Winding Road / My Love / Blackbird / Here Today / Dance Tonight / Calico Skies / Mrs. Vanderbilt / Eleanor Rigby / Sing the Changes / Band on the Run / Back in the U.S.S.R. / Something / I’ve Got a Feeling / Paperback Writer / A Day in the Life > Give Peace a Chance / Let It Be / Live and Let Die / Hey Jude

First encore: Birthday / Can’t Buy Me Love / Lady Madonna
Second encore: Yesterday / Helter Skelter / Get Back / Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) > The End


photo by Mick Orlosky via creative commons.

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]]> http://netzoo.net/paul-mccartney-at-coachella/feed/ 4 paul mccartney Is This the Year of the Cubs? http://netzoo.net/is-this-the-year-of-the-cubs/ http://netzoo.net/is-this-the-year-of-the-cubs/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 00:12:14 +0000 Andy Sternberg http://netzoo.net/is-this-the-year-of-the-cubs/

online casino

Aramis Ramirez, originally uploaded by revolute.

Hard to be as ambitious as I was for most of the 2008 season — that was just too draining, especially having witnessed the final nine innings first hand at Dodger Stadium.

But from the looks of Ramirez’s reaction to the question here — maybe it is? maybe it ain’t?

Either way, very excited for the regular season, beginning Monday night in Houston.

Check out the photos I took last week on my first-ever trip to HoHoKam Park in Mesa, Arizona for spring training. It was a great weekend! Great pics as well, thanks to Lisa’s awesome camera.

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