The third annual Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards, hosted by NYU Stern School of Business, on April 27. The 11th edition of TFF runs April 18 to 29.

Lifetime Achievement Awards will be given to Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and Square, and John Wood, founder of Room to Read. Wood has opened over 13,500 libraries around the world at a cost of $5,000 per library. The Book of the Year honor will go to Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman. DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) will be returning this year with Agency Program Manager Dr. Gill Pratt showcasing the Hummingbird, DARPA’s prototype nano-drone, as well as a new prototype making its debut from DARPA’s M3 program—the Cheetah. The roster of other award winners is a colorful and eclectic group spanning several realms of culture and society, among them pop superstar Justin Bieber and manager Scooter Braun, honored for the historic discovery of Bieber on YouTube and his subsequent social media rise; producer Rick Rubin, for founding Def Jam Records 30 years ago in an NYU dorm room; and oncologist Steven A. Curley for his advances in cancer treatments.

While there are a good number of heavy hitters attending, I suspect that the larger-than-normal detail is due to Justin Bieber.

I don’t think I saw this level of security when David Cameron spoke on campus in March, and he’s only the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

(Via We Are Movie Geeks.)

(Via New York Cycle Club.)

Earlier today, the New York Cycle Club emailed its membership asking everyone to abide by six guidelines to ensure that cyclists don’t lose the privilege of rolling through red lights in Central Park. If you please, allow me to reproduce those guidelines.

1. When approaching a crosswalk, particularly if there is a red light, slow to a speed that will permit you to maneuver; look both ways for pedestrians; always yield to pedestrians who are in or about to enter the crosswalk. Park use is extremely heavy now, even in the very early morning hours.  Be alert; be conscientious. Your actions will determine our future use of this precious resource.
2. Although you may be comfortable passing within six inches of a runner or walker, they will not be comfortable with that clearance.  Give them at least 3 or 4 feet.  Whenever possible and practical, cross behind the pedestrian. “Yielding” does not mean racing through because you’re confident you won’t actually hit the pedestrian.
3. When passing a slower cyclist, give sufficient clearance.
4. Don’t ride in packs.  Keep the groups small and ride in a single paceline.
5. Get a bell. It is the law and is a useful tool in a densely packed park if used judiciously.
6. Above all be courteous. Creating goodwill here will go a long way towards helping our cause.

Having been in a number of collisions, though none in Central Park or anywhere with a decent bike lane, I think I already follow most of these rules, and I agree that these are prudent measures to take ensure safety in a congested shared space, such as Central Park. These guidelines provide pedestrians a measure of security when cyclists are riding in the park, and they also protect other cyclists, particularly the inexperienced ones who are out in the summer.

However, it seems like I have to buy a bell now.

On my way back home, I rode my bike through a pretty dark and high speed section of Jewel Ave. I got through it okay but once I emerged in a more residential stretch, my rear tire hit a pretty big pothole on 108th St. And then I heard a loud pop, and my bike was basically riding on the bare wheel. When I stopped I found my inner tube wrapped around the rear cog and all over the brakes, too. There’s a photo below.

I’m still trying to figure out how this happened. I did notice a big gash in my tire’s sidewall, which explains how the tube got out, but I’m still not sure how the tube wraps around in at least three different directions. And now I need a new tire.

10:50 PM: Alarm is set for 3:00 AM, and I’m missing three rather important early-season softball games. But I know this will be worth it.

4:24 AM: Checked in at Penn Station. Looking a little bleary eyed.

10:27 AM: Reached the 50-mile rest stop in fairly good time. I had a bit of a delay with a flat tire but I caught up with a fairly speedy rider who pulled me and helped me catch up to my pace. Although it now seems unlikely that I’ll finish by 2:00. Oh well. Serves me right for sitting on my ass all spring.

10:42 AM: Sarah just caught up to me as I was about to leave….

2:50 PM: Made it to the finish line. It’s not quite “The End” but it is as far as the train goes. Again not quite the seven hours I was hoping for but it was still pretty good for doing a ride off the couch. And now I hurt… Ouch!