NSFW

The Other Extreme - Low-Alcohol Beers

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:31:00 -0500

The Other Extreme - Low-Alcohol Beers: I’m such a lightweight that these beers are perfect for me. (N.Y. Times)

Matthew Mitcham talks after winning the gold medal in 10m...

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:12:00 -0500

Matthew Mitcham talks after winning the gold medal in 10m platform diving. I love how they casually include his mom and his boyfriend, Lachlan, in the video. (Unknown source via Outsports)

There was some controversy that NBC Sports did not mention his partner like it did for many other athletes. The President of NBC Olympics apologized for the oversight. More about that at Outsports.com.

Home Prices Still Falling, but the Pace Is Slowing

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:03:07 -0500

Home Prices Still Falling, but the Pace Is Slowing: Home sales are beginning to stabilize. Prices are still dropping but more slowly. (N.Y. Times)

Start-Up Offers a Way to Pay Workers Abroad

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:00:39 -0500

Start-Up Offers a Way to Pay Workers Abroad: Start-up company, Payoneer, is looking to streamline international, business-to-employee money transfers by using a pre-paid MasterCard. This is ideal for freelancers. (N.Y. Times)

Leader of Opposition Wins Seat in Malaysia

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:54:14 -0500

Leader of Opposition Wins Seat in Malaysia:

Anwar Ibrahim, leader of Malaysia’s oppositon party is back in power despite being arrested for alleged sodomy twice. This is a sign that Malaysia is feed up with authoritarian rule and wants to become a more open country. (N.Y. Times)

I visited there in 2002, and if the country liberalizes, I would love to go back.

Some Britons Too Unruly for Resorts in Europe

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 22:38:00 -0500

Some Britons Too Unruly for Resorts in Europe: I’ve had great times hanging out with Britons “on holiday,” as they say — sometimes even seeking them out. Apparently, some of them are having too much fun and ending up dead. (N.Y. Times)

Décor Watch

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 12:17:25 -0500

Décor Watch: Despite our energy crisis and global climate change, 40% of homeowners associations forbid the use of clotheslines. (N.Y. Times)

Recent war widows gather in Austin, Texas to view a documentary,...

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:59:38 -0500

Recent war widows gather in Austin, Texas to view a documentary, “American Widow Project,” filmed by one of their own. The film became the basis of a support group for war widows. (N.Y. Times)

New TV Show Based on Altered States, Others

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:43:00 -0500

New TV Show Based on Altered States, Others:

Creator J.J. Abrams drops hints that Fringe, Fox’s upcoming sci-fi series, is based in part on Altered States, Twin Peaks, and the X-Files. (Sci-Fi Wire)

I wonder what influence, if any, this show will have on the floatation industry considering that floating appears to play a big role in the show.

"A lot of architecture has begun to look like a sophisticated form of marketing."

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:07:00 -0500

“A lot of architecture has begun to look like a sophisticated form of marketing.”

- Nicolai Ouroussoff in “Lebbeus Woods Remains an Architect Unbounded by the Status Quo” (N.Y. Times)

“Berlin Free-Zone 3-2,” a 1990 proposal by Lebbeus Woods for an...

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:55:00 -0500

“Berlin Free-Zone 3-2,” a 1990 proposal by Lebbeus Woods for an abandoned government building in unified Berlin. The structure has no assigned purpose. (N.Y. Times)

A Marathon Long Before China Began a Mad Dash

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:45:32 -0500

A Marathon Long Before China Began a Mad Dash: John Burns shares what it’s like to watch the Olympics 35 years after running the Beijing Marathon — and being imprisoned by the China for alleged spying. (N.Y. Times)

"Three years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans still needs the military to help keep some..."

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:34:11 -0500

“Three years after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans still needs the military to help keep some semblance of order in certain neighborhoods.”

- Three Years After Hurricane, the Backup Is a Fixture - Series (N.Y. Times)

Socially Responsible, With Egg on Its Face

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 10:48:13 -0500

Socially Responsible, With Egg on Its Face : A socially responsible fund company fails to follow the rules. (N.Y. Times)

Bartering Expands in the Internet Age

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:36:54 -0500

Bartering Expands in the Internet Age: The little, big business of bartering (N.Y. Times)

Pentagon Employee Goes to War With KBR Over Iraq Billings

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:32:00 -0500

Pentagon Employee Goes to War With KBR Over Iraq Billings: …and he — and we all — lose. (N.Y. Times)

The Big Pander to Big Oil

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:29:00 -0500

The Big Pander to Big Oil: Bush has started the pandering by opening up America’s continental shelf to Big Oil, and McCain seeks to continue it by opening up Alaska. What does the consumer get? Nothing. This will have little or no impact until 25 years from now - if ever. (N.Y. Times)

"Those who failed to take annual vacations had a 21 percent higher risk of death from all causes and..."

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:22:00 -0500

“Those who failed to take annual vacations had a 21 percent higher risk of death from all causes and were 32 percent more likely to die of a heart attack.”

- Results of a 2000 study as cited in “Vacations Are Good for You, Medically Speaking” (N.Y. Times) The bad news is that Americans are reportedly taking fewer vacations — presumably because of the poor economy. ”The number of Americans who said in April that they were going to take a vacation in the next six months is at a 30-year low,” according to the Conference Board, a private research group as cited in the same article.

StupidFilter

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 12:09:00 -0500

StupidFilter: Soon you will be able to filter out stupid comments based on the writer’s grasp of standard written English. (Rarefied Technologies)

Do Red-Light Cameras Make Us Safer?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 15:39:00 -0500

Do Red-Light Cameras Make Us Safer?:

Check out the article and comments in this Ridelust entry about red-light cameras (via Big Contrarian). Some argue that the cameras make intersections more efficient and safer by discouraging illegal crossings. Others argue that the cameras cause sudden stops and consequent rear collisions thereby reducing safety.

Yet another group is a bunch of nuts who think the man is out to get them! Down with SkyNet!