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Newest Blog Entries:
NYT: See the Pyramids. Without the Plethora of Peddlers.
The Egyptian government finally moves to protect both history and people.Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 12, 2008
NYT: Everything Has A Price, Including an Airline Pillow
How long before one has to pay to breathe the recirculated air?Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, August 5, 2008
NYT (4): Energy/Environment
Scientific progress may cut cost of energy storage; Exxon's second-quarter profit sets a record [N.B. The last time this happened was just after Katrina; seems ExxonMobil makes the most money at the worst times for others]; band-aid pollution measures in China are not solutions; and NY restaurants join the "tap water" pledge.Posted by Ian Alterman, Friday, August 1, 2008
NYT: Drop in Miles Driven Is Depleting Highway Fund; Loan From Mass Transit Is Urged
An unintended consequence of high fuel costs: less driving means less gasoline tax revenue and less toll revenue, which leads to less money for highways. So they want to tap into the mass transit fund to make up the shortfall. Just great.Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, July 29, 2008
NYT: In Beijing, Blue Skies Prove Hard to Achieve
These temporary measures - even if successful - do not address the more pervasive problem: China has overtaken the U.S. as the worst polluter on the globe.Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, July 29, 2008
America’s new global challenge
Posted by Bill Swiggard, Thursday, July 24, 2008Are you on the terror watch list? Good luck getting off it.
Posted by Bill Swiggard, Thursday, July 24, 2008NYT (3): International News
Britain to remove almost all troops from Iraq by 2009; as in Africa (re an article posted earlier this week), so in Asia re food and gas prices; and the Chinese propaganda machine (which may be even better than ours) goes into overdrive trying to quell fears of Olympic terrorism.Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, July 23, 2008
NYT: 2 Die in Bus Blasts in Southwest China
It will be interesting to see if these types of incidents increase in frequency as the Olympics approach.Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, July 22, 2008
NYT Editorial: The Government and Your Laptop
"The Department of Homeland Security is routinely searching laptops at airports when Americans re-enter the United States from abroad. The government then pores over or copies the laptop’s contents — including financial records, medical data and e-mail messages. These out-of-control searches trample the privacy rights of Americans, and Congress should rein them in."Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, July 10, 2008
NYT: Laptop Searches in Airports Draw Fire at Senate Hearing
An important privacy-related fight that needs to be watched.Posted by Ian Alterman, Thursday, June 26, 2008
NYT (4): Environment
The garbage-filled oceans; a "green" coal baron; uber-"green" houses; in the middle of a gas crisis, a new jet set in Europe.Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, June 22, 2008
Barbara Ehrenreich: This Land Is Their Land
go to article"Of all the crimes of the rich, the aesthetic deprivation of the rest of us may seem to be the merest misdemeanor. Many of them owe their wealth to the usual tricks: squeezing their employees, overcharging their customers and polluting any land they're not going to need for their third or fourth homes... If Edward O. Wilson is right about "biophilia"--an innate human need to interact with nature--there may even be serious mental health consequences to letting the rich hog all the good scenery" - Ehrehreich in The Nation
Posted by Mike Blaxill, Friday, June 20, 2008
NYT (3): Environment
"Forcing discussion on a costly, potentially life-altering issue" (re the Senate's "risky" bill); "An agency watchdog says public affairs activities were inconsistent with law" (re NASA's climate report); creating eco-friendly hotelsPosted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, June 3, 2008
NYT: Foreign Tourists, on the Road to Another Record
Despite increasing oil prices, the increasingly weak dollar is bringing foreigners here in record numbers.Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, May 25, 2008
NYT Books in Review: “Campaigning for President,” “Peace,” “I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To be Destroyed By Me,” “Flight Attendants,” “Reappraisals,” “Wall Street,” “The Trillion Dollar Meltdown”
Four books on "political persuasion" (via buttons, patches, etc.); a look back at the 20th century; and two books on the current economic mess.Posted by Ian Alterman, Sunday, April 20, 2008
NYT: 60 Years After Israel’s Founding, Many Are Not in the Mood for a Party
Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, April 9, 2008NYT Guest Op-Ed: Fresh Ideas for a Tired Crusade
"A road warrior takes a hard look at drug laws."Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, April 1, 2008
NYT: Nepal Puts Everest Off Limits During China’s Olympic Torch Relay in May
"Chinese authorities confirmed this week that the route to the summit of Mount Everest along its north face, in Tibet, would be closed. Now, Nepal has decided that from May 1 to 10, when China has said the Olympic torch will be carried to the summit, no one will be allowed to climb up the south face, in Nepal, though apparently it has not yet clarified its new restrictions to tour operators planning expeditions."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, March 15, 2008
NYT: Preserving a Forest and a Philosophy
"On a nature hike, leaders ponder how to maintain their environmental bent."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, March 1, 2008
NYT: Concerns About the Climate That Go Beyond Snow
"Mention global warming and there is a good chance the conversation will turn to the future of ski resorts. But Rob Katz, chief executive of Vail Resorts, is not worried. Vail had more snow in a recent 30-day period than it has had in the last 10 years. And should snowfall decrease significantly in the future, Mr. Katz said, there will be greater concerns than how much snow there is."Posted by Ian Alterman, Saturday, March 1, 2008
NYT: Three articles re the environment
The pope's appeal for the environment; academics coming together over global warming; and acting in advance to prevent ecological damage to Cuba.Posted by Ian Alterman, Tuesday, December 25, 2007
U.S. Agencies Distracted by focus on Cuba… (a waste of time, money and man power)
Posted by Barbara DiSalvia, Saturday, December 22, 2007Astronomers Find Parallel Universe?
go to article"University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill physics Professor Laura Mersini-Houghton made a staggering claim. She says, 'Standard cosmology cannot explain such a giant cosmic hole.'" Cool! - mab
Posted by Mike Blaxill, Monday, November 26, 2007
The Atlantic: The View From There
"What living in England, Japan, and China has taught one American about the character of his own country...'Americans are bound to think that we have something to tell others about individual potential, about the idea of equality, about respect for civil liberties. The rest of the world understands this, which is why our recent infringements on our own civil liberties are so damaging to our image worldwide.'"Posted by Ian Alterman, Wednesday, October 31, 2007
