The Genius of Cleaning the Dirt
Ed Ring writes in the ecoworld website about a California man who has come up with a big idea. EarthWorks Continues Crusade to take their Revolutionary Soil Treatment Worldwide Wouldn’t it be better to clean and reuse contaminated soil? What if toxins could be inexpensively removed from soil, on-site, instead […]
Why Don’t YOU Try Writing the News?
The local newspaper in Greensboro, N.C., is trying a new approach to help its readers feel more connected to the newsroom: The paper is asking readers to go out and write some articles themselves. At the Greensboro News & Record’s Web site, registered users can submit their own stories by […]
You Think You Can Be a Talk Radio Host?
I took the most recent issue of The Atlantic to the gym today and finished reading David Foster Wallaces’ “Host”, a long and very detailed article about AM Talk Radio. Here he explains what faces someone who “thinks they can host a radio show.” “To appreciate these skills and some […]
How Crackberry Came To Be Known
The Wall Street Journal gleefully reports on the man who started the Blackberry revolution. Or, as some have said, “crackberry.” These little handhelds are becoming very popular among those who want to be truly connected. “Mr. Lazaridis, who was born in Turkey, emigrated with his family to Windsor, Ontario, where […]
Croatia Bound
We’re going to Croatia in early June, per invitation of Nena Komarica, the tourism manager in NYC. I have always wanted to see this place, since I’ve told so many writers in interviews that this is the hottest destination around. Our trip will be to many vowel-challenged places, like the […]
The Downside of Cheeky
NY Times on the Today Show’s Woes… “Viewers – and most of them are women – like Ms. Couric’s cheeky, easygoing manner; affection grew into admiration after her husband died of colon cancer in 1998 and Ms. Couric made early detection her cause. (In 2000 she underwent a colonoscopy on […]
Che Guevara’s Congo Nightmare
Alma Guillermoprieto writes for the New Yorker and published a collection of essays about Latin America called “Looking for History,” and includes a story about Che Guevara, the hero of Cuba. She recounts his life that began in Argentina, where he was to study medicine, but soon left to begin […]
Typing in the Car
Milwaukee has decided to leap ahead into the 21st century by wiring up a few of their city parks for WIFI. That gives those of us with laptops the chance to peck out emails and surf the web sitting at the tables in the park, or in my case, in […]
Manute’s Sad Story of Sudan
In the late ’80s, I remember seeing the tallest basketball player I’ve ever seen play at the Springfield Civic Center. He was Manute Bol, who at 7′ 7″ would later become the tallest man in the NBA. He played with many teams and made millions, but his heart was back […]
Pam and Marty of Milwaukee
Tonight I dined with two distinguished people from Milwaukee. I always make a point to ask the tourism board where I am traveling to try to set up dinners with interesting people. Wendy Haase, of Visit Milwaukee obliged when she sent Martin Hintz and Pam Percy to pick me up […]
What Makes a Pair of Jeans cost $635
Yesterday’s NY Times included a story about the newest fashion trend–high priced jeans. What makes any pair of denim pants worth SO much? “To start with, Evisu weaves its cloth on shuttle looms that, unlike the projectile type in widespread industrial use, leave clean edges on the fabric. They are […]
Jeff Sherman: Wringing Out the Good in His People
Jeff Sherman is a dynamo I met last night in Milwaukee. He runs a website about the city called onmilwaukee.com, and has racked up an impressive record of achievement in his 33 years. The site has become the city’s meeting place, and the most important source of local news here. […]
Cooling Off from the Bottom of the Sea
The Associated Press ran a fascinating story about using seawater for air conditioning. Technology’s answers to life’s challenges are indeed clever. A $100 million system proposed for downtown Honolulu could reach about 65 buildings, including several state office buildings, said David Rezachek, associate development director of Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, […]
Close But No Cigar
This was the unsuccessful entry to be in a Levi’s Jeans ad last Friday. They were looking for a publisher, caucasian, age up to 45.
$3 Billion for those Paper Tickets
Travelmole.com reports that the end is near for paper airline tickets. “E-ticketing is the top priority because it would generate the most savings. Each air ticket costs nine US dollars, so eliminating paper tickets could save the industry three billion US dollars per year. It will also be more convenient […]
The New Pope’s Smoke
AOL news reports on the ongoing smokestack watch happening at the Vatican. “Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls said smoke from burned ballot papers enhanced by special chemicals likely could be seen at about noon (6 a.m. EDT) and about 7 p.m. (1 p.m. EDT) on each day of voting by the […]
Is Norway Rich or in "Denial?"
Bruce Bawer wrote in Sunday’s NY Times about Norway’s perception that is it the world’s richest country. “In Oslo, library collections are woefully outdated, and public swimming pools are in desperate need of maintenance. News reports describe serious shortages of police officers and school supplies. When my mother-in-law went to […]