Wishing for Some Cars to Die

Some of the cars on sale in 2014 have been around for way too long. Others are just terrible and should die quickly and quietly. Like now. These following ten shouldn’t be around by next year. From Jalopnik.

The list is incomplete, I think every list should include this:

The Fiat Multipla.  Even if it’s not sold in this market.  Take a look at it, actual living designers thought this was a credible product!  It makes the Aztek look like a classic Ferrari.

Giraffe Anyone? Interesting Menu Items from Pompeii

Pompeii’s enigmatic history has long captivated archaeologists and tourists alike. While its name often conjures up images of its violent end, new research into Pompeiians daily lives is broadening our understanding of this ancient Roman culture, particularly their eating habits, before Mt. Vesuvius brought it all crumbling down nearly 2,000 years ago.

The Diminutive Bounty Hunter

At 4’11” and just over 100 pounds, Michelle Gomez doesn’t look like the sort of person you’d hire to retrieve earthmoving equipment stolen by a Peruvian crime family. But in the summer of 2013, that’s exactly what she was doing.

 

From Wired.com, it’s long but truly fascinating.

If a Camaro is too Pedestrian for You

Woot! The Rolls Royce Wraith. Besides the slab sided design, what a fastback!

Affordable Speed

The ’67 model is obviously a classic, this on the other hand, is an affordable Porsche killer. Something the Europeans forget when they look down their noses at modern American performance cars; they are so much more affordable. I’d rather have 500+ HP and less tactile options than a $100K+ price tag. Go check it out.

Lenovo’s New Smartphones

In the calm before the storm of CES next week, Lenovo has officially introduced a collection of handsets to entice consumers in early 2014. The Chinese-based tech company reached the top spot in international PC sales but is hoping to gain some ground in the mobile space. These devices have already been slowly leaked and spotted online the past two months, but here are the details on these devices in full. Full article at Popular Mechanics.

Blight Resistant GM Potatoes

On the surface, I feel l European resistance to GM crops comes from a rather snobby first world attitude.  If we can safely develop better crops (really just aiding mother nature) that will provide the world’s most vulnerable populations with nutritional, affordable sustenance it is our duty to do so.

We banned DDT based on shaky science and millions of people have died or suffer from the disease.  It’s the height of arrogance to assume our priorities mirror those of, say, a subsistence level farmer in Sub-Saharan Africa.  From Technology Review:

It’s breezy, and though the summer is over, it’s still warm and humid. “Perfect weather for blight,” says Mullins. Bending over the conventionally bred plants, he firmly pulls back the wilted stems and leaves to show that the tubers, half-exposed in the ground, are scarred with black blotches. Then he picks at a green leaf from one of the genetically engineered plants, which have been modified with a blight-resistant gene from a wild potato that grows in South America. The defenses of the potato plant have fought off the spores, rendering them harmless. The plant, says Mullins simply, “has performed well.”

 

Inside The Antikythera Mechanism

X-rays and advanced photography have uncovered the true complexity of the mysterious Antikythera mechanism, a device so astonishing that its discovery is like finding a functional Buick in medieval Europe.

I saw a documentary awhile ago, a copy of this had been posited.  These articles and images are more illustrative though.  We’ll probably start hearing how aliens inspired this device soon…

Skulls Under Mexico City

Archaeologists in Mexico City made a grisly and awesome discovery this week, after a subway extension project uncovered a stretch of pre-Hispanic development—including four skulls that were once displayed on a broad rack of bones from sacrificial offerings.

Imagine how many archaeological sites would be lost if we didn’t do these surveys and research during construction projects.  Every major city in Europe sends in teams to perform their work before construction begins and their results are impressive.  I’m thinking of the city of York in England, it has a known rich Viking background, further enhanced by this type effort.

Our Own Style of Carbeque

We can laugh, no one was seriously hurt.  A little winter prep and survival preparedness goes a long way…

 

Canadians set car ablaze