Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Rewriting Bicycling

write a Bicycling magazine review of a lugged steel bicycle. If you like this one I'll do more, cmment down there.




PAGE 92
THE REAL DEAL
once sequestered editorially by this very magazine in the mid 90s to the realm of custom builders and every fat guy who doesn’t race, steel is making a comeback (!) in bikes perfect for daily riding. here are some steel framed bikes we rounded up and took pictures of at the local multiplex bike rack.


Raleigh Record Ace
the brakes are both spec’d mid slot.

What's up with the NAME!? Unless it has a Snoopy on the top tube dressed as a World War I flying ace attempting his PB up the local mountain, a bike like this should have its own modern moniker. None of the parts are either Record or Dura Ace so WTF Rt looks nothing like the old fashioned Raleigh Record Ace from 1951! 





How's it RIDE!? It rides like any bike with tight clearances, seriously. It has pleasant road manners, is rather compliant. If you ask me about bottom bracket stiffness I’ll kick you in the groin and ask you to forget what you’ve read in this magazine in the past and accept you can make your own judgements about what it means to trim a front derailleur and ride a bike down the street while chewing gum at the same time. Tight clearances means you can’t put fenders on this retro-for the sake of retro looking bike. It’s great for daily riding in AZ, SoCal, and for agoraphobics everywhere! Nor can you slap on bigger tires to tame all that bad pavement that’s coming to an area near you as the state and local governments run out of federal highway repair dollars (tax cuts!). Never mind that the best riding is had on roads that don’t get a ton of traffic and the worst pavement tends to be on drivers avoid like the plague or $800 auto repair bills.

Parts is parts. Okay everyone, huddle up. You might not know this but a steel frame like this Raleigh will likely outlast its original owner. Ergo, the parts that c10 years, at which time the new owner can slap on anything they or she may have laying around.

When I was out riding this bike with my professional rider friends I got dropped. Before you call me an out of shape douche, let me ask: How many of you have friends who are professional athletes? Ok, so shut up. So I got dropped. But it had NOTHING to do with my bike, because blaming your bike when you get dropped is an EXCUSE for not riding enough to keep up next time. Because my bike weighs more than their bikes means I get to get in shape faster and when I drop them after two months of hard training all they're going to be able to do is take more drugs. I got dropped because those guys are fast and they take their "vitamins" every day. Since “chamois time is training time,” and I have to write to earn my bread, I could blame this Raleigh Record Ace, but in truth it’s the bread. I like sandwiches and damn, they put on the pounds when paired with a blah blah blahd not descend faster than any other bike I ride, contrary to what all the other magazines may tell you.

SIZE WE TESTED 57cm (c to c) with a 68mm bb drop *
PRICE $1800
WEIGHT 2 and ⅔ gallons of 2% milk
FRAME lugged for what it’s worth

stay tuned for more steel bikes never coming soon!

Friday, June 29, 2012

Monday, February 13, 2012

music


feb 13
  • The year’s show also demonstrated the Grammys’ recognition of how much electronic dance music has taken over pop. New York Times, Arts
  • For two weeks, she joined six other residents at Beth Abraham Health Services in a collaboration with seven chamber music players from Carnegie Hall â ? New York Times, NY Region
  • Adele won every award she was nominated for, including record of the year, song of the year and best short form music video for Rolling In The Deep. BBC Top Stories
  • Soul singer Adele has triumphed in her return to music 's stage, scooping six Grammys and winning every category in which she was nominated including album of the year for 21 and best record with Rolling In the Deep. Guardian World
  • The Grammys have responded to fans who were concerned that “Soul Train” host Don Cornelius and music icon Etta James were missing from the “in memoriam” segment at the awards show on Sunday night. MSNBC Entertainment
  • 12:05 Not music to our ears: Eviction of Occupy Nashville finally coming this Thursday.... Harvard re-occupied (in honor of Jeremy Lin?)... The Nation Blogs
  • And it is not because of nonstop techno music or scantily clad fire dancers, either. New York Times, Arts
  • The music world has been remembering the life and career of singer Whitney Houston at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. BBC Entertainment
  • Ten years ago these companies were major technology innovators, the creators or leading developers of many electronic products and trend-setting devices such as televisions, digital cameras, portable music players and games consoles. Reuters Media
  • There is a hole in the sky and void in the music world. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Music luminaries in the audience respond with a standing ovation CNN Most Popular
  • RIP Whitney, we love you very much and your music will continue to inspire us for many generations to come. CTV News Latest
  • Sunday, February 12, 2012

    Whitney Houston


    feb 12
  • Jennifer Hudson will pay tribute to her idol, Whitney Houston, at Sunday 's Grammy Awards. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, Richard Pryor, Don Cornelius, Kurt Kobain, the painter Francis Bacon -- and countless others -- Whitney Houston died from a broken heart. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • LOS ANGELES -- Whitney Houston 's last days were spent surrounded by family, catching up with old friends and doing a bit of what she was best known for: singing. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • On Saturday afternoon a text appeared on my cell phone that read, " Whitney Houston died. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • It feels odd and almost wrong to write about anything other than Whitney Houston right now. Entertainment Weekly Headlines
  • Whitney Houston had been partying heavily at a pre-Grammy party on Thursday night BBC Top Stories
  • Whitney Houston accepts the Winner of The International Favorite Artist Award at the American Music Awards. Rolling Stone All News
  • It was a surreal scene: Whitney Houston had died at the Beverly Hilton, and hours later and a few floors below, her life was being celebrated at the event where her career was launched. Seattle Times full feed
  • Â Whitney Houston 's last days were spent surrounded by family, catching up with old friends and doing a bit of what she was best known for: singing. Fox News Entertainment
  • Whitney Houston performs during the 21st annual American Music Awards at the Shrine Auditorium Feb. 7, 1994 in Los Angeles. VOA News
  • The Queen of Pop, singer Whitney Houston, died Saturday. CTV News Latest
  • The tragic death of Whitney Houston brought to mind a conversation I had with her mom twenty years ago. Daily Beast Blogs and Stories
  • Saturday, February 11, 2012

    come


    feb 11

  • The first lady told the children at the taping that when it comes to healthy school lunches, “everybody wins.” NYTimes Front Page
  • Dennis the Menace has been locked up, accused of stealing the mayor 's gold chain, and so Minnie the Minx and the Bash Street Kids have come to the Guardian to see if we 'll launch a campaign to help clear Dennis 's name. Guardian Culture
  • The news comes amid heightened tensions between Iran and the CNN Top Stories
  • The moves come four days after rival Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum swept contests in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. CNN Politics
  • News of the compromise came after days of escalating partisan and ideological rhetoric over the divisive issue. CNN Politics
  • " They 're three years old, and they keep coming up. Reuters Most Read
  • Coming mostly from the mountain ranges in China, the colouring gave pandas cover against the snow and rock background. CTV News World
  • Kids come out, they have fun. NPR News Headlines
  • Some of the fiercest criticism has come from Catholic Church leaders. NPR News Headlines
  • " One theme that keeps coming up is that no one should ever, ever give up hope on love, " Isay tells NPR 's Scott Simon. NPR Arts and Culture
  • ? His expiration date was coming up, â ? ? New York Times, Sports
  • " No-one has come to me - and I am from his direct line! BBC World
  • Lin


    Feb 11
  • It helps that Lin plays for a terminally dysfunctional organization, desperate for some good vibes. CNN Sports
  • But four games do not a career make, no matter how much The New York Times and everyone else gush over the 23-year-old Lin, who is Asian-American. Newsweek All Latest
  • Since the 1985-86 season, 41 players have had such a streak in addition to Lin. NYTimes Front Page
  • Since the 1985-86 season, 41 players have had such a streak in addition to Lin. New York Times, Sports
  • Lin scored a career-high 38 points Friday night to lead the Knicks to a 92-85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Lin stunned crowds when he went from the bench to starting point guard and scored 25 points for a Knicks ' victory last Saturday. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Wednesday, February 08, 2012

    Minnesota


    feb 8
  • On Tuesday, Santorum beat Romney by nearly 30 percentage points in Minnesota and by 5 points in Colorado, both states that Romney won in 2008. LA Times Politics
  • There were no exit polls in Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado, and very little polling in advance of last night's voting. Washington Post Politics
  • The late-night win capped off a hat trick for Santorum, who won the Missouri primary and the Minnesota caucuses earlier in the night. Washington Post Politics
  • One day after Rick Santorum’s three-state sweep in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota, his GOP rival, Mitt Romney is going on offense – against Newt Gingrich. Washington Post Politics
  • Santorum won caucuses in Minnesota and Colorado, as well as a nonbinding primary in Missouri to energize his campaign and raise questions about front-runner Mitt Romney 's ability to attract broad conservative support. CNN Politics
  • And that happened again last night with Rick Santorum sweeping the contests in Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri. MSNBC Politics
  • “It must be a lot more fun believing in something than campaigning for nothing.” -- Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, celebrating with his supporters a second-place finish in the presidential straw poll held during Minnesota precinct caucuses. Fox News Politics
  • California, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and Michigan, have passed laws requiring private employers to provide at least some accommodations. ABC News Money
  • " Santorum revives campaign with wins in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota, " announces the headline in The Washington Post. NPR Opinion
  • The most striking thing about his dismal, third place finish in the Minnesota caucuses isn’t the contrast with his big win in Florida just one week ago; it’s the inexplicable collapse of his Gopher State standing since his triumphant finish in the same venue four years ago. Daily Beast Blogs and Stories
  • In Minnesota, a state which Mr. Romney carried easily in 2008, he has so far failed to win a single county — and got just 17 percent of the vote. NYTimes Front Page
  • According to the company, the sandwiches may contain eggs that were part of a previous recall from Michael Foods in Minnesota. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Tuesday, February 07, 2012

    everyone


    feb 7
  • Everyone thought a lot of her. BBC Top Stories
  • We have computers now, everyone. Washington Post National
  • Everyone knows that Governor Romney’s top-down, government-run mandated health insurance plan was the basis of ObamaCare. Washington Post Opinions
  • This weekend, during an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Al Hunt, Michele Bachmann emitted several of the pronouncements that so endeared her to the commenting public and so bewildered everyone else. Washington Post Opinions
  • Once the other judges figure out its a duo, everyone spins around to check out the happy couple. Washington Post Entertainment
  • " I 'm sorry to everyone I 've hurt, " he is heard saying. Seattle Times full feed
  • Britain 's attorney general said Tuesday he understands why the government is angry about a court 's decision to release an extremist cleric described as one of Europe 's leading al-Qaida operatives on bail but that authorities must follow the rule of law with everyone. Seattle Times full feed
  • "I 'm sorry to everyone I 've hurt." CNN U.S.
  • From the time your bags are checked at the airport to guards checking your car at your hotel, everyone's senses are heightened. CNN Travel
  • Not everyone agrees. CNN Travel
  • "She made a much bigger effort to say hello to nearly everyone, making rounds around the whole club before joining Jay-Z and guests in the VIP room," an onlooker tells Us. MSNBC Entertainment
  • Throwing a pie in someone's face is funny in America, not so much other places, and even here, not everyone sees the humor in wasting a perfectly good dessert. LA Times Commentary
  • Monday, February 06, 2012

    Super Bowl


    feb 6
  • Roundtable, has analyzed whether the Patriots put one over on the Giants in the final minute of the Super Bowl. New York Times, Sports
  • Fresh off a Super Bowl victory, New York is getting ready to honor its sports heroes with a ticker-tape parade in Lower Manhattan â ? ? Huffington Post Full Feed
  • The cast of " Parks and Recreation " in NBC 's Super Bowl commercial. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • A coalition of black ministers in Detroit called Monday for U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra to apologize for his Super Bowl ad featuring a young Asian woman speaking broken English to describe the impact of the Democratic incumbent 's economic policies. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • ? s Super Bowl halftime show ended with Madge disappearing in a puff of smoke like someone dropped a house on her sister. NY Observer Daily Transom
  • flipped a bird and used a clearly audible profanity, which, somehow, the bleepers in charge of bleeping failed to bleep, because who could possibly imagine that a rapper during a Super Bowl halftime show would try to get some instant notoriety by going off script and being vulgar ? Washington Post Opinions
  • ? s Super Bowl matchup between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, an average of 10,000 people â ? ? Washington Post Technology
  • The NFL and a major television network are apologizing for another Super Bowl halftime show. Seattle Times full feed
  • A coalition of black ministers in Detroit called Monday for U.S. Senate candidate Pete Hoekstra to apologize for his Super Bowl ad featuring a young Asian woman speaking broken English to describe the impact of the Democratic incumbent 's economic policies. Seattle Times full feed
  • ? s rough week â ? ¦ He trails Obama by six points ( 51 % -45 % ) in new WaPo/ABC poll â ? ¦ On contraception and the Catholic vote â ? ¦ On those Super Bowl car ads â ? ¦ Gingrich â ? MSNBC Politics
  • Bill Belichick may have made one of the gutsiest calls in Super Bowl history: instructing his defense to allow the Giants to score the go-ahead touchdown with just a minute remaining. Slate
  • Forget Madonna - the most memorable moment of Sunday 's Super Bowl halftime show came when M.I.A. ABC News US
  • Giants


    feb 5
  • The Patriots lost to the Giants 21 - 17. Daily Beast Cheat Sheet
  • Roundtable, has analyzed whether the Patriots put one over on the Giants in the final minute of the Super Bowl. New York Times, Sports
  • After the parade, the Giants will be presented with the Keys to the City in a ceremony at City Hall. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • At its peak, the highest number of tweets per second reached 12,233 at the very end of the game when the Giants held on for a 21-17 win over New England. Washington Post Technology
  • The Giants ' Ahmad Bradshaw scores the game-winning touchown after the Patriots decided to let him score. Slate
  • This is Mayor James L. Cassella, across the river in East Rutherford, N.J., where the Giants actually play, never mind the “NY” on their helmets. New York Times, NY Region
  • In each of the Giants' four Super Bowl victories, they trailed at halftime (10-9 to Denver in Super Bowl XXI, 12-10 to Buffalo in Super Bowl XXV, 7-3 to New England in Super Bowl XLII, and 10-9 to New England in Super Bowl XLVI). New York Times, Sports
  • They wonder about Tom Brady’s plans to escape the Giants’ pass rush; about the Patriots’ questionable secondary defense against the Giants’ deep threats of Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz; about how a Giants team that finished the regular season a pathetic 9-7 stands a chance against the most dominant NFL team of the last decade. Wired Top Stories
  • Tom Coughlin says he has every intention of returning to coach the Giants next season. Seattle Times full feed
  • The 65-year-old Coughlin made NFL history on Sunday, becoming the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl by guiding the Giants to a 21-17 victory over New England for his second NFL championship in four years. Seattle Times full feed
  • When the Patriots took a timeout with 1:04 left in the game and the Giants on the six-yard line, there was a lot of discussion about what would happen on the next play. MSNBC Sports
  • Of course Bundchen failed to mention Brady 's brain freeze on his team 's first possession, when Brady threw a pass from his own end zone to nobody in particular, leading to an intentional grounding penalty, which led to a safety and the first points of the game for the Giants. Fox News Top Headlines
  • Sunday, February 05, 2012

    Syria


    feb 5
  • Russia and China have handed Syria 's government a " licence to kill ", say opposition activists, after the two countries vetoed a UN resolution. BBC Top Stories
  • Russia drew Washington 's fury on Saturday when it vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on Syria. Seattle Times full feed
  • Hamas officials say a senior member of the Palestinian militant group has left Syria because of the government 's crackdown on an uprising there. Seattle Times full feed
  • A few dozen Canadians of Syrian descent protested in front of Syria 's embassy in Ottawa, calling on the international community to intervene and end the violence in Syria. CBC Top Stories
  • Well of course Russia is going to veto any resolution on Syria, they support the President, Russia arms and sells Syria all of its military weapons, Army, Navy and Air Force and Russia does n't seem to have a problem with the Syrian President slaughtering and killing innocent unarmed civilians who want change from this brutal dictatorship. CTV News Latest
  • The Russian and Chinese veto of a U.N. resolution aimed at ending Syria 's bloodshed drew stinging criticism from Arab and Turkish officials on Sunday, and Tunisia 's prime minister said that cutting ties with the Syrian regime is the " least that we can do. Seattle Times full feed
  • Western nations have deplored the vetoing by Russia and China of a UN resolution condemning the crackdown in Syria on anti-government protests. BBC World
  • This image from amateur video made available by Shaam News Network on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, purports to show a wounded man being treated at a field hospital in Homs, Syria. ABC News World
  • Hamadi Jebali spoke at an annual gathering of security officials in Germany, where Yemeni Nobel Peace Prize winner Tawakkul Karman also said Russia and China bear moral responsibility for killings in Syria and urged governments to expel Syrian ambassadors. ABC News World
  • US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described as a " travesty " Russia and China 's veto of a UN resolution condemning Syria 's crackdown against anti-government protesters. BBC Top Stories
  • Clinton calls for ' friends of democratic Syria ' to unite against Bashar al-Assad Guardian World
  • Saturday, February 04, 2012

    tell


    Feb 3
  • Anti-Putin protests in Moscow may be grabbing international headlines, with another planned for Saturday, but the quiet workaday routines of Russia 's provinces tell a far different story. LA Times World News
  • The family was told there was a 50 percent chance Alannah would n't survive the procedure. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • " As her only child, I have a unique vision compared to anyone else walking this earth, " Kelly told us prior to the site 's relaunch. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Colombian UN ambassador Nestor Osorio told journalists that talks would continue on Friday. BBC Top Stories
  • The Lancet 's editor, Richard Horton, told the BBC: " Right now we do n't actually have any reliable primary numbers for malaria deaths in some of the most malarious regions of the world, so what numbers we have come from estimates. BBC Top Stories
  • One told the programme " I feel much safer [ online ] than doing transactions in the real world. BBC Business
  • He told a trooper, " I 'm gon na be a police officer when I grow up. CNN Most Popular
  • " He learnt these skills himself, we had nothing to do with it, " Greta Vigren, the rabbit 's owner told The Local, an English language  website based in Sweden. MSNBC World
  • Gordie Howe’s son Marty admits that his famous father is dealing with memory loss and other issues, but tells Steve Ewen of the Vancouver Province that a Canadian Press story detailing the hockey legend’s supposed fight with dementia is “overblown.” MSNBC Sports
  • " That 's the dream, " Andreas Mershin, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and co-author of a paper describing the process, told me. MSNBC Tech & Science
  • " Of course I worry that there will be a military conflict and that certain countries might seek to take matters into their own hands, " Clegg was quoted as telling The House Magazine, a British political journal. Fox News National
  • Brinker told cable TV news network MSNBC that Planned Parenthood had lost funding partly because existing programs did not meet Komen 's new standards. Reuters Health
  • Saturday, January 28, 2012

    break

  • Cutting off service returns with abandon, the underdogs played risky, all-out tennis with the verve usually assigned to the Bryans, breaking their opponents ’ serve only twice but hitting nearly twice as many winning shots, 41 to 22. New York Times, Sports
  • There is something about a pet that often helps to " break the ice " and promote conversation. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Sharapova won the coin toss and let her serve first; it looked like a canny move when Azarenka double-faulted at 30-all and was broken. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • " Adelson is not breaking any rules. Guardian World
  • Damascus ' envoy to Cairo, Youssef Ahmed, said in a statement that unspecified Gulf nations were funding activists from the opposition Syrian National Council, whom he accused of breaking down the gates of the embassy and stealing documents from inside the building. CTV News Latest
  • Three topless Ukrainian protesters were detained Saturday while trying to break into an invitation-only gathering of international CEOs and political leaders to call attention to the needs of the world 's poor. CTV News Latest
  • South Sudan, which broke away from its northern neighbour Sudan on July 9 last year, said it had also approached Ethiopia about developing a new pipeline that would go through Ethiopia to a port in the tiny nation of Djibouti. CTV News Latest
  • Kilmarnock are getting closer and closer to breaking the deadlock... BBC Top Stories
  • India 's Paes and Czech Stepanek, playing in their fourth tour event, broke the Bryans early in the second set and cruised to victory in front of a small but vocal crowd at Rod Laver Arena. Reuters Sports
  • Azarenka took control after holding for the first time, breaking Sharapova at love and then holding again on a three-game roll. AP Top Headlines
  • In a relentlessly one-sided match, Azarenka officially broke through with a 6-3, 6-0 demolition. CNN Sports
  • But when the meeting broke up, Mr. Meles told reporters the hoped-for deal had fallen through. VOA News
  • white


    jan 28
  • 1254: Sam of Dundee with a quick joke: " What 's black and white and lies in the middle of the jungle ? BBC Top Stories
  • As passionate speeches flowed, and pictures from Ntuka 's life were projected on to a screen fashioned from a white cloth, one man broke down and rested his head on the shoulder of another, who tenderly stroked his back. Guardian World
  • Azarenka has been a distinctive presence at Melbourne Park as much as for her shrieks and hoots with each shot and seemingly boundless energy as for her white shorts, blue singlet and lime green head and wrist bands. Seattle Times full feed
  • Franken went white, she says. Slate
  • White River led by 11 at halftime. Seattle Times full feed
  • White, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer 's disease in 2003, died Friday night at his Beacon Hill home surrounded by his family, said George Regan, a family spokesman and friend. Fox News National
  • A skeptical Nadal, looking relaxed and assured in a white T-shirt, suggested it was mere naked gamesmanship. Reuters Sports
  • It also means a lot more can be done with adjustment brushes--the aforementioned shadow and highlight adjustments, for example, or selective sharpening, noise reduction, white balance tweaks. CNET News
  • Sunday, January 22, 2012

    activist


    jan 22
  • President Obama will use his election-year address on Tuesday to define an activist economic role for government, hoping to draw a stark contrast between the parties. NYTimes Front Page
  • The city of San Francisco needed a football team like that, after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and the politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, and after the Jonestown massacre. New York Times, Sports
  • Florida DREAM Act activists, who have been among the most visible in the nation, also are promising to keep the heat on Romney as his campaign comes to the state. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Through my work as a teacher, a student, author, activist and Huffington Post guest blogger, I see every day how true those words really are. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • In today 's Chile, however, human rights activists are challenging low pay, long hours and discrimination that afflict domestic workers. Seattle Times full feed
  • The British-based opposition activist group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, confirmed the incident Saturday and said 15 prisoners were killed. NPR News
  • In today 's Chile, however, human rights activists are challenging low pay, long hours and discrimination that afflict domestic workers. Times Leader
  • Among the pardoned is Michael Nabil, 25, an activist who went on a hunger strike to protest his conviction for posting remarks saying the army tried to quell the uprising against Mubarak. Daily Beast Cheat Sheet
  • Syrian troops fought intense battles against defectors elsewhere in northern Syria, activists said, leaving dozens of people wounded in the increasingly militarized 10-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. NYTimes Front Page
  • While Alaa Jarban, a youth activist who said he saw protesters killed last spring, called the immunity law â ? NYTimes Front Page
  • WASHINGTON -- Although he appears headed to victory in Saturday 's South Carolina primary, Newt Gingrich faces skepticism from grassroots Republican activists and officeholders, who increasingly prefer Mitt Romney as their first choice for the Republican presidential nomination. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • marriage


    jan 20
  • Newt Gingrich 's two daughters ( from his first marriage ) are defending their father from charges that he asked his second wife for an open marriage. Daily Beast Cheat Sheet
  • On ' Morning Joe, ' Stephen Colbert brought a fresh perspective to the coverage: The speaker was a gentleman for at least asking for an open marriage. Daily Beast Most Recent
  • ? s debate: Gingrich deflects the question about his baggage ( his failed 2nd marriage ) â ? ¦ Romney raises even more questions about his baggage ( those tax returns ) â ? ¦ And Santorum has a very strong performance. MSNBC Top Headlines
  • While stories continue to swirl that the Kardashian brand is having its troubles, that likely has had more to do with Kim’s short-lived marriage to Kris Humphries and a growing level of distrust of the family from fans, not a 45 second Old Navy commercial, experts say. Fox News Entertainment
  • Gingrich, meanwhile, faced stunning new allegations from an ex-wife that he had sought an open marriage before their divorce. AP Top Headlines
  • Cain applauded Gingrich for his defensive response when asked about allegations made by Marianne Gingrich, who said the former House Speaker asked her to have an " open marriage. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • The fallout from last night 's CNN debate continues this morning, with the broadcaster under fire for handing Newt Gingrich an open goal by beginning the debate not with an issue of policy substance, but the issue of his former wife 's claims about their marriage. Guardian World
  • " Now I stay here for baptisms, marriages and I take part in the village 's social life, " said Lawali, " and I get to stay with my wife. Guardian World
  • That factor may come into play as Newt Gingrich - who lost New Hampshire and Iowa pretty decisively - faces questions over his previous marriage. Guardian World
  • And surprise, surprise, many of the malign effects detectable in the celibate Catholic priesthood are equally detectable in this clergy group, plus often an equally malign problem: many gay clergy have conformed to peer pressure and entered a heterosexual marriage, thus endangering the happiness of not just one but at least two people and living out all sorts of lies alongside a ministry which is supposed to be characterised by truthfulness and integrity. Guardian World
  • ( CNN ) -- The approach of Valentine 's Day may have you entertaining thoughts of love, perhaps even marriage. CNN Entertainment
  • But perhaps the oddest reason for Gingrich 's rise is a bit of jujitsu he employed on a story that should have hurt his campaign: At least part of the reason Newt Gingrich is more likely to win South Carolina today than he was on Wednesday is that he lashed out at the media for asking him about allegations that he sought am open marriage from his then-wife to continue a long-running extramarital affair. Washington Post Business
  • Friday, January 20, 2012

    forward

    Fifty-two words comprise the entirety of this book. In the context of the year 2011, these words contain far deeper meaning than their definitions can reveal, because these are the words that ranked among the most salient lemmas (root words and proper names) tracked by Utterment.com for the entire year. Utterment is a web-based computer application that quite simply tracks words that matter to us the most. In more formal language, Utterment provides frequent periodical analysis of trends among lemmas in the English language as they occur within a real-time corpus. The primary purpose of Utterment is to assist human beings discovering, reading, comprehending, and weighing in on the most important news of the moment. Secondarily, Utterment enables ongoing lexicographical research with its large and unique database of up-to-date English language data, including word frequencies, trends, and associated source metadata. Utterment’s corpus contains more than 200 news sources from which millions of pages of content are continually distilled to calculate salient rankings.

    To create this book using Utterment's data resources, I first culled lemmas of the highest salient rank for each day of the year from among millions of words tracked over the course of the year. I then looked into the evidence of highly salient lemmas clustered around single newsworthy events in order to select only those lemmas whose evidence revealed the salient aspects of a news story in as few sentences as possible. Lastly, I edited the evidence for aptness and brevity. For word nerds, each of the 52 words spent at least one day near the top of the salient rankings, while the majority recorded high salient scores for more than a single day. Many words trended for weeks, a few for months.

    The number 52 was selected arbitrarily, partly for its association with the number of weeks in a year, but far more importantly with the belief that anyone, even a child, could read a history book with just 52 words in it. PARENTS PLEASE NOTE: Not all news stories appearing among the evidence are suitable for children, so adults please read along with your child to answer their questions and make certain your child accesses articles that are appropriate to their age. It is my hope that this book will provide insight into the human experience of 2011 for many years to come, and engender an empathic response for readers of all ages as they search for insight into the human condition.

    While I combed evidence to make sure the links to the original articles worked, if you find a broken link, please let me know by sending me a tweet (@jrome). In nearly all cases I selected only a tiny percentage of the evidence for a particular lemma, because an exhaustive list would have made for repetitive storytelling and ultimately dull reading.

    Lastly, this book is dedicated to my wife Nikki. I would not have been able to see Utterment through without her unflinching and unparalleled support. Thanks also to Orion Buckminster MontoyaJohn Mansfield, and Mark Greene for their work in making Utterment a truly remarkable project. If you like this book, please visit Utterment.com to check out the latest daily salient lemma. History continues into tomorrow.

    Cheers,

    Jerome Haines
    6 January 2012
    

    Monday, January 16, 2012

    tell

  • But the warmth of a winner’s reception in the room can tell a lot about Hollywood sentiment, and where the Oscar ballots are headed. New York Times, Arts
  • “They kept asking, ‘Did you see the naked girls?’ I told them no, I hadn’t. What I was really worried about was the rest of the block would blow up while we were standing there. I didn’t see Dustin Hoffman, either.” New York Times, NY Region
  • Katy Ulrich, 26, first grade teacher Achievement First Bushwick Charter School in Brooklyn: Songs that help tell the movement’s story such as this one. New York Times, NY Region
  • Whether those results are applicable to our post-2004 high-stakes world, we can not tell. New York Times, NY Region
  • The man, a relative of the new party secretary, Mr. Lin, “just became very scared” after receiving the calls, which urged him to turn himself in if he had been involved in the protests, his wife told The Singapore Straits-Times. New York Times, World
  • Noting that Gingrich has been telling South Carolinians he is the most electable, Santorum asked: " Then why did he finish behind me, if he was the most electable ? " LA Times Politics
  • " We would n't have set up a bureau if we had n't been able to operate the way we 'd like to operate, " Carroll told The Huffington Post by phone Monday morning from Pyongyang. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Dr. Karen Sheehan, of the Children 's Memorial Hospital, told CBS Chicago parents should buy straps to help secure televisions and other furniture pieces. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • " But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate-filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five-year-old son who is asking: " Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean ? " Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Richard Wallace told the country 's media ethics inquiry that hacking " might well " have been going on at the Mirror in the early 2000s. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Folks tell me that when they ask for money from clients or customers, questions swim inside their heads about their value, impact, and "appeal." Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Victims told the programme it was time for the law to get tough. BBC Business
  • Saturday, January 14, 2012

    ship


    jan 14

  • The video released by the Pentagon showed armed boats with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps ' navy approaching within several hundred yards ( metres ) of the USS New Orleans, an amphibious transport ship, on January 6, a U.S. military official said. Reuters Top News
  • Over the years his explorations of the gap between intention and realisation have included a Porsche 911, assembled in a Thai car factory from a sketch he 'd made from memory, and a cafe decked out in screamingly loud stripes based on the paint schemes of ships used in the first world war. Guardian Culture
  • Survivors who escaped a luxury cruise ship that ran aground and tipped over recounted a scene reminiscent of " Titanic " on Saturday, describing a delayed then panicked evacuation, as plates and glasses crashed around them and they crawled along upended hallways trying to reach safety. Seattle Times full feed
  • There has been a lot of anxious waiting since the ship left Russia in mid-December. Seattle Times full feed
  • Survivors who escaped a luxury cruise ship that ran aground and tipped over recounted a scene reminiscent of " Titanic " on Saturday, describing a delayed then panicked evacuation, as plates and glasses crashed around them and they crawled along upended hallways trying to reach safety. AP Top Headlines
  • Shipping sources said the widening sanctions were likely to deter most international ship owners from engaging in deals in which Iran can hire tankers, compounding its logistic problems. Reuters Most Read
  • A ship carrying Russian ammunition docked in Syria this week, after it had been temporarily halted during a refueling stop in Cyprus, stirring concern in Washington. Reuters Top News
  • A cruise ship carrying 4,200 on board ran aground near the Italian island of Giglio late Friday, killing at least three. Daily Beast Cheat Sheet
  • Passengers were seen in a rescue boat from the stranded ship. NYTimes Front Page
  • A luxury cruise ship ran aground off the coast of Tuscany, sending water pouring in through a 160-foot gash in the hull and forcing the evacuation of some 4,200 people from the listing vessel early Saturday, the Italian coast guard said. LA Times World News
  • Survivors from a luxury cruise ship that ran aground and tipped over, leaving at least three dead and 69 people still unaccounted for, described Saturday a chaotic evacuation, as plates and glasses crashed and they crawled along upended hallways trying to reach safety. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Wednesday, January 11, 2012

    Iran and friends


    jan 11
  • TEHRAN, Iran -- Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Iran nuclear scientist killed in Tehran motorbike bomb attack Guardian World
  • North Korea is worse, then Pakistan and Iran ( which has about 7 kg of spent HEU fuel stored at the Tehran Research Reactor ). Guardian World
  • They are both resolute on Iran and, frankly, voters don’t care if Santorum was on the Senate Armed Services Committee years ago. Washington Post Opinions

  • jan 11
  • TEHRAN, Iran -- Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and his driver Wednesday, reports said. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Footage from local TV shows the scene in Tehran where an Iranian professor working at a nuclear facility was killed Link to this video Guardian World
  • Amir Mirzaei Hekmati, the American sentenced to death by the Iranian government, is linked to a small New York company specializing in video games that recreate real-life conflicts in the Middle East and beyond. Fox News SciTech
  • Because the Treasury Department enforces American sanction laws, Mr. Geithner spent time explaining the new legislation, which would generally deny access to the U.S. financial system to foreign financial institutions that do business with the Because the Treasury Department enforces American sanction laws, Mr. Geithner spent time explaining the new legislation, which would generally deny access to the U.S. financial system to foreign financial institutions that do business with the Iranian central bank. NYTimes Business
  • The last time the group moved the hands closer to midnight was in 2007, by two minutes due to a North Korean nuclear weapon test, Iranian nuclear ambitions and a renewed U.S. emphasis at the time of the military utility of nuclear weapons. Toronto Sun News
  • Iranian authorities give conflicting versions about his involvement or otherwise in the country 's nuclear programme. Guardian World
  • Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is welcomed by the Venezuelan vice-president in Caracas. Guardian World
  • As another Iranian nuclear scientist is assassinated, the mystery thickens as to whether the Mossad, US or the UK are involved Guardian World
  • Two assailants on a motorcycle attached a magnetic bomb to the car of an Iranian university professor working at a key nuclear facility, killing him and another person Wednesday, state TV reported. Seattle Times full feed
  • On January 12, 2010, Iranian university professor and nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi was killed in a blast when an assailant stuck a bomb under his car. CNN World
  • The bombing, which Iranian officials said bore all the hallmarks of assassinations of other nuclear scientists in the past years, came as Washington sought to persuade a sceptical China to help efforts to toughen sanctions against Iran. Reuters Most Read

  • jan 11
  • "From the international consensus that we can see against Iran, even if (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) does retaliate, it's not very likely that the pressure – sanctions and isolation – would ease," he said. "He's in a tight spot." Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Because the Treasury Department enforces American sanction laws, Mr. Geithner spent time explaining the new legislation, which would generally deny access to the U.S. financial system to foreign financial institutions that do business with the Iranian central bank. NYTimes Business
  • Turkey has imposed trade sanctions on Syria and is allowing its opposition groups to meet on its territory. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • His visit comes after the Islamic Republic fanned tensions with western powers by threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz, the world 's most important oil shipping lane, in response to possible new sanctions over its nuclear plans. Reuters International
  • Infrastructure remains dilapidated after years of war and economic sanctions, and investment is needed to reform banking, build houses and roads and fix a chronic electricity shortage. Reuters International
  • Both have used vetoes to stop sanctions from being imposed on their ally. Guardian World
  • The NGO is not advocating the removal of all US sanctions until key human rights benchmarks are met, but the clawback of specific measures that block technical assistance to key ministries, particularly health and social welfare. Guardian World
  • Since December, Iran has held or announced a series of war games that included threats to close the Gulf 's vital Strait of Hormuz - the passageway for about one-sixth of the world 's oil - in retaliation for stronger U.S.-led sanctions. Seattle Times full feed
  • His talks highlighted the Asian nation's need for stable supplies of oil, in particular if Iran follows through on threats to choke off the strait through which a sixth of the world's crude flows in retaliation for U.S. sanctions targeting its central bank. Seattle Times full feed
  • Because Hungary does not use the euro, the EU does not have the power to impose financial sanctions on the country. AP World
  • The bombing, which Iranian officials said bore all the hallmarks of assassinations of other nuclear scientists in the past years, came as Washington sought to persuade a sceptical China to help efforts to toughen sanctions against Iran. Reuters Most Read

  • jan 11
  • Tehran has accused Israel 's Mossad, the CIA and Britain 's spy agency of engaging in an underground " terrorism " campaign against nuclear-related targets, including at least three slayings since early 2010 and the release of a malicious computer virus known at Stuxnet in 2010 that temporarily disrupted controls of some centrifuges – a key component in nuclear fuel production. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Iranian state agencies described Wednesday's attack as a terrorist operation, and a senior official blamed Israel for it. Guardian World
  • India, China and Israel ranked among the world's worst for nuclear security Guardian World
  • A Hamas official in Gaza says the militant group has sentenced a local Palestinian to death for collaborating with Israel. Seattle Times full feed
  • Such leaks are considered a crime in Israel. Seattle Times full feed
  • MANAGUA ( Reuters ) - Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega on Tuesday urged Israel to destroy its nuclear weapons to foster peace in the Middle East as he hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who is touring Latin America. Reuters International
  • JERUSALEM ( Reuters ) - Israel's parliament gave initial approval on Wednesday to laws to curb public use of Nazi symbols after ultra-Orthodox protesters caused outrage by calling police Nazis and wearing concentration camp garb. Reuters International
  • " Description de l'Egypte " was destroyed, along with many other rare manuscripts, including historical maps used to delineate Egypt 's border and an original map that played an important role in Israel 's withdrawal from Taba in 1989. NPR Opinion
  • The Jewish Daily Forward has word of an official inquiry by Yad Vashem, Israel's centre for Holocaust research and commemoration. Guardian World
  • Now, the myth-makers demonstrate that the evil Chavez is allying himself with the power in the Middle East that is pressing on with nuclear experiments that the west has decided only Israel is allowed to undertake. Guardian World

  • jan 11
  • Mr Ford said calling the player to tell him he was sacked had been the toughest thing he had ever done in football but he felt that the Southern-Premier League club had made the right decision. BBC Tech
  • Not only would they have to convince voters that they are still worth voting for, but they would have to beg them for money to stay afloat. And that’s tough. Washington Post Politics
  • Those are really tough but I’m lucky enough to have a close group of widow friends and really help to support each other in getting through some of our harder times. Fox News Top Headlines
  • " He singled out her ability to crack up on command at a very unfunny joke, saying, " It 's tough to come up with a convincing laugh, and she did that almost every time. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • FLEURUS, Belgium -- When Eric Pierart takes in the chaotic wiggling of thousands of hens caged in his renovated barn, he 's reminded of how tough it is for Europe to unite on anything. Huffington Post Full Feed
  • Like the Greek politicians raising the spectre of state bankruptcy, Monti is trying to strengthen his own hand in tough negotiations. Guardian World
  • "But still, it's two matches away and the next one is really tough. Seattle Times full feed
  • Sen. Nelson is therefore in a tougher spot than Obama. Miami Herald Top Stories
  • As a result, they urged the public and private sectors to work together to prevent a vicious cycle, whereby tough times feed disillusion and jeopardize the social contract between states and citizens. Seattle Times full feed
  • Budget chief Jack Lew 's promotion to chief of staff leaves the president with tough choices when it comes to getting a new budget director confirmed. CNN Business
  • States good for us and states that are tougher. CNN Politics
  • Hostess Brands Inc., the maker of Twinkies and Wonder Bread, is seeking bankruptcy protection, blaming its pension and medical benefits obligations, increased competition and tough economic conditions. AP Top Headlines