What a brilliant idea. The Varieties of the Balloon Hat Experience Web site: two guys travel around the world taking pictures of people laughing and wearing silly balloon hats.
Egypt pics
My friend Christina, who was in the group I motorcycled through Vietnam with last Spring, has posted some beautiful photos of her recent trip to Egypt.
Project Dole
Project Dole: two crazy Swedish guys decorate their buddy Sverker’s apartment with banana box furniture.
“The Changing Times”
“The Changing ‘Times’: A hard-charging editor’s crusading style is coloring the Gray Lady’s reputation.” Interesting look at how The New York Times, under the leadership of Howell Raines, is becoming edgier–and, some say, more liberally activist, pushing a left-wing policy agenda.
McDonald’s leaves Bolivia
Dowd on Kissinger
Maureen Dowd weighs in on Kissinger leading the September 11th investigation: “If you want to get to the bottom of something, you don’t appoint Henry Kissinger. If you want to keep others from getting to the bottom of something, you appoint Henry Kissinger.” (New York Times; free registration required.)
Stop whining
Stephen Moore says we should stop whining and start giving thanks: Americans living today have it better than ever before.
Lucio and Ecuador
Slate provides some good, concise analysis of what President Lucio Gutierrez’s rise to power means for Ecuador.
Ha Jin profile
The Boston Globe is running an interesting profile of Ha Jin, author of the novel “Waiting,” which won the National Book Award in 1999. When I was in college, I took several poetry classes with Jin; he’s extremely smart and is a genuinely nice man.
Apple’s “swtich” ads
I’m not a Mac enthusiast, but I like the “Switch” TV campaign because the ads are simple and direct and compelling–they feature real people who look into the camera and tell their stories. (Also, I like the quirky music.) I just discovered that the commercials are directed by one of my favorite documentarians, Errol Morris. And his son–friend of Ellen Feiss, the “Apple It Girl”–is in one of the spots.