On Jan. 1, all eggs sold in California will have to come from chickens living in more spacious digs. The rules have disrupted the egg industry and pushed prices up at grocery stores in California.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1B7nMgr
Wednesday 31 December 2014
How California's New Rules Are Scrambling The Egg Industry
On Jan. 1, all eggs sold in California will have to come from chickens living in more spacious digs. The rules have disrupted the egg industry and pushed prices up at grocery stores in California.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1B7nMgr
The State of Secular America
Legally speaking, 2014 has not been a good year for secular Americans. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that closely held, for-profit corporations can claim religious exemptions from laws that go against their owners' religious beliefs. They also decided that it is constitutional to kick off city council meetings with explicitly sectarian Christian prayers. Even the Massachusetts Supreme Court declared that the teacher-led, God-centric language of the Pledge of Allegiance doesn't discriminate...
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Is Social Media Ruining Comedy?
Controversy has always been the lifeblood of comedy. The best comedy has to be offensive, or at least offensive to someone, to prove that it is good.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1y8F512
Bone Music
How Western music banned Western in the Soviet Union was printed on repurposed X-Rays to make records
Read more: http://ift.tt/1K1Kevn
World War I soldier’s room untouched for almost 100 years
His torn military jacket still hangs by his desk and his shoes are still tucked neatly by his bed — relics of a life lost long ago. In the small village of Bélâbre in central France sits the room of Hubert Rochereau, untouched for nearly a century as a memorial to the fallen solider, who died during World War I. It’s “an unforgettable journey back in time,” reported la Noveulle Republique, which described it as a “mummified room.”
Read more: http://ift.tt/13JX3Jv
Tuesday 30 December 2014
In 'Huckleberry Finn,' A History In Echoes
Andrew Levy's searching book adds to, and comments on, the considerable scholarship surrounding an widely read and widely challenged American classic.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/in-huckleberry-finn-a-history-in-echoes
The persistence of conspiracy theories about MH370
Six months after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 it is still the subject of a slew of explanations. Why has this tragedy prompted such a wave of conspiracy theories? Sudden, dramatic events often provoke conspiracy theories - particularly where the official version is disbelieved. Think JFK, Princess Diana, 9/11. But in the case of MH370 there is not even an official version. Nobody knows what happened to MH370. It's a modern mystery.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/macavoy/the-persistence-of-conspiracy-theories-about-mh370
Kim Jong-un Goes Bananas over “The Interview,” Bans All US Movies at the Border
“The Interview” saga is far from over and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un knows this very well. After trying to block the movie from even making its official premiere in the United States, the supreme leader of North Korea is trying to deal with a more local problem, again caused by the very same movie.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/snakeeys5/kim-jong-un-goes-bananas-over-the-interview-bans-all-us-movies-at-the-border
Can Houseplants Really Clean the World's Smoggiest City?
Kamal Meattle uses greenery to filter the filthy New Delhi air that doctors said was killing him.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/can-houseplants-really-clean-the-worlds-smoggiest-city
The End of Gangs
Los Angeles gave America the modern street gang. Groups like the Crips and MS-13 have spread from coast to coast, and even abroad. But on Southern California’s streets they have been vanishing. Has L.A. figured out how to stop the epidemic it set loose on the world?
Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/the-end-of-gangs
2014 had the fewest flight crashes in decades
Given the number of major flight crashes and disappearances this year, it might seem like flight safety has taken a bad turn. But it turns out that 2014 hasn't actually been a statistically worse year than many of those in the recent past. As pointed out by The Wall Street Journal, the Aviation Safety Network currently measures both the accident and fatality rate of 2014 flights as falling beneath the 10-year average — making this year an improvement in some areas.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/2014-had-the-fewest-flight-crashes-in-decades
Don't Bench That Dentist: A Guide To Ugandan English
You want to bench a pretty woman and launch your manifesto. Only you get bounced from her muzigo because she's pursuing a pensioner. In the end, you were lucky. She's just a detoother who's after a rich guy. Welcome to Uglish (pronounced "YOU-glish"), the Ugandan variant of English. Bernard Sabiti has written the first Uglish dictionary (not yet available outside of Uganda, but he's working on an e-book version for January).
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/dont-bench-that-dentist-a-guide-to-ugandan-english
The Great Bronze Buddha at Kamakura
Lantern slide from historic lecture book, circa 1915, in Oregon State Special Collections / Flickr Commons.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/the-great-bronze-buddha-at-kamakura
The Brothers Who Ambushed ISIS
It was a sunny day in late November when Ahmed Ismael, 22, went with a group of seven other fighters to ambush militants from the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS, on the eastern flank of this besieged town. Then the plan went terribly wrong. The would-be ambushers were themselves ambushed. Two car bombs exploded and a group of jihadists blocked their way from behind, cutting off their exit route. During the intense firefight that followed, four Kurdish fighters died...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/the-brothers-who-ambushed-isis
Tables for Two: The Finest New York Restaurants in 2014
In the Tables for Two column, we seek to savor all aspects of dining out in New York. Here are some of my favorite expeditions of the past year.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/collude/tables-for-two-the-finest-new-york-restaurants-in-2014
Monday 29 December 2014
Hitler's old house gives Austria a headache
What do you do with the house Hitler was born in? For years the building in the Austrian town of Braunau am Inn has been rented by the Austrian interior ministry to prevent misuse by neo-Nazis. It was once a day-care centre for the disabled. Now it is empty, as the owner has not agreed to any plans for its future use. Braunau am Inn is a pretty little town in northern Austria, right on the border with Germany. But it has a heavy legacy.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/roxxy/hitlers-old-house-gives-austria-a-headache
Big Cat Trade From Burma to China Up
The trade in tigers and other wild cat parts from Myanmar into China has grown in recent years, a new study based on two decades of survey data suggests.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/big-cat-trade-from-burma-to-china-up
Not Just A Man's Drink: Ladies Lead The Whiskey Renaissance
Whiskey was long considered a man's drink. But as sales of whiskey soar, it's women who are leading the new boom, thanks to a vanguard of female distillers, blenders and tasters.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/not-just-a-mans-drink-ladies-lead-the-whiskey-renaissance
Forgotten fairytales slay the Cinderella stereotype
A stash of stories compiled by the 19th-century folklorist Franz Xaver von Schönwerth – recently rediscovered and now to be published in English for the first time – challenges preconceptions about many of the most commonly known fairytales: Hansel and Gretel get married after an erotic encounter with a dwarf, an enchanted frog is kissed not by a damsel in distress but by a young man, and Cinderella uses her golden slippers to recover her lover from beyond the moon.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/forgotten-fairytales-slay-the-cinderella-stereotype
The Death of the Artist—And the Birth of the Creative Entrepreneur
Hard-working artisan, solitary genius, credentialed professional—the image of the artist has changed radically over the centuries. What if the latest model to emerge means the end of art as we have known it?
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/the-death-of-the-artistand-the-birth-of-the-creative-entrepreneur
Sunday 28 December 2014
Tasmania's giant ash trees may be world's tallest
The trees in question are mountain ash, the tallest flowering trees in the world. They are not quite the tallest trees of any kind: that record belongs to the coast redwoods of the western US. But that might be because things have been skewed against the mountain ash. Humans have been cutting them down in their prime.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/tasmanias-giant-ash-trees-may-be-worlds-tallest
Malaria killing thousands more than Ebola in West Africa
West Africa’s fight to contain Ebola has hampered the campaign against malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that is claiming many thousands more lives than the dreaded virus.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/wetwilly87/malaria-killing-thousands-more-than-ebola-in-west-africa
California Is About To Make Egg Production More Humane, By Giving Hens 70 Percent More Space
Starting next year, 15 million egg-laying hens in California and millions more providing out-of-state eggs to Californians will be required to have 70 percent more space — going from a minimum of 67 square inches each to nearly 116 square inches, about a 10.7-inch square of space per bird. California is the biggest consumer of eggs in the country, and this new regulations is part of a broader national effort to shift industry focus away from...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/ladyliberty/california-is-about-to-make-egg-production-more-humane-by-giving-hens-70-percent-more-space
Tree Ring Study Shows California’s Drought Worst in 1,200 Years
Scientists say California's drought is being driven by low (but not unprecedented) precipitation and record high temperatures.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/tree-ring-study-shows-californias-drought-worst-in-1200-years
How to Be a Victorian
Social historian Ruth Goodman sees for herself the intricacies of life in Victorian England.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/how-to-be-a-victorian
American Barbershops: A Vanishing Act?
Why neighborhood barbershops are hanging on by a hair.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/american-barbershops-a-vanishing-act
4 Lessons from a Hack: My Airline Miles Were Stolen
Recently, I went to check up on the reservation I made for my flight to Vegas in January 2015, a flight I had booked and confirmed months ago. But the app didn’t accept my password. I tried it several times, and then I got locked out completely and was directed to call the help desk. I thought it odd but put the call off for a few days: I got busy and thought it was likely just a site glitch. It wasn’t.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/sjvn/4-lessons-from-a-hack-my-airline-miles-were-stolen
An Open Letter: Why Atheists Won't Shut Up in 2015
2015 is almost here, and the past year has once again seen atheists, agnostics, and the irreligious become more numerous, more visible, and more vocal about their lack of faith. Unfortunately, for every voice that expresses this opinion, a thousand more demand it be silenced, be it out of ignorance, anger, or fear. Some ask “If you’re such an atheist, why do you talk so much about religions you don’t believe in?” So prevalent is this hostility is some areas of the world...
Read more: http://snapzu.com/drunkenninja/an-open-letter-why-atheists-wont-shut-up-in-2015
Saturday 27 December 2014
Russia Refuses to Have a Gloomy New Year
The rouble's slump and warnings of a looming economic crisis have come at a bad time for Russians preparing for New Year festivities.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/russia-refuses-to-have-a-gloomy-new-year
Leonard Nimoy's Mameloshn: A Yiddish Story
Yes, Leonard Nimoy speaks Yiddish. Learn more about Leonard (Leyb) Nimoy from his Jewish roots in Boston's heymish West End neighborhood to his brief stint working with famous Yiddish theatre maven Maurice Schwartz in these video highlights from the Wexler Oral History Project's interview with the man made famous by his role as Spock on Star Trek.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/gladsdotter/leonard-nimoys-mameloshn-a-yiddish-story
Christmas on the Road in Iceland
247 minutes. That’s the small amount of daylight we had to travel, hike and explore southern Iceland. We made sure to not waste a single minute of these precious moments of daylight. That meant driving and hiking through the darkness of 20 hour nights.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/Caio/christmas-on-the-road-in-iceland
In America: Travels with Steinbeck by Geert Mak review – witty, personable, and knowing
A Dutch journalist, with strong opinions about the US, recreates Steinbeck’s famous 1960 roadtrip, with results both painful and amusing. By J Robert Lennon
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/in-america-travels-with-steinbeck-by-geert-mak-review-witty-personable-and-knowing
Severe Flooding Hits Southeast Asia
Malaysia and Thailand among countries affected, with more than 180,000 displaced and 13 people killed.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/jcscher/severe-flooding-hits-southeast-asia
Why Airlines Want to Make You Suffer
Airlines that charge fees for things like leg room, checked bags, and WiFi have a financial interest in making basic economy an intolerable experience.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/collude/why-airlines-want-to-make-you-suffer
Friday 26 December 2014
Leaning tower of Russia
Yes it was supposed to completely collapse.
Read more: http://snapzu.com/aj0690/leaning-tower-of-russia
A Canadian City Once Eliminated Poverty And Nearly Everyone Forgot
On a December afternoon, Frances Amy Richardson took a break from her quilting class to reflect on a groundbreaking experiment she took part in 40 years earlier. “Well, that was quite a few years ago,” she said. “There was a lot of people that really benefitted from it.”
Read more: http://snapzu.com/zobo/a-canadian-city-once-eliminated-poverty-and-nearly-everyone-forgot
What Would a 'Serial'-Like Murder Investigation Look Like Today?
The first season of the ultra-popular podcast Serial is over, but lots of questions remain, in no small part due to the lack of evidence tying then-high school student Adnan Syed to the 1999 murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. Huge swaths of Sarah Koenig's longform storytelling (and reporting) experiment are dedicated to frustratingly minute details of what cell phone tower a certain call pinged, what certain...
Read more: http://ift.tt/1wPSTf2
Scientists Discover New 'Dwarf Galaxy' 7 Million Light Years Away
Our Milky Way galaxy has a neighbor we hadn't met yet. A team of Russian and American scientists has discovered a previously-unknown dwarf galaxy located about 7 million light years away from our own. Astronomer based at the Special Astrophysical Observatory in Karachai-Cherkessia, Russia, spotted the tiny galaxy using the Hubble Space Telescope’s Advanced Camera for Surveys in August.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1xWdos5
People are pirating 'The Interview' like crazy
Sony may have granted a “Christmas miracle” by making The Interview available to Americans who would pay to stream it, but that hasn’t stopped pirates from sharing it for free at a jaw-dropping rate. It’s been a tumultuous ride for the poorly reviewed comedy about killing North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It may or may have not been the impetus for hackers, who may or may not have been North Korean, to attack Sony Entertainment.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1roCSvZ
The Associated Press in North Korea: A Potemkin news bureau?
Despite trumpeting itself as the “first independent Western news bureau” in North Korea, top executives of the Associated Press (AP) in 2011 agreed to distribute state-produced North Korean propaganda through the AP name, a confidential document and interviews with current and former AP staff indicates.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1zmi3Ps
Leaked CIA Manual Shows How Operatives Get Through Airport Security Without Blowing Their Cover
A 2011 internal CIA manual that instructs operatives on how to get through some of the world's toughest airport security screenings without blowing their cover was released by Wikileaks this week.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1zm8mkb
Thursday 25 December 2014
If Mary and Joseph tried to reach Bethlehem today, they would get stuck at an Israeli checkpoint
Why is it that the plight of persecuted Christians in the Middle East, or countries such as Sudan, has attracted the attention and anger of politicians in the west, yet the Christians of Palestine don’t get a look-in?
Read more: http://ift.tt/1xmM9ap
The French Go Crazy For 'An American In Paris'
The first-ever stage production of the 1951 Hollywood film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, with a Gershwin score, is getting rave reviews during its premiere in the city that inspired it.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1Aa6zmi
Off duty, black cops in New York feel threat from fellow police
From the dingy donut shops of Manhattan to the cloistered police watering holes in Brooklyn, a number of black NYPD officers say they have experienced the same racial profiling that cost Eric Garner his life. Garner, a 43-year-old black man suspected of illegally peddling loose cigarettes, died in July after a white officer put him in a chokehold. On Saturday, those tensions escalated after a black gunman, who wrote of avenging the black deaths on social media...
Read more: http://ift.tt/1rl7fDk
Mag: The history and mystery of the high five
When I first phoned Lamont Sleets this spring, I knew only the following: He is a middle-aged man living in the small town of Eminence, Ky.; he played college basketball for Murray State University between 1979 and 1984; and he reportedly created one of the most contagious, transcendently ecstatic gestures in sports -- and maybe, for that matter, American life. I was calling Sleets because I wanted to talk to the man who invented the high five. I'd first read about him in 2007...
Read more: http://ift.tt/1xl81mx
Wednesday 24 December 2014
This is the latest phone from the company that makes billions ripping off Apple
Sometimes, copycat allegations in the mobile industry can be argued. Just ask Samsung, which has spent millions upon millions of dollars defending itself in court against allegations that it stole Apple’s smartphone and tablet designs. Then, there are times when it’s impossible to deny that one company has ripped off another. Such is the case with Xiaomi, a Chinese smartphone maker that has turned copying Apple into a $45 billion business.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1AKWUm4
From the Dead: Businessman Resurrecting Canadian Ghost Town
Built in the late 1970s, this mining village housed 1,200 people at its peak and was left effectively intact for over twenty years before being sold as a whole for $5,000,000 to an entrepreneur in 2004 who has worked on bring it back to life in the decade since. He has, however, had to adjust his plans to the market along the way – his latest endeavor: to revive it to fit its original purpose once more.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1ziNme7
Women are selling positive pregnancy tests to 'lock' men down over Christmas
Positive pregnancy tests are being sold online to keep struggling relationships from falling apart over the Christmas period. Ads have appeared on websites including Craigslist offering the tests for around $20. One ad reads: ‘I have positive pregnancy test for those of you who need a little help holding onto your man through the holidays, shoot me a message for $20 each.’
Read more: http://ift.tt/1xcls5b
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