carabungaaa

Nice one

2009-03-31T11:58:00.001-07:00

NO WAY, Man huging lions!

2009-03-31T00:14:00.001-07:00

Instructions for a civilised use of the toilet

2009-03-29T07:49:00.001-07:00

Dell ADAMO

2009-03-19T01:33:00.000-07:00

Laptopul Adamo, care a fost lansat marţi, are un ecran de 13.4 inci, cântăreşte 1,8 kilograme şi măsoară 0,65 inch în grosime, fiind în prezent cel mai subţire laptop din lume.

Dell a lansat marţi pe piaţă laptopul Adamo, despre care reprezentanţii companiei spun că ar fi cel mai subţire laptop din lume, informează dailymail.co.uk.

Adamo, care ar putea deveni concurentul direct al MacBook Air (0,76 inci grosime), lansat de Apple, are 0,65 inci în grosime, cântăreşte 1,8 kilograme şi are un display de 13.4 inci.

În ceea ce priveşte preţul, acesta porneşte de la 1.400 de lire (aproximativ 1.500 de euro) şi poate ajunge, în funcţie de configurarea pe care clientul o doreşte, la 1.900 de lire (aproximativ 2.040 de euro).

via cotidianul.ro

Samsung Xplorer

2009-03-19T01:30:00.000-07:00

Samsung Electronics a prezentat miercuri noul telefon ‘Samsung Xplorer’, care are capacitatea de a funcţiona sub apă şi este rezistent la praf.

Samsung Xplorer’, cel mai nou telefon subacvatic este fabricat din uretan, un material rezistent la şocuri, lovituri, zgârieturi praf şi umezeală.

Conform certificării IP57, Xplorer’este protejat împotriva prafului şi apei şi poate rezista la o adâncime de până la 1m sub apă, timp de 30 de minute.

via cotidianul.ro

FLEGGAARD redivivus

2009-02-11T06:36:00.001-08:00

Extreme revenge!

2009-02-11T04:43:00.001-08:00

HAKA MAORI / woman vs. original :)

2009-02-11T02:25:00.000-08:00

METRONOME ONLINE

2009-02-10T23:56:00.000-08:00

"Validation" is a fable about the magic of free parking

2009-02-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

Ant city, a true megalopolis!

2009-01-30T01:10:00.001-08:00

Great movie done in slow motion

2009-01-28T13:53:00.000-08:00

New York 2008 from Vicente Sahuc on Vimeo.

Financial crises

2009-01-27T03:18:00.001-08:00

The job
by trescourt

T-mobile dance, Liverpool station

2009-01-24T01:25:00.000-08:00

Trunk Monkey .... :):):)

2009-01-23T01:13:00.001-08:00

Fleggaard Advertising, just beautiful :)

2009-01-14T03:02:00.000-08:00

Amon Amarth, Cry of the black birds

2008-12-18T14:06:00.000-08:00

Seri de poveste

2008-12-16T00:13:00.001-08:00

Între 12 şi 21 decembrie Fundaţia Principesa Margareta a României, Cărtureşti şi Teatrul Ion Creangă îi aşteaptă pe copii, părinţi, bunici să împodobească sărbătorile cu poveşti. În fiecare seară, începând cu ora 18.30, în librăria Cărtureşti din Arthur Verona 13, personalităţi îndrăgite şi actori cunoscuţi vor reînvia eroii basmelor şi îi vor purta pe tărâmuri fermecate, citindu-le copiilor din cărţi celebre în cadrul proiectului Seri de poveste.
Anul acesta şi-au anunţat participarea: Ada Milea, Mircea Albulescu, Ion Lucian, Marian Râlea, Alina Darian, Virgil Ianţu, Alessandra Stoicescu, Andrei Zaharescu, Mara Panaitescu, Alexandra Halic, Mihai Verbiţchi, Sandu Mihai Gruia şi mulţi alţii. Înconjuraţi de cărţi şi învăluiţi de atmosfera sărbătorilor de iarnă, mai multe generaţii de povestitori şi ascultători vor sta la poveşti sorbind o cană caldă de cacao cu lapte. Poveştile vor redeveni astfel limbajul comun în care generaţiile dialoghează, îşi transmit valori şi creează continuitate.
Serile vor fi întregite de atelierele de creaţie unde cei mici vor învaţa să deseneze prinţese şi prinţi, cai înaripaţi, vrăjitoare şi balauri furioşi. Pe 21 decembrie editura Vellant va oferi cărţi de poveşti şi trupa Dell‘Arte va prezenta spectacolul Poveste din nord.

If you recognize your father ...

2008-12-11T00:18:00.000-08:00

Rulez, graffiti shop

2008-12-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

Crises rebranding

2008-12-10T05:35:00.001-08:00

Monumental Video projection 2009

2008-12-10T04:08:00.001-08:00

New Romanian Search engine, OKIDOKI

2008-12-04T05:39:00.001-08:00

Long Way Down/Round shop

2008-12-03T05:24:00.001-08:00

For those Long Way Down, Long Way Round, Race to Dakar etc. fans, click on the banner to go to the online shop for loads of good stuff.

Sketch post elections ...

2008-12-03T04:01:00.000-08:00

with compliments from catavencu.ro

Kusturica concert in Bucharest, 10 December

2008-12-03T02:26:00.001-08:00

Aprilia Mana X

2008-12-03T02:00:00.000-08:00

This is the "Mana X" concept from Aprilia ... very nice. It has a V2 engine (850 same as Aprilia Mana), automatic transmission.

* from motoflash.ro

St Nicolas at the peasant museum (MTR)

2008-12-03T01:58:00.000-08:00

Back to 4 whiels...so sad

2008-12-02T07:45:00.001-08:00

Universal Motorcycle hand signals

2008-12-02T04:13:00.001-08:00

Campania Fireblade

2008-12-02T03:02:00.001-08:00

In my shoes, 3 – 31 December 2008

2008-12-02T00:05:00.001-08:00

Poiana Brasov / Club Rossignol

2008-12-01T03:06:00.001-08:00

First weekend on the slopes! I waxed my board, sharpen the edges and enjoyed the ride. More pictures and coments on liberinmiscare.ro

Maradona by. Kusturica

2008-11-28T04:58:00.000-08:00

Found on my door step

2008-11-28T01:10:00.001-08:00

This is the 2nd pair that i found next to my door. They are heart breakers!

Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy

2008-11-28T00:09:00.000-08:00

Oh god, after 13 years, 14 studios and over 13 milion $, Guns N' Roses launched a new album - Chinese Democracy! The material is an eclectic one with electro and hip hop sounds blended with the osound of the old balads and great guitar riffs. Below a sample from our friends on You Tube :)

The world's greenest family of notebooks

2008-11-27T13:18:00.000-08:00

Calatoria - un spectacol de teatru pentru adulti

2008-11-26T02:41:00.001-08:00

Teatrul Undercloud prezinta Joi, 27 noiembrie 2008, Ora 19.00, la Teatrul Ion Creanga premiera “Calatoria” un spectacol de Chris Simion si Ioana Marchidan, dupa nuvela Pescarusul Jonathan Livingstone, de Richard Bach.

CALATORIA este un spectacol emotionant de teatru-dans, realizat dupa nuvela de o sensibilitate uimitoare - Pescarusul Jonathan Livingstone, a lui Richard Bach. Intr-o lume sufocata de vulgaritate, violenta si urat, productia Teatrul Undercloud alege sa vorbeasca despre generozitatea iubirii, despre curaj, despre sansa de a fi diferit si, mai ales, despre libertate...

Cinci tineri se intalnesc, se uita la TV si se fixeaza pe un documentar cu pescarusi. Faptul ca in acest timp fumeaza marijuana ii determina sa isi imagineze ca ei insisi se transforma in pasari. Unul dintre ei isi doreste mai mult decat zborul limitat al celorlati. Stolul il reneaga, il proscrie. Jonathan Livingstone nu renunta la zbor si reuseste sa isi depaseasca limitele. Astfel, reuseste sa intalneasca un alt stol de pescarusi, mai intelepti, care zboara la altitudini inalte si care au ca scop sa traiasca bunatatea si dragostea. Libertatea este natura noastra.

"Cerurile te incarca in diferite feluri. Cauta neincetat sa ramai liber. Inima ta poate iubi tot ce doreste.Viata nu are nici o valoare inchisa intre limite. Te desavarsesti mereu. in fiecare rasarit de soare se naste ceva frumos.CALATORIA aceasta nu are sfarsit."

Distributia:Istvan Teglas, Lari Cosmin Giorgescu, Silviu Bertalan, George Albert Costea, Ioana Marchidan,

Rezervari la 0727.100.856 sau la Casa de Bilete a Teatrului tel: 021.317.85.90
Detalii pe www.daya.ro

Gotan project

2008-11-25T04:55:00.001-08:00

Riders for health

2008-11-24T04:53:00.000-08:00

Riders for health is a great initiative born in motogp. It's all about bringing the necessary medicine to people that need it but are in remote areas and the access is difficult. Below is a short tail of the riders for health initiative conducted by McGregor and Boorman.
If you want to support or find out more about this initiative, visit riders.org

YOU TUBE goes LIVE!

2008-11-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

Punchline.ro

2008-11-21T02:46:00.000-08:00

The first Romanian portal for stand up comedy was launched a couple of days ago! Although stand up comedy entered the country some years back, this is the first on line initiative in promoting this way of expressing ourselves.

Carturesti, 8 years celebration - 22nd of November

2008-11-20T04:47:00.000-08:00

It's been 8 year's since the best known Romanian book store opened it's doors for the first time. Now they are inviting all book lovers for a celebration on the 22nd of November after 21:00!

Hitler got a present, a GS :)

2008-11-20T04:03:00.001-08:00

Media campaign to improve Romania's image in Spain

2008-11-20T02:35:00.000-08:00

I found a media campaign "Ola soy Rumano" done by Saatchi & Saatchi in Evenimentul Zilei.
Here is a part of the article, it's in romanian:
"Campania iniţiată de Guvernul României este menită să prezinte realitatea emigranţilor români: aceştia lucrează în Spania şi au contribuit la creşterea economică a acestei ţări. În comunităţile în care lucrează şi trăiesc, au devenit cu piloni de sprijin şi dezvoltare pentru partenerii lor", declară organizatorii acesteia.

Românii formează cea mai mare comunitate de străini din Spania. Integrarea acestora este, în majoritatea cazurilor, dificilă: o limbă nouă, alte obiceiuri, depărtarea de casă şi în special, reţinerile spaniolilor faţă de noii sosiţi. Cu toate acestea, mulţi dintre cei care au decis să plece în Spania au reuşit să treacă peste aceste greutăţi şi s-au adaptat. "

Directia 5 the future is now

2008-11-19T13:03:00.000-08:00

I made a "print screen" form Directia 5 official web page. There I saw something bloody wired! They scheduled a concert in September 2009 and posted a picture of the band from 2009! They are either visionary or they actually traveled in time. Not even U2, Metallica or Iron Maiden schedule their concerts so far ahead ... way to go.

I finished this year's moto season - 7932km

2008-11-18T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, the day came for me to put by bike in a garage for the winter ... not one of the happiest days of my life :(
I striped her down and took the battery out (I had a challenge with a suborn screw). The meteorologists say that winter is coming so it is time for another passion - snowboarding!! Here are some pictures from today.

The only way to drink beer

2008-11-16T08:14:00.000-08:00

I got a present from Moni and I realized that my life is a lie and I missed all the important things of it! I thought I like beer and I know how to enjoy it. Well, Moni's gift showed me how wrong I was... Here is the beer mug that makes it all worth it ... makes the beer drinking experience worth wile! Drinking from it feels like two german gorgeos ladsys are masaging your neck fer swallow while taking the back of your head between their bussoms!

It's coming ... Ice Age 3!

2008-11-14T05:59:00.001-08:00

John Francis: I walk the Earth

2008-11-12T02:11:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting story that I found on Cezar's blog and I want to share with you.

John Francis was in his twenties when a 1971 oil spill in San Francisco Bay jarred his comfortable life. Even as he joined the volunteers who scrubbed the beaches and fought to save birds and sea creatures poisoned by petroleum, he felt the need to make a deeper, more personal commitment. As an affirmation of his responsibility to our planet, he chose to stop using motorized vehicles and began walking wherever he went. His decision was greeted with surprise, disbelief, and even mockery – but it was only the start of a much deeper transformation. A few months later he took a vow of silence that would last seventeen years. Watch this video of his talk at TED.
His book is the story of a man who, on foot and in silence, has rediscovered rhythms in nature that most of us have forgotten, and learned to communicate his understanding and empathy without speaking a word. He walked across the Pacific Northwest, crossed the Sierra and Rocky Mountains, and traversed America from coast to coast. Along the way – and without a word – he earned undergraduate and Masters degrees in science and environmental studies and a PhD in land resources.

Illustrated by John’s sketches and complemented by practical wisdom on how we too can follow the trail that he has blazed, Planetwalker chronicles positive experiences and challenging times, bears witness to the beauty of our world and the vivid characters who inhabit it, and shares the insights of a pilgrim philosopher who has truly earned his wisdom step by step by step.

You can order the book from here.

A woman's walet

2008-11-08T05:11:00.001-08:00

If you ever wondered what would a woman use if the purse wouldent exist, here is the answer. No bullshit, this is a pursless woman' walet!

The Cure - Pictures of you & Lovesong

2008-11-04T03:49:00.001-08:00

Today my work colleague send me the link to the video below which reminded me about one of the greatest bands ever - The Cure. For you to enjoy, the concert version of Pictures of You and Lovesong

The Wisdom Project, by Andrew Zuckerman

2008-11-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Andrew Zuckerman:The Wisdom Project

By Bija Gutoff

Filmmaker and photographer Andrew Zuckerman thinks hard-won insights should be shared. That’s why he’s releasing The Wisdom Project, a one-hour documentary film and companion book that share the collective experiences of 51 luminaries over age 65, including authors, artists, and world leaders from Willie Nelson to Nelson Mandela.

Inspired by the ancient African concept of ubuntu, which emphasizes human connectedness—I am what I am because of who we all are—Zuckerman set out to gather and communicate the lessons his extraordinary subjects have learned about love, work, the environment, and conflict resolution. “We live in a confusing and fast-changing world,” says the filmmaker. “It’s a great time to look to our elders, to see what they have to say that can help us.”

With a grueling production schedule and interviews conducted around the world, Zuckerman and his team needed the right tools to help bring everything together. An all-Mac studio and a fleet of Mac laptops on the road allowed them to plan, capture, review, and produce the project’s video and still images, and communicate easily with one another from New York to Los Angeles, Sydney, London, and beyond.

Because Zuckerman and his team all had the same Mac equipment, trading materials back and forth was seamless. The tight integration also meant that when Zuckerman returned to New York to begin the real editing, there were no surprises. “Final Cut Studio and the other Mac tools gave us a kind of insurance policy,” he says. “We knew we had what we needed to create the look I wanted in the final piece.”

Tour through Cheia, Brasov, Buzau, Bucuresti

2008-11-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

Today I went for a ride with 3 other guys (all 3 on BMW's). We left Bucharest at 10:00 AM and came back at around 19:00, 440km. It was a beautiful sunny day, worm weather ... I don't think this will happen again until spring! I was always last since I was the least experienced of all with the weakest bike but going slower has it's advantages ... I had more time to enjoy the splendid scenery :) We had a late lunch at hotel Ciuta.

Ducati Monster 1100

2008-10-30T03:49:00.000-07:00

Moto GP 2008 season finish

2008-10-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

It's official, Valentino Rossi is the World Champion at the end of a fantastic 2008 season! The key race was in Laguna Seca where Rossi battled like a lion with Stoner to take his first ever victory on the american soil! Today in Valencia, in the last race of the season, Stoner won with Pedrosa 2nd and Rossi 3rd (coming from the 10 place on the starting grid).
Rossi broke another record, related to the total number of points gathered in a season - 373! He is also the only pilot to have scored points in all the races this season, finishing 16 times on the podium - wining 9 races.

Vaaaai Vale!

2009 under the sign of the Yamaha YZF R1

2008-10-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Apple, LED Display de 24 de inch

2008-10-24T05:53:00.001-07:00

Noul monitor are o diagonala de 24 de inchi si un ecran widescreen iluminat prin tehnologia LED, o camera iSight integrata, microfon si boxe, integrate intr-o carcasa faina de aluminiu si sticla. Monitorul mai include si un cablu MagSafe ce permite incarcarea notebook-ului, doua porturi USB 2.0 si un Mini DisplayPort. La noi il gasiti in magazilene iStyle din Bucuresti si Cluj.

Metallica, official material for YouTube

2008-10-24T05:33:00.000-07:00

Lars congratulates YouTube users for their great versions of Metallica songs. Metallica's new album "Death Magnetic" released September 12th, 2008 - official trailer next to Lars :)

Max Payne

2008-10-23T23:19:00.001-07:00

I saw this movie last night at the cinema. Prety dark, violent, nice effects ... relaxing. The shots and atmosphere resemble The Craw.

Lunch in Cheia

2008-10-20T22:15:00.001-07:00

Last Sunday we went for a ride to Cheia and we had lunch there. Beautiful day, amazing autumn colours! On the way it was a bit cold though :) Coming back i was stoped for the very first time (on 2 whiels) by the police. Just a routine check...hughhh, i thought i missed seeing a radar!

Rossi wins in Sepang!

2008-10-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

I know this has become a habit this year (thank god) but ... Rossi wins again! He started from 2nd in Malaysia with Pedrosa in pole position and Lorenzo 3rd.
Everybody expected a shotgun start from Pedrosa, as he usually does when e starts first, but Rossi managed to keep the rhythm after passing an excelent Dovitiozo!

He stayed behind the Spaniard for a couple of laps then overtook him when the poor dude least expected it. From that point onwards there was no race at the front, Rossi pulling away swiftly.
The show was behind where we had a good battle between Dovitiozo and Hayden. It was the first opportunity for the italian to get his first potium in motogp and for Hayden to beat his future replacement in Team Honda HRC. In the end, after a number of overtakings on both sides, Divitiozo managed to keep the 3rd place. Stoner finished 6th (i think) and was dead tired and dehidrated at the end of the race.
Note: the temperature was 42C in the shade and in 250 class Passini did not manage to finish the race due to exhaustion (he was not able to get off the byke once he got to the boxes) and Simoncelli, although happy, wasn't abble to talk in the official interviews at the end of the race.

Vaaai Vale! Next race in Valencia next week.

BRISINGR - The 3rd volume of Eragon was launched!

2008-10-18T01:04:00.000-07:00

Finally! After so many ears of waiting, Christopher Paolini' s 3rd book was unleashed on its public. It is a book about knights and dragons, wright and wrong, darkness and light. It's a book that everyone, from kids to elders, will enjoy. I can't wait to find it in our stores, buy it and read the damn thing!

It's always snowing somewhere

2008-10-14T01:57:00.001-07:00

An event promoted by Burton. The cinema was packed last evening. The movie showed the Burton riders roaring down on amazing sloaps, all around the globe. amazing!

Hondboata

2008-10-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to "Poiana Tapului". Left Bucharest on Friday evening and on the way to the mountains we saw a beautiful sun set! Saturday clear sky and a great view over the Caraiman mountain. We took the cabin up the mountain and visited the "old ladies" and the sphinx.

Unfortunately on Sunday the weather turned and it rained like hell!

I left on by Hondboata at 12 and at 14:00 I was in Bucharest. On the way it rained so hard that the rain drops looked like hale / small pieces of ice bouncing off me and off the bike.
The wet gear did a fair job but the boots were soaked and every time i changed gears there was a squish accompanied by a wet/cold feeling :)
The gloves were soaked as well and my hands had a very strong pink color when i took the gloves off.
One weird thing is that at a certain point the visor of the helmet was fogy although I have a pin lock system...

The bike handled superbly and was always on track - no slide what so ever.

"Don't vote"

2008-10-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Rossi wins the world title!

2008-09-29T14:20:00.000-07:00

Vale did it again and won another world title after a 2 year break! He did it on the Motegi circuit in Japan, beating on the track Lorenzo, Pedrosa and Stoner - in this order.
After the race the mayor of Tavulia signed and sealed his helmet and officialesed Rossi's nomination as mayor of the city for 1 day :)
The race was not spectaculous but it proved once again the great yeat that Rossi had!
Vaaaaai Vale!

The island of Santorini

2008-09-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

The headlines of the past weekend!

2008-09-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a busy one :) I went to Timisoara, got married, came back to Bucharest (12h trip because we got stuck on the road for 3h ... accident) and took an early flight to Santorini (Greece) via Athens (where I am writing from right now).

Iron Maiden, Fear of the Dark in Bucharest

2008-08-04T23:57:00.000-07:00

Iron Maiden concert, Bucharest '08

2008-08-04T23:43:00.000-07:00

The Iron Maiden concert rocked the house last night on Cotroceni stadium. More then 20.000 head bangers of all ages accompanied them throughout the story's unraveled on the stage. From Run to the Hills and The Trooper to Fear of the Dark, the Iron Maiden sent chills on the spines of their fans. I am not kidding, a lot of people ware transfigured while singing along with Dickinson. The sound was impeccable, the only sad note (and this is a personal note) is that I felt that Dickinson had a tired voice ... sometimes he faded . This was anyway erased by the massive energy he and the band put in the show! Opening for them was Lauren Harris that sounded quite good and the Romanian band Trooper that got cut off at a certain point ... generator failure :)

Movie recommendation / Mongol

2008-07-28T13:22:00.001-07:00

Metallica, opening '08 + Kirk solo

2008-07-24T02:22:00.000-07:00

Metallica for the 2nd time in Romania

2008-07-23T23:00:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the Metallica concert! They came back after 9 years and had a hell of a concert in Bucharest. They started with Creeping Death and picked it up from there. The public was great, especially since it was raining like hell for almost the entire concert! The sound was better (my opinion) then in '99 but the show was less impressive though they did use some effects for One and Enter Sandman that worked very well :)

The last 40min ware better ... I guess they finally wormed up and started to really connect with us! Going at it live for almost 2:30 hours, giving us high quality music after all these years ... i love these guys!
One thing that I found odd is that they didn't sing anything from St. Anger or the new album that will be out in September.

Rossi's interview after his victory at Laguna Seca

2008-07-21T03:00:00.001-07:00

Valentino Rossi wins an amazing race at Laguna Seca!

2008-07-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

VALENTINO ROSSI IS THE RACE WINER AT LAGUNA SECA (USA)! It was an amazing race where Rossi battled with Stoner 2/3 of the race. In lap 24 Stoner brakes late and lost the grip on the rear tire. Avoiding the impact with Rossi he ended up outside the circuit and went down. He lost a lot of time but still managed to finish 2nd due to the amazing speed at which he and Rossi traveled. They passed each other several times BUT, after a long time, I saw the old Rossi back! He had a very good start and passed Stoner (who had the pole position) in the cork screw chicane! He was aggressive, determined, fast and always had a response to Stoner's attacks! One of the most beautiful races I have ever seen and Rossi won!
They both have Bridgestone tires (the first 4 that finished the race have Bridgestone) and the same compound for the front (medium) and the rear (hard).
Lorenzo "managed" to fly again at the beginning of the race and screwed his left leg again. He lost grip with his rear tire and in the middle of a curve and when he got it back the bike threw him off for a huge leap!
Gooooooooo Rossi!

in trafic ...

2008-07-16T02:04:00.000-07:00

A ride to Slanic Prahova

2008-07-12T10:44:00.000-07:00

Today I took Moni for a two wheel ride to Slanic Prahova. I won't talk about the ride, this time, but about the salt mine (I have to mention though that Moni was very brave for her first ride outside Bucharest and she complained about butt aches only when we got there:))
The mine is 208m deep and 58m tall. It's a huge salt mine that impressed the both of us. We went down with a pretty wired elevator where we were squeezed by a lot of people... It bounced off the walls all the way down and our ears popped a couple of times :)
Huge salty walls, salt statues of Eminescu, Decebal, Traian and a dude on a horse (Moni says he is Mihai Viteazu)...
Well, an image speaks a 1000 words so here they are.

New winscreen on my Honda

2008-07-08T03:45:00.001-07:00

I decided to install a windscreen (Puig, adjustable hight) on my bike. The last trip to Vama Veche determined me to get it. At high speed is priceless!
Since I went "shopping" I went for broke and bought equipment for Moni as well + rain gear included ... for Moni a flashy green :):)

I was afraid I won't like it with the windscreen on but I do, uhhh.

Fireworks contest in Bucharest

2008-07-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Today is the 3rd and last day of the fireworks contest in Bucharest. There are 6 fireworks company's from 6 countries displaying a fireworks show synchronized with music. The show is spectacular and I can't wait to see the last 2 countries tonight. The organizers are promoting the idea of driving a motorcycle and leave the cars at home so we have a free entrance!! Each show takes about 15-20 minutes and has 2 parts. One part is assigned by the organizers - all of them have to present a show on "Ciocirlia" and the second half is whatever they like. Here are some pictures from the event.

Mamaia beach, June 2008

2008-07-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

Live a little ...

2008-06-16T11:36:00.000-07:00

Spending 2 days in Vama Veche I remembered how good it feels to relax and spend some quality time. Siting on the beach just looking at the sea, listening to good music from Stuf.
Bogdan Popescu thought me how to play with the kite. Swimming in the sea ( a bit cold in thefirst 10 seconds) and eating sea food and pantcakes with wierd names (cioara perversa) ...

My first real ride!

2008-06-15T10:45:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to the Black Sea, more precisely, to Vama Veche together with Moni and Pode. Since Moni doesn't have all the motorcycle equipment (yet) she went with Pode's car and I took my Honda. I managed to get there and back as quick as they did with his Seat Leon FR but my ass hurts :) In Vama there were a lot of good looking bikes like the ones in the picture but the coolest ones arrived Saturday night. A crew of slovak riders came on BMW's ... nice image. Anyway, on the way back it rained like hell until Constanta and I was as wet as it gets but i was dry when I reached Bucharest. Besides, the moisture was absorbed by the cohorts of mosquitoes that i murdered on the way :)

In Catalunya - 1st Pedrosa, 2nd Rossi 3rd Stoner

2008-06-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Race winner Dani Pedrosa and his fellow podium finishers all faced the cameras after the Gran Premi Cinzano de Catalunya to give their thoughts on the Barcelona showdown.

Dani Pedrosa – Race Winner

`I don't know where the pace came from. It was a fantastic race, amazing to win. I won in 125cc and 250cc here, so now to win in MotoGP is great. The other two were pushing hard. I went to a different setting than yesterday, and it worked.´

Valentino Rossi – Second Place

`What a race! I´m very happy; I had a lot of fun with overtaking. I´m pleased with 20 points, but knew that if we were going to beat Dani then we´d have to start at the front. It was a great battle with Casey, which I enjoyed a lot.´

Casey Stoner – Third Place

`For some reason we had no rear feeling entering the corners from the first lap. I lost a lot of confidence because in these corners you need hard braking as you´re cornering. Generally I wasn't happy at all with my riding today. In the end it was just a battle with vale at the end; he was close to me a few times, I could feel him. I have to be happy with a podium in any case.´

* article & photo from www.motogp.com

"Plai" festival in Timisoara

2008-06-02T04:45:00.000-07:00

PLAI Festival 2008 - Tour of the world, without a visa, in about 6 months or so ...
PLAI Festival means culture without a visa, movement with no restrictions, sound with no compromises and 2008 brings the third round of this adventure. The third edition of PLAI Festival, (12-14 September, Banat Village Museum, Timisoara, Romania), will bring together fantastic world music and Romanian traditional craftwork, the youngest and their parents, dance workshops and crash language courses, theatre and debates and joggling, people from all over the Romania and abroad, all brought together by the same pleasure of discovering each other.

Depth of feeling: Mariza’s fado (Portugal)Mariza is of Mozambican roots, but the place which really carved fado music into her heart, the place where she grew up, is Portugal. Fado, a Portuguese word which translates as “fate”, is the name of nostalgia itself. Longing for a departed loved one, longing for a faraway home, longing for the sake of longing, this is what fado music is. Mariza, the world’s most popular fado singer, will bring to PLAI Festival all of the humanity and beauty of this traditional Portuguese music, a piece of Portugal itself.

Madly alive’n’kickin: Fanfare Ciocarlia (Romania)Winners of the 2006 BBC Radio World Music Awards, Fanfare Ciocarlia are a band of 12 amazing Rroma brass players from a village of North-East Romania. Incredibly vivid rhythms and crowds of public who cannot but dance to their firy Gypsy songs mixed with Romanian, Turkish, Macedonian or Bulgarian tunes – this is what Fanfare Ciocarlia is about. The madness of the dance, the authentic good mood they share will bring us closer to the essence, closer to sheer multiculturalism, closer to one another.

More information on www.plai.ro

Rossi wins at Mugelo for the 7th time in a row!

2008-06-02T03:51:00.000-07:00

This article is taken from Eurosport and is in italian ... in english it just louses its flavor... sory for the ones thagt don't understand italian :)

Eurosport - lun, 02 giu 10:53:00 2008
Valentino Rossi si aggiudica per la settima volta di fila il Gp d'Italia, tagliando in solitaria il traguardo. Secondo Stoner, terzo Pedrosa che precede de Angelis. Il Dottore consolida il primato in classifica generale
E' ufficiale: il Mugello è definitivamente il regno di Valentino Rossi (Yamaha). Il Dottore, infatti, non ha rivali sul circuito toscano. Terza vittoria consecutiva in questa stagione per il campione di Tavullia, e settimo (si, avete capito bene) trionfo di fila nel Gp d'Italia. Se poi aggiungiamo anche i sigilli in 125cc (1997) e 250cc (1999), si capisce ancora meglio come sia quasi impossibile sbalzare il Dottore dal gradino più alto del podio nel Gp italiano.
Rossi, che partiva in pole, scatta malissimo al via (e anche questa non è una novità) e viene passato dai vari Stoner, Pedrosa e Capirossi. Immediata, però, la risposta del Dottore che impiega poche curve per passare Capirex e a incollarsi ai tubi di scarico della Honda di Pedrosa, che però resiste alla furia di Rossi per soli altri due giri.

Il Dottore prescrive la stessa cura a Stoner (Ducati) con un sorpasso da manuale alla 'S' in discesa. Prima posizione che il pilota della Yamaha non mollerà più fino alla bandiera a scacchi, aumentando sul duo inseguitore a ogni giro, guadagnando più di un decimo a ogni settore della pista. Gara ai limiti della perfezione per Rossi che ottiene così la 91esima vittoria in carriera, eguagliando così un altro mito dei motori, anche se a quattro ruote: un certo Michael Schumacher .

Stoner e Pedrosa si devono accontentare di completare il gradino del podio: punti preziosi per lo spagnolo della Honda che stacca in classifica generale Lorenzo (out per aver osato troppo in un tentativo di sorpasso a Dovizioso, ndr) e resta solo al secondo posto con 110 punti. Primo del Mondiale, ovviamente, Valentino Rossi, che grazie a questi 25 punti, sale a quota 122; Stoner, invece, rifiata leggermente risalendo a quota 76.
Gli altri italiani: Alex de Angelis (Honda Gresini) chiude quarto, nonostante una partenza sciagurata ma compensata da una gara da campione del pilota di San Marino. Capirossi (Suzuki), nonostante il terzo posto nelle qualifiche, finisce settimo, davanti a Dovizioso (Honda Team Scot). Ennesima domenica da dimenticare per Marco Melandri (Ducati), out dopo pochi giri (quando comunque era in lotta nelle retrovie).

*article & photo, eurosport.com

2008-05-31T06:51:00.000-07:00

Fiat Yamaha´s Italian idol Valentino Rossi entertained the crowd with the unveiling of an eye-catching special edition Mugello helmet in the MotoGP Saturday morning free practice session, as has become the custom on his home race weekend.

Rossi´s Aldo Drudi-designed AGV helmet features a picture of his own face, displaying a highly excited expression, which the five-time premier class title-winner believes can provide his army of fans with an idea of how it feels to ride the Yamaha M1 around the undulating Mugello circuit at speeds in excess of 320 kh/h.

The current MotoGP standings leader hopes the helmet will bring him luck as he seeks to secure a seventh successive Mugello win in front of his adoring fans in the Tuscan hills on Sunday, to extend his title advantage and build on the back of his recent victories in China and France.

*photo & article, www.motogp.com

Travel bug

2008-05-30T01:34:00.000-07:00

I read yesterday that according to the Chinese horoscope I am a horse. I always thought of myself as a decent homo sapient sapient ... go figure. To top all this, I really do not produce so much manor on a daily basis, honestly :)
Reading my friends news and talking to them I feel that the "different experience and emotions" bug is lurking his way in my brain ... closer and closer to the decision center! How does this need fit with the natural tendency to settle down and enjoy what you have ... beats me.
I hope, in a couple of years, I will be able to get a 1/2 year vacation, take my wife and experience the places I am interested in. I want to go back to Sri Lanka and stay there for a couple of months, go see Mongolia which was always a point of interest for me. I know so little about it! Argentina and New Zeeland are the other 2 destinations that would fill me up for a good period of time.
These are my hopes .... let's see what the "horse" can do about it :)

STONEHENGE

2008-05-30T00:58:00.000-07:00

Stonehenge: An international premiere that unravels new proof about a the lost city that once stood next to the mysterious prehistoric monument.

Narrated by Donald Sutherland, Stonehenge - the documentary will be aired on the 1st of June at 22:00 only on National Geographic channel.

"Stonehenge stood as giant tombstones to the dead for centuries, new radiocarbon dating suggests. The site appears to have been intended as a cemetery from the very start, around 5,000 years ago—centuries before the giant sandstone blocks were erected—the new study says.

New analysis of ancient human remains show that people were buried at the southern England site from about 3000 B.C. until after the first large stones were raised around 2500 B.C.
"This is really exciting, because it shows that Stonehenge, from its beginning to its zenith, is being used as a place to physically put the remains of the dead," said Mike Parker Pearson of England's University of Sheffield.
"It's something that we just didn't appreciate until now."
Parker Pearson heads the Stonehenge Riverside Project, a seven-year archaeological investigation of the Stonehenge area, supported by the National Geographic Society's Committee for Research and Exploration. (The National Geographic Society owns National Geographic News.)

Cremated Humans Analyzed

The new finding supports the theory that Stonehenge represented the "domain of the dead" to ancestor-worshiping ancient Britons, Parker Pearson said.
Previously it was believed that Stonehenge was a place of burial only between about 2700 and 2600 B.C., the new report says.
But new radiocarbon dates spanning 500 years were obtained for three cremated humans (photo) unearthed in 1950s at Stonehenge and kept at the nearby Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum.
The earliest cremation, a pile of burned bones and teeth, came from one of 56 pits called the Aubrey Holes (map of the layout of Stonehenge, including Aubrey Holes).
These remains were dated to the monument's first phase, when a circular bank and ditch were created on Salisbury Plain. The second cremation, from inside the ditch surrounding Stonehenge, is said to be that of an adult buried between 2930 to 2870 B.C.
The latest burial studied, from the ditch's northern side, was identified as that of a woman in her twenties. It dates to 2570 to 2340 B.C.—the period when the huge sandstone blocks known as sarsen stones were put up.
"We're looking at a long-term use of the monument for burying the dead," Parker Pearson said.
It's estimated that up to 240 people are buried at Stonehenge in total, mainly in the Aubrey Holes. It is the largest known cemetery of its time in Britain.

Elite Dynasty
The remains of almost 50 ancient people were dug up in the 1920s, but they were thought to be of no scientific value and so were reburied.
Previous excavations by the project team indicate that Stonehenge was linked via the River Avon and two avenues to a matching timber monument at nearby Durrington Walls.
(See map of the Stonehenge-Durrington area.)
The paired circles—Stonehenge and the wooden circle at Durrington—represented the realms of the living and the dead, according to Parker Pearson.
The theory is that the majority of the dead were deposited in the river upstream at Durrington Walls. Only "a select few"— possibly because of their special status as members of an elite dynasty of rulers—were buried at Stonehenge itself, he said.
The new dating evidence indicates that these chosen few must have been interred over centuries.
Artifacts buried with these dead are sparse, but one of them provides a clue. "One of the grave goods from Stonehenge is very unusual. It's the head of a stone mace, and it's the kind of artifact that may well have been a symbol of authority," he said.
Parker Pearson notes that a later burial from around 2000 B.C. at a nearby site called Bush Barrow belonged to an important chief, who possessed a similar mace.
The team uncovered a small section of the River Avon's ancient streambed in hopes of finding the remains of common folk whose bodies had been ceremonially thrown in.
Burnt hazel sticks were found, but no bones.
"It's a shame, but the odds were kind of against us," said Parker Pearson, who wasn't permitted to excavate where he suspects the dead were put in the river, at the point where the Avon meets the avenue leading down from Durrington Walls.
Andrew Fitzpatrick of Wessex Archaeology, a consulting firm based in Salisbury, wasn't part of the study team.

He said the new dates for the cremation burials are consistent with other evidence.
But on their own, three dates don't prove Stonehenge was used continually as a cemetery, he said.
"And of course, the team is dealing with material from old excavations, so they can't be 100 percent confident where it comes from," Fitzpatrick said.
Archaeologists working at Stonehenge are in a "very difficult position" because of the destruction caused by past digs and the desire to preserve what's left, he commented.
The idea that the Stonehenge burials represent a prehistoric elite fits in with a pattern seen elsewhere, Fitzpatrick said.
"At no stage in prehistory in Britain do we seem to have enough burials," he said.
"So the extension to that argument is that only certain people are being chosen for burial.
"The rest are either left out in the wild for scavenging animals to pick their bones clean. Or they're just thrown into rivers."

Seasonal Village Found
The Stonehenge Riverside Project's other finds in 2007 included further insights into a large seasonal village at Durrington Walls, where the builders of Stonehenge likely lived.
One of the houses was found to have been made of chalk plaster—the earliest such construction known in Britain.
"All the little details of daily life were preserved in the floor," such as the imprints of beds, a dresser, and an oval-shaped hearth, the Riverside project's Parker Pearson said.
Several houses were also uncovered along the avenue to the river, which may have been used by spectators during religious processions, he said.

Unsuspected Source
Other team members found evidence that some of the stones at Stonehenge were transported earlier than believed and had a previously unsuspected source.
A megalith referred to as the Altar Stone has been thought to have been picked up in Milford Haven, Wales—the assumed departure point for the monuments' "bluestones," from the Preseli Hills in southwest Wales, which are thought to have been floated downriver to the Stonehenge site.
But a new geological study of the Altar Stone suggests it actually came from the Brecon Beacons region of inland Wales, in which case it would have been lugged overland to England.
"There may well have been a much wider series of sources for these stones," Parker Pearson said.
Furthermore, fragments of the same type of Welsh stone were identified from the nearby Stonehenge Cursus—a long, cigar-shaped ditched enclosure. The Cursus had been created centuries before the stone circle was constructed.
"It's making us think that this connection with Wales might really have been quite long lasting and not just to do with Stonehenge," Parker Pearson said.

*photo and article, National Geographic

Sexy music video

2008-05-22T04:05:00.001-07:00

Motorcycle diary

2008-05-20T00:24:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a book called "The motorcycle diary" which is the story of Ernesto "Che" Guevara traveling through the Latin America together with a good friend. It is interesting to see the man behind the mith and travel with him in a period of time where he wasn't "El Lider maximo". I highly recommend it as an interesting read that will widen your perspective about this man.

* photo from amazon.com

2008-05-18T21:38:00.000-07:00

Valentino Rossi does it again! After the victory in China 2 weeks ago he won the GP of France at Le Mans ... and what a victory! After starting 4th from the grid he passed in the first 5-6 laps all the riders ahead of him (Pedrosa, Stoner, Edwards) and then he seemed to have installed a 7th gear. At a certain point there was a 12'' difference between 1st and 2nd!
Too bad for Stoner that broke his engine and had to settle for last place ... no points. In the second place came ... oh yes, Jorge Lorenzo! He has 2 broken ankles and managed to finish 2nd! He couldn't even stand when he got off his bike!!! AMAZING!

Vaaaaaaai Rossi!

Is 190km/h possible on Honda CBF500?

2008-05-17T07:25:00.001-07:00

Well the truth is that I still don't know if my Honda can make 190km/h. Today I was in the mood for a quick run on the highway and I pushed it to 180km/h. Probably because of a small slope it didn't quite make it all the way :) and I didn't feel like pushing it for too long. I think I identifyed the source of the noise ... must be the chain. I cheked it out and it looks like all the grease is gone - again. I hope the service mechanics will have a solution on monday.

First service check

2008-05-13T10:21:00.001-07:00

Today I took my bike to its first service check (1000km). They changed the oil and the oil filter, cleaned and greased the chain and other stuff :)

The mechanic tolled me there was zero grease on the chain and it was pretty louse ... this is because I was caught in the rain a couple of times and it washed the stuff away. I should pay more attention to this kind of stuff from here on. At this place there was a real motor show :)

There is one anoying thing I need to mention though ... for a couple of days now, my bike produces a very iritating noise ... it;s like metal rubs against metal. I will call the guys from the service shop and make an apointment...

Today my Honda did 160km/h

2008-05-10T09:00:00.001-07:00

Well, I didn't have anough patience to wait and complete the first 1000km with my bike and do the first service check untill I pushed her a bit. I waited for 1 month ... that should count for somethind :)

Today I woke up and there was a beautiful sunny morning waiting for me. Had a tea with Moni and took my bike for a ride on the highway. I kept a constant speed of 100 - 110km/h for about 50km and then I couldn't take it anymore and I had to push it a bit.

Now I know that 160km/h on a naked bike with no windscreen is prety tence :) Well, here is my helmet that eliminated half of the mosquito pupulation from the highway area :) There was one gray cloud on the entire road and it had to pee on me! For 2 km there was heavy rain and I was washed from all my sins!

Metallica is coming to Bucharest again!

2008-05-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

Thank god! After 9 years Metallica is coming back to Bucharest for a live concert! Last time they played in July 1999 on Lia Manoliu stadium (which doesn't exist anymore :). I came from Timisoara during exam time and my father was ok with it!! That was a schocker :)

This time they are coming (without Jason Newsted .... 4 years since he left the band ... shit) to play in Cotroceni stadium on the 23rd of July and I got the ticket!

Interesting virus

2008-05-09T04:10:00.000-07:00

Engine type - 4 stroke

Number of cylinders - 2 L shaped 90°'a1

Bore - 104 mm

Stroke - 58.8 mm

Displacement - 999 cc

Compression ratio - 11.9:1

Lubrication system - Forced by pump at gear

Cooling system - Water cooled

Power - 150 Bhp

Valve gear - 4 valve Desmo system

Clutch - Dry multiple disk

Gear box - 6 speed

Fuel injection - Electronic EFI euro 1

Front suspension - Progressive link Double system

Rear suspension - Direct Double system

Frame - Double omega design

Steering - From 18° to 24°

Trail - From 80 mm to 105 mm

Front brake - 320 mm twin floating disks

Rear brake - 210 mm single disk

Front tyre size - 120 75 zr 17 – mt 3.50

Rear tyre size - 190 50 zr 17 - j 5.50

Dry weight - 157 kg

Tank capacity - 14,5 litres

Wheelbase - 1375 mm

Jorge Lorenzo, crazy fall in China !

2008-05-06T01:05:00.000-07:00

He fell during practice and broke an ankle ... even Rossi couldn't look!

The great national "sfaraietion"

2008-05-06T00:51:00.001-07:00

"Marea sfaraiala nationala" as it was called the 1st of May holiday, was an event that I spent with my friends - outdoors.

We fried a "mic", drank several beers and enjoyed a day in the sun on the banks of Timis river.

My dog, Snoopy the killer!

2008-05-06T00:45:00.000-07:00

Up to you to decide who is the dog and who is the cat :)