Gufodotto would like you to read these:

Friday, December 14, 2007

Does eco-tourism disturb Gorillas?

So, here's the fact: I am going to Rwanda (Yes, we know, Luca) next week, and once there my GF's family wants to take me to see the gorillas.

Now I understand that it's nice they're making a conservation effort, so that even if the thing is expensive (500US$/person) it's better than local people shooting the primates for food then clearing the forest for coffee.

But, as far as I understand it, Gorillas are a very shy kind of primates, and may possibly be ennoyed by the continuous stream of tourist, how much concealed they are...

I'd personally go and look at other primates, Chimps in primis as they seem much more active and humans. And I don't know why, but I believe they may suffer less from the human interaction.

So I ask to the primatologists between you, should I stay or should I go? What is your take?

Back in Blog!

Eccomi qua di nuovo. parecchio tempo passato dall'ultimo post. troppo ipegnato fra terminare l'articolo di lunghezza indefinita, che sembra tendere asintoticamente verso le 16 pagine perennemente in correzione, preparare i documenti x il Rwanda e tutto il resto. Includi nel mix una influenza davvero malvagia nell'ultimo fine settimana...

Ora tutto sembra finito, oggi e la prossima settimana dovrebbero essere piu' rilassati. mi auguro. a piu' tardi x un post meno vacuo.

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

YouTube/FaceBook cross posting

Here's an example of what Internet 2.0 can do in terms of rapid dissemination of content: I join a group on facebook, where I see a youtube link which I promptly reference in my own blog: Cool uh? Not nearly as cool as the plant in the movie itself, though, a species of mimosa which folds her leaves when touched...



It apparently belongs to the Triffid family, of Sci-fi fame.

I, for one, welcome our shy motile plant overlords!!!

Thursday, November 29, 2007

100 notable books from the NY Times

Too many to post them all in here.

So go and check them out there.

Talk about Health and Safety

This movie shows how a railway can become... a market!!!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The Decline and Fall of the Animal Kingdom

Carl Zimmer has a new story up on WiReD.

The Decline and Fall of the Animal Kingdom

Incredibly interesting piece detailing how the glorious animal kingdom decreased in size and importance in the last decades.

Courtesy of facebook which let me know about it.

from: here to: eternity

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Mac v PC

Daphne has a blog!!!

Full of pretty sketches!!! Go and check it out!!!

http://daphne-daphn3.blogspot.com/

Monday, November 26, 2007

My new camera has arrived!!!


I say goodbye to my old and battery-incontinent Nikon CoolPix 2100, who served me well for four years and still is in perfect operating conditions, exception made for the fact that a plastic flap has broken and she can't keep her batteries inside any longer. I will be happy to use it again underwater, if I only could find the waterproff case which costed me almost as much as the camera itself.

from now on, however, my main camera will be a Panasonic DMC TZ-3 (blue), one of the best long-zoom compact cameras one can find on the market.



very small ibn size, with hi quality Leica lenses and a formidable 28-280mm equivalent, it goes flawlessly from wide to tele. haven't had the ocasion to try it yet, yesterday I left the batteries to charge.

Tonight I plan on trying it out in some inside shots, followed by outdoor shots in the following days. But she'll have her camp day in one month, when I'll hop on the plane to visit Rwanda!

Mobius Transfrmations

This is an incredibly cool movie made I found on the Tube...



I apologize for my lack of postings, but although I was at home for one week due to a strike at work, I just didn't feel like posting. May be I didn't have anything interesting to say.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Monday, November 12, 2007

Rosario Elettronico.

And from the blog of the guy who was once my comic book pusher, comes the electronic rosario.

Sardinia is the 31st best preserved island in the whole world!!!

Vi giro una notizia riportata da Ila/Alice sul suo sito... ;-)

La Sardegna tra le isole meglio tutelate al mondo

La Sardegna risulta l'isola italiana meglio tutelata e più incontaminata in un monitoraggio con 522 esperti di turismo sostenibile, pubblicato sull'ultimo numero della rivista americana National Geographic Traveler. Lusinghiero il piazzamento tra le 111 isole prese in considerazione, sparse nei cinque continenti.
GeremeasCAGLIARI, 7 NOVEMBRE 2007 - La Sardegna è l'isola italiana più incontaminata. È la prestigiosa rivista americana National Geographic Traveler a certificarlo, con una speciale classifica pubblicata sull'ultimo numero.

La Sardegna si piazza al 31esimo posto nell'elenco generale che comprende le 111 isole più affascinanti del pianeta, staccando notevolmente le altre isole italiane. Il monitoraggio, effettuato in collaborazione con la George Washington University, ha coinvolto 522 esperti di tutto il mondo che hanno puntato la lente su tradizioni, cultura, paesaggio e ambiente delle isole selezionate. Il risultato finale è stato sintetizzato in un punteggio: 71 è il voto assegnato alla Sardegna, 87 quello attribuito alle Far Oer danesi, prime classificate. In fondo alla classifica, St. Thomas delle Isole Vergini e Ibiza con soli 37 punti.

National Geographic Traveler sottolinea come le isole siano "micro-mondi" molto vulnerabili ad inquinamento, cambiamenti climatici e "tourism overkill". È soprattutto il turismo "devastante" uno dei pericoli da cui guardarsi. È necessario piuttosto tutelare e proteggere le isole e promuovere un turismo responsabile. Non a caso svettano in classifica le "inarrivabili" Far Oer.

La Sardegna è descritta come una terra con montagne e villaggi nell'interno e chilometri di coste con lunghe spiagge. Senza dimenticare una "ricca e inusuale" cultura locale.
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Ed ecco la recensione di National Geographic:

Sardinia, Italy
Score: 71

"A rocky and mountainous interior dotted with remote mountain villages which preserve a rich and diverse cultural heritage. Miles of distinctive, unspoiled rocky coastline, with coves, caves, and long sandy beaches."

"A rich, unusual local culture. I particularly enjoyed the Ferragosto celebrations in Olbia. The local wine, cuisine, and handcrafts are all worth exploring."

"Countryside littered with debris. Poor transport networks and underdevelopment of tourist facilities. Aesthetic and cultural integrity of the island is good and needs to be protected."

Ed io aggiungo, alla faccia di Goletta verde che anno dopo anno continua a dare bandiere blu a sproposito a destra e a manca. Con la scusa che E. Coli non si vede le spiagge e le acque limpide di casa nostra vengon tacciate di esser piu' sporche di alcuni tratti devastati dell'Adriatico. Bah...

notare come la Corsica ottenga un punteggio anche piu' alto, 75, mentre capri becca un misero (x la fama che ha) 59.

Toyota Tundra - helping to make it the real thing

Toyota, which prides itself as the greenest car maker in the planet, launched its new HUGE Tundra pickup. Funny name, since thanks to the fact that Toyota, together with the Detroit block, is lobbying the US government not to impose too strict limits on car consumptions, the permafrost once common in the places the thing takes its name from will most likely melt away. Duh!!!



I guess they'll call the next model the Swamp... or something...

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Anatomy of a Balloon Animal

I am stealing this post from the beautiful Streetanatomy blog:

Anatomy of a Balloon Animal



Cut-Off from the grid...

Some people are resorting to cell-phone jammers, illegal in the states (and elsewhere too), to avoid being pestered by loud people conversing close-by.

So say the NY Times.

I believe that the right of a person to enjoy silence is stronger than the right of another person to communicate when it is not strictly necessary...

What do you think?

I want to do it too!!!

I want to climb the kilimanjaro like the NY Times correspondent.

Oh, and between the various news, the NY Times is now on Facebook.