Newmark's Door

"The Most Counterfeited Products"

Not many surprises--pills, software, designer-label clothes--but interesting anyway.

"Bizarre and unusual destinations around the world"

"There are many blue holes off the coast of Belize . . ." Who knew?

From the Los Angeles Times.

Restaurants per capita by state

I think I understand Mississippi's ranking and Utah's ranking. But what's up with Montana?

"How to Scan and Fax Documents Online for Free"

I haven't tried any of these services, but still find I have to fax things occasionally--annoying!--I may in the near future.

"Researchers at NC State are working to solve a nearly century-old problem . . .

. . . what to do with those skimpy, derriere-exposing hospital gowns."

An objective I heartily endorse

Count your blessings

I assume that most of you reading this don't have to work "in Hell for $11 a day".

"Five Money Lessons for New College Grads"

Some good advice for the youngsters (Wall Street Journal, 5/3). (Well, Lesson 3 is flawed because it fails to apply present value analysis, but hey, four out of five ain't bad.)

Along the same lines: "The $1500 Frisbee".

"World's Most Interesting Bridges, Part 3"

From the Dark Roasted Blend blog (5/20):

Awe-Inspiring Construction of Mountain Highway Bridges in China

China is home to some of the most spectacular mountains, and some of the deepest gorges that need to be spanned with ridiculously tall bridges - and all these infrastructure projects are supposed to be good for Chinese economy.

There is only one problem: the amount of jaws dropped into the gorges by awestruck tourists and the sense of professional envy these bridges inspire in architects around the world, itching to land a similarly grand project . . .

"What's Inside WD-40?"

"WD-40 is mostly a mix of baby oil, Vaseline, and the goop inside homemade lava lamps." (Wired, 4/29.)

"A Report from the field: Africa"

Mike Munger writes:

Because I know lots of students and ex-students, I get reports from the field from non-profit folks. These kids go over their wanting to change the world, and end up just shaking their heads and thinking, "WTF?" This, I thought, was a pretty good one. . . .

Idealistic young Americans considering service abroad would do well to read the report.