pelago

November 24, Funky Bike Ride and Ginger Ninjas Concert, sponsored by Santa Barbara Bici Centro. The free bike ride is at 5:00 PM, starting from La Casa de la Raza, 601 East Montecito Street, Santa Barbara. Then from 6:00-11:00 PM, the “Pleasant Revolution” featuring the Ginger Ninjas, Oso, and Shake your Peace will rock out to a bicycle-powered 800 watt PA system. Intermixed will be fun bike contests, raffles, food and overall merryment. Proceeds will benefit Bici Centro.

We are utilizing S3 for a few of our customers here at Pelago and we are contemplating switching over to it for Intervals document support.

This mashable.com post covers a variety of uses and applications for S3. You really can do a lot of different things with it and more applications roll out every day. Utilizing 3rd party file storage helps level performance spikes and potential scaling problems if you happen to have a popular web application.

Here in Santa Barbara, a company named Right Scale is building a dashboard and tools to help manage the variety of Amazon Web Services that exist. This is definitely needed. When we used S3 for the first time the first question that our client asked was “where is the GUI so I can see my files”.

Today we decided to order El Sitio and head down to the beach as a reminder to slow down and enjoy life. El Sitio doesn’t have a web site, but we wanted to see their menu. The solution?

www.menupix.com/santabarbara/

Here is the Menu and Review of El Sitio

What a great idea.

I just stumbled across this quick promotional article about Sustainable Vine Wine Tours at the Santa Barbara Independent’s web site.

Sustainablevine.com states:

Our educational tour highlights the regions rich history and the sustainable aspects of some of today’s best wine producers. You’ll not only learn the difference between organic wine and wine made from organic grapes, but also how this important California industry became what it is today.

With a name like Sustainable Vine, we’re obviously committed to minimizing our environmental footprint. From fueling with biodiesel to participating in 1% for the Planet, we constantly evaluate how we can become a better business. Schedule an entertaining tour with Sustainable Vine and you’ll be supporting local agriculture and also be helping our environment.

Here is a list of the wineries that they tour.

It seems like a cool idea. I wonder if anyone has taken the tour and how they rate it? Educational? Worth the coin? Good wine?

The City of Santa Barbara Downtown Parking and Bikestation is having the Grand Opening of Bikestation Santa Barbara, May 1st, at the Granada Garage. Cyclists are invited to enjoy a free breakfast and tours of the facility from 7 am to 9 am. A press event will follow at 9 am with speakers, a ribbon cutting ceremony and media tours of the Bikestation.

What is a Bikestation?
Bikestation Santa Barbara is available to members twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Members choose from a number of affordable payment options ranging from a daily entrance fee of $1 to an annual membership fee of $96. To enter the facility, members simply swipe their automated access key located near the front entrance. The facility has over 70 bike racks, which also accommodate personal bike locks for added security. Members have access to a shower, restroom and personal lockers as well as to a work stand, vending machine and basic tools to perform minor bicycle repairs.

Amenities

• Open 24/7
• Round-the-clock bicycle parking access for members
• Free air available on-site
• Shower/Lockers
• Private shower and personal, day-use lockers for members
• Changing Room/Restroom
• A place to change out of your riding clothes
• Basic gear and accessories available for purchase
• Green Bike Program
• Don’t have a bike? Use one of the fleet of shared bikes coming soon to the Bikestation
• Work stand and tools
• Self-repair stand and tools for quick fixes
• Transit and Bicycling Information
• Get maps and information on area bike routes, transit, destinations, clinics and more

For more information about the Bikestation Grand Opening event on May 1st or to tour the facility at another time, please contact Dru van Hengel at 564-5544 or dvanhengel at santabarbaraca.gov

As a bicycle commuter, I appreciate any city or community addressing the issue of people getting around on bikes and foot. Check out the Project for Public Spaces web site to see what communities are doing.

Santa Barbara already has a decent network of bike routes, which were elegantly designed by our neighbor to the north, and fellow Cal Poly supporter, Jack Biesek. But I sure would love to see more.