MSNBC: What Cars Would the Founding Fathers Drive?

Given what we know of the Founding Father's personalities, what kind of car would each of them drive, if they could? This slideshow offers some educated guesses:

http://editorial.autos.msn.com/what-would-our-founding-fathers-drive?icid=autos_2389

I'm not terribly familiar with cars, but the analyses of the various men's personalities are quite good. The entries on Samuel Adams and Alexander Hamilton, I think, capture them to a T. (The writer's clearly put effort into researching the piece -- see the James Monroe entry.)

Baby Animals!

Because a lot of people are probably in need of a distraction from finals week: 
http://www.livescience.com/12902-world-cutest-baby-wild-animals.html

Aren't they wonderful?

Washington Post: Ospreys Nest on a D.C. Crane, Halting Construction

An inspiring tale of government bureaucracy pulling together to save endangered animals:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/ospreys-nest-on-a-dc-crane-halting-construction/2011/05/07/AFQeSMKG_gallery.html#photo=1

Sometimes it's the little things for which it's necessary to move mountains.

Washington Post: Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

This is a beautiful set of pictures of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. It's a major pit stop along the Atlantic Flyway, and it's in Maryland, and I would dearly love to go see it one day. The photographs are spectacular:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/conversations/blackwater-national-wildlife-refuge/2011/03/11/ABNme9Q_gallery.html

Enjoy!

NYTimes: 18th-Century Ship Found at World Trade Center Site

I never thought I'd see an archaeological dig right in my hometown. This is awesome, and will interest, in particular, fans of maritime history:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/18th-century-ship-found-at-trade-center-site/?hpw

I can't believe there was a ship beneath Manhattan, waiting to be discovered. A ship! An entire ship! (Though I suppose, in truth, greater things have been lost amidst the sands of time -- see "Ozymandias".) I can't wait to see it, if we'll ever get to. Sometimes (more often than not) they seal these things off, if the potential exposure damage is too great.

BBC: Meerkat Culture

Yes, you read that correctly. Meerkat groups have been shown to transmit behaviours and non-genetic memes. They have, in essence, been forming cultural groups.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science_and_environment/10529154.stm

It's a striking discovery. (And they're so cute!)

NYTimes: A Victorian Cabin

It's very quaint, the sort of thing that I'd build in my backyard, if I had the time and the woodworking savvy:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/06/23/garden/20100624-chic-slideshow.html?ref=garden

The lace is a bit much, I admit, and this slightly unstable-looking structure is not where I'd choose to house my hypothetical china collection, but I'd absolutely live in this sort of a house. The only nontrivial improvement I can think of would be to perhaps build it in a tree. A Victorian treehouse, perhaps?

NYTimes: Awesomest (Tree)House Ever

I've always had a bit of an obsession with treehouses (I wanted to live in one, as a permanent home, at one point), and this made my day:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/06/17/garden/20100617-location-slideshow.html

You have to admit it's pretty awesome. Right up there with jet-packs and hovercrafts.

BBC: Butterflies!

I've always had a weak spot for butterflies. I used to sketch them, at the Museum of Natural History (They had a butterfly conservatory exhibit a year or two ago, and it was glorious.), and out of books. I had put that aside for a while, but this makes me nostalgic for sketching at museums. (I wonder whom I might rope into accompanying me this summer?)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_8730000/8730259.stm

The Morpho anaxibia's blues are absolutely breathtaking, and the Cithareas are just exquisite. Any favorites?

NYTimes: Packing a Carry-On for Maximum Efficiency

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/06/business/businessspecial/20100506-pack-ss.html?src=me&ref=homepage

This is of especial interest to me, because I travel by air a whole lot. There's the fact that I go to school in California despite being from New York, and then there's the debating, where almost every one of our competitor schools is on the East Coast (the Ivies, the Little Ivies, &c.), and we have to fit a sleeping bag, a suit, dress shoes, and a load of other things into our carry-on luggage. (The rolling vs. folding of clothes is a trick I figured out a long time ago.)

NYTimes: A Sampling of Chinglish

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2010/05/03/world/asia/20100503_CHINGLISH.html?src=me&ref=homepage

Chinglish made the Times! And one of my best friends (Brett) is credited as a contributor. :)