In my newest Gridskipper post, I take a look at DC’s best ethnic dining guide.
Author: Newley
Hi. I'm Newley Purnell. I cover technology and business for The Wall Street Journal, based in Hong Kong. I use this site to share my stories and often blog about the books I'm reading, tech trends, sports, travel, and our dog Ginger. For updates, get my weekly email newsletter.
Categories
Cool Panama Canal Time-Lapse Video
I have no idea if this is legit or not, but here’s a fascinating take on the Iraq war from a Marine’s perspective (as related to the soldier’s father). It’s mostly inside-baseball stuff regarding weaponry, tactics, etc. Worth a read.
Categories
“To Be Young and Hip in Bangkok”
The NYT’s Matt Gross has a great article in today’s paper about currrent fashions and trends in Bangkok.
…is a Mountain Man Coyote Fur Hat. It’s available at Cabelas for about 200 bucks. The pricetag is a bit steep, but c’mon. Awesome. Simply awesome.
From the catalog copy:
Relive the era of the mountain man with this authentic full-body coyote Mountain Man Hat. The hat drapes down in the back for added warmth and protection on your neck and shoulders. From reenactments of famed mountain man triumphs along the frontier, to displays and decor befitting America’s pioneers and settlers, the classic styling and authentic coyote hide make this hat a conversation starter at any gathering. Soft, white-tanned interior holds up to years of wear. The professionally cleaned fur is exceptionally soft and holds its sheen extremely well. The perfect gift for rendezvous black-powder re-enactment enthusiasts. Made in Canada.
Here’s an interesting twist on Western firms outsourcing jobs to India: British backpackers have started taking call center jobs there in order to save funds for traveling or extend their current trips.
Among the first to land in the subcontinent was Kenny Rooney, a 28-year-old from Livingston in Scotland. He had worked in a call centre at home, but after nine months in India says he does not want to return. “This is an incredible country,” he said, speaking from Bombay. “I have had a brilliant time and met people from all over the world…”
Young Britons of Indian origin are also finding the jobs offer them a chance to rediscover their roots. Among them is Hasmita Patel, who is also working in Pune. “This has been the best thing I’ve ever done,” said Ms Patel, from Leicester. “It has really allowed me to see the country and get to know people. I’ve learned so much about myself.”
(Via BoingBoing.)
Endemol, the company behind ‘Big Brother’, is pulling out all the stops for its new Channel 4 production. In it, contestants vie to fly to space. The snag? They will be grounded at a military base, victims of probably the biggest hoax ever attempted on TV.
One of the best midfielders in the world has just left the most famous soccer club on earth, Manchester United. By “mutual consent,” Roy Keane is no longer with Man U effective immediatedly. He recently had a falling out with the club’s boss, the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, and will now ply his trade elsewhere.
While Keane plays with a sense of passion and commitment that is truly rare, and while his drive to win is remarkable, I think his legacy, even if he continues playing (he’s in his twilight years at 34), will finally be this: He was a player of monumental ability who lacked moral guidance and failed to subdue his inner demons (he fell victim to booze, depression, and his own blinding rage).
Never forget, for example, that he let his team and his country down when, as the side’s most important player, he got himself dismissed from the Ireland squad just before the last World Cup.
Goodbye, Roy Keane. You could have been so, so great. But you ultimately flattered to deceive.
Hilarious. (Thanks, Chad C.)
Categories
Catching Some Rays
AFP:
HONG KONG (AFP) — Airline Cathay Pacific has limited air crews’ flights on the non-stop Hong Kong-New York route after it was found the journey could increase the likelihood of cancer, a report said Sunday.
Staff of the British-owned, Hong Kong-based airline say they have been limited to just two of the ultra long-haul flights per month since it was found the route exposed passengers and crew to high levels of cosmic radiation when they flew over the North Pole.
Union chiefs told the South China Morning Post radiation levels increase markedly at 26,250 feet above the pole and prolonged exposure could be harmful to cell DNA possibly causing cancers.
(Via Kottke, who, incidentally, is currently traveling through Southeast Asia.)