NY Times: Newt Gingrich Attacks New York Times Editorial Board.
“I learned through Twitter that Mr. Gingrich criticized this paper’s editorial writers because, he says, we live in high-rise condos and take the subway to work ‘unlike the rest of America.’” I understand the need to analyze it, but I really wonder what the hell he was trying to get at. Taking subways doesn’t indicate elitism to me - nor does living in a high-rise. Does it to you? Why?
EnergyBoom: Boulder Electric Vehicle Sells First Electric Truck with Max Speed of 70 MPH.
Cool - looks sort of like a Euro-design steam iron on wheels.
The Atlantic: Why Your Prius Will Bankrupt Our Highways.
“Since back in the Eisenhower era, the federal government has maintained a Highway Trust Fund, paid for mostly by taxes on fuel, that helps cover the repair and construction of our country’s roads, bridges, and mass transit. The idea was that drivers themselves should bear some of the cost the roads they used. Unfortunately, Congress hasn’t raised the gas tax since 1993. Since then, inflation has eaten away at least a third of its value.” Driving down to Austin over the holidays, I have to say that our interstates are disgusting. They used to be smooth and well-kept ... now crisscrossed with cheap tar gap-fill and potholes. Some are turning to gravel, like the remnants of Route 66.
Reuters: The French breast implant scandal.
“Maybe it’s shameful, but there you go. [snip] We live in a capitalist world.” And that says it all, doesn’t it?
Reuters: China’s Wen: May consider bigger role in EU rescue.
Been waiting for China to give America a little slap, by supporting the Euro.
BBC News: Lifting the Cutty Sark into place.
A bit o’ melodrama, what?
Flavorwire: The 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World.
The Atlantic: American Airlines Wants to Terminate Its Pension Plan, Lay Off 13,000.
Uh-oh. I don’t suppose I can collect on those tens of thousands of frequent-flyer miles I built up back in the 80’s ...
Shorpy: The Big Pennsylvania Hole - 1908.
My last years in NYC, I looked down over the hole to Penn Station. In the 80’s and 90’s. This is just astonishing to see, then. Click on it to view large.
Design You Trust: Winter Weather around the Northern Hemisphere.
Another fine set of photos.
Design You Trust: Vikings in Shetland.
They go all out. Look at the beards and costumes!
The Art Newspaper: Earliest copy of Mona Lisa found in Prado.
Hey, wow. She’s not a dowager.
Forbes: Did U.K. Tourists Deported Due To Tweet About ‘Destroying America’ Get Pranked?
“DHS is fairly new to this whole social media monitoring thing. Let’s hope that, with time, the folks doing this develop an appreciation for context.” Just following up on yesterday’s news item, given the source.
Here’s a kicker: Wonder if ‘destroy’ had been the fault of autocorrect?
Telegraph.UK: London Art Fair 2012: in pictures.
I haven’t seen a bunny in curlers since Looney Tunes.
Independent.UK: Driver ‘said he provided protection for the Murdochs’, court told.
“Part of the job of a former driver for News International was to ‘hand over packets to various police officers’ that were part of a “corrupt payments” system ...” Is anyone in America still paying attention to this? Good grief.
Another Something & Company: The Inaugural Sartorialist Lunch.
The video’s very nicely done. Thanks to a tag at the end, I find these folks did it. They’ve got good shooters and good people in post, IMHO. They’re a breath of fresh air in fashion vids, I have to tell you. Great to see some proper vid-chops.
The Atlantic: The Super-Resistant Bacteria That Has India ‘Hell Scared’.
“It is not that the end of antibiotics is somehow coming. [snip] It is already here in many instances.” Multifarious factors. The government could help the poor afford a full course, and save countless lives now and in the future.
Mail Online.UK: British tourists arrested in America on terror charges over Twitter jokes.
The DHS and TSA have lost it. Read the article. Apparently our security systems can’t handle British humor. Beyond that, and to cap it off, Marilyn isn’t *buried*. She’s in a crypt, for God’s sake. Even the news folks should have picked up on that. ‘Looking for shovels’ ... I ask you.
If this is the way things are, I’d best not risk flying ever again. Lord knows what I’ve expressed that could be considered ‘suspicious’ over 12 years of posts.
Seattle Times: Alaska Airlines to stop handing out prayer cards to passengers.
You know, Spalding Gray used to tell a story of taking a flight in an Asian country with a particular dominant religion. When he climbed on board, the plane was lined up with the runway and the pilots were busy taping newspaper all over the cockpit windows because the sun was in their eyes. His comment, “I decided to think twice about flying with pilots whose religion features multiple reincarnations.” Pass on the prayer cards.
Kempt: The Strongest Liquor on Earth Comes to America.
“The drink itself is pot-distilled from potatoes, sugar and yeast, which means the closest American equivalent is moonshine—but even that’s not terribly close, given the strength of the spirits involved.” Oh no - I’ve had moonshine. I’ll pass.
Conde Nast Traveler: The New Airline Rules - Six things That Will Make Air Travel Easier.
Pricing may be more predictable.
LiveScience: Mysterious ‘Winged’ Structure from Ancient Rome Discovered.
I’d love to work on solving this mystery.
NPR: Why McDonald’s In France Doesn’t Feel Like Fast Food.
“McDonald’s, meanwhile, offers all kinds of Frenchified dishes, from the Alpine burger with three different kinds of cheese to tasty little gallette des rois, or King’s Cakes, popular after Christmas and sold by all the bakeries. Last year, it introduced the McBaguette.”
!!!
DP Review: Similar, but not copied, image found to breach copyright.
See the links in the comments below. Seems the judge needed to get out a bit more ... perhaps buy some postcards.
The Professional Hobo: My Cost of Full-Time Travel in 2011.
I can dream, can’t I?
