All posts filed under: Bits & Pieces

Yoga versus the Galaxy

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There is a long list of beauty, fashion & tech items that will make it into my Christmas 2013 Wishlist (& you’ll get to see them soon, since there will be a relevant post at a later date). If however I had to chose one single item, right now, that would definitely have to be a tablet. My tech-y self has resisted the trend for far too long and now absolutely needs to give in… Problem is I cannot seem to decide whether I should follow my gut instinct and go with the Lenovo Yoga tablet 10 (which I recently came across online and immediately fell in love with) or play it safe (?) with a good old Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 8.0. VERSUS Reviews are mixed, with some singing Lenovo’s praises and others claiming you’re much better off steering clear of the company’s latest offering. Now, I’ve never been a huge fan of Samsung (despite the rave these last couple of years) and also have to admit that the Yoga tablet’s sleek and clever design …

Save the Orangutans

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Parts of Indonesia, the last remaining place on Earth where endangered orangutans, rhinos, elephants and tigers still roam free together are in danger. Local Government in Aceh, Sumatra plans to let mining and palm oil companies move in to decimate areas the size of a million football fields, in one of Indonesia’s most pristine and untouched forests. And it looks like the national Forestry Ministry will let the plan go ahead unless President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono steps in to reject it. The “Plan to kill Orangutans” petition on Avaaz currently features 1,253,542 signatures and will need to reach a total of 1,500,000. If you feel that it is imperative to stop greed & dirty politics from destroying one of the last few remaining pieces of paradise on earth you should add your name to the ever-growing list, here. Similar petitions can be found here, here & here.

RUN GREECE

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Life held a lovely little surprise for me, this morning 🙂 While checking my e-mail (which btw is usually, mostly full of uninteresting newsletters and software/ website updates), I came across a mail from SEGAS (the Hellenic Athletics Federation which organizes a series of sporting/ running events incl. the annual Athens Classic Marathon), informing me of a new series of races to be held at different Greek cities throughout the year. Starting at Ioannina on the 19th of May, “RUN GREECE” will also be held in Patras on the 29th of September (with a 5 & 10K scheduled). Suffices to say I’ll be joining for…something. Not sure if it will be the 5K (followed by the 10K in Athens on 10/11) or the 10K itself (not bothering to travel up to Athens at all), but it will be something 😉 Cudos to SEGAS for offering runners from outside the main Greek urban centers (ie. Athens, Thessaloniki) the -refreshing- opportunity to register for and participate in running events in (or around) their own hometowns.

Lucky Spindles

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Spindles is incredibly lucky to be alive. His mother, Michaela, a beautiful grey donkey, had been rescued from certain death after being abandoned in the desert. Blind, emaciated and with a broken leg, no-one knew she was about to have a baby – Spindles was a surprise to everyone. But the neglect she suffered meant his legs hadn’t formed properly. Spindles, was born prematurely, before his legs had the chance to form properly. They began to collapse under his weight until he could hardly stand. You can see in the picture how badly his legs were deformed, and twice a day, they are cast and bandaged to encourage them to straighten. Spindles has been making progress, but still has a long way to go before he’s out of the woods – and he needs all the support he can get. Wish him good luck in his recovery (and thank the team at Pegasus for their dedication to helping all donkeys and horses in need) by signing his virtual cast.  You can also consider donating to help …

Free US Roadside Zoo Bears

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For decades, bears have been held in barren concrete pits and tiny cages, where they are forced to beg for food and are deprived of everything that is natural and important to them at roadside zoos in Cherokee, North Carolina. A recent PETA investigation of one of these facilities revealed that staff members were deliberately depriving bears of food and that the animals are so stressed from being constantly confined to small concrete pits that they pace repeatedly and gnaw at the metal cage bars. Today, the tribal council will meet to discuss closing the bear pits. The council members need to hear from as many people as possible about the importance of closing the bear pits and sending the bears to reputable sanctuaries. Help PETA by adding your name to the petition.