| Blizzard of '78 memories?
Five days after the Blizzard of '78, cars were still abandoned on Route 128 near the Dedham/Westwood town line. As we prepare our 30th anniversary coverage of the storm, we want to hear from you. We want your stories of the kindness of strangers, friendships or romances that you struck up during the storm and its aftermath. How would Boston fare today if a Blizzard of '78 hit again? Please e-mail your thoughts to howe@globe.com .
BENDTNER: TAYLOR TACKLE NOT MALICIOUS
But given what happened you can't say it was anything other than a red card. "Eduardo is a strong character and good person. He's done really well at Arsenal and I hope he will be back as quickly as possible." While Bendtner applauded the decision by referee Mike Dean to show Taylor a straight red, he claims the official ultimately cost Arsenal two priceless points. Dean awarded a penalty against Gael Clichy, even through the Gunners defender won the ball from Stuart Parnaby, which James McFadden rifled home in the 91st minute. With Manchester United blitzing Newcastle 5-1 later the same day, Arsenal's lead at the Premier League summit has been cut to three points. But Bendtner, who replaced Eduardo, has sought to rally Arsenal as they struggle through a crucial period of the season by reminding them they remain in control of the title race.
Obama's Double Bubble Trouble
Tom Snyder, R.I.P.: When my book came out in the early 1990s, I went on a highly ... er, selective media tour that included a stop at the Cahuenga Pass studio of Tom Snyder's radio show. For whatever reasons--Snyder understood what I was trying to do with the book, or he drew easily on his life experiences, or he was a warm personality or just a good questioner--it was the best interview I did. After a disastrous stillborn conversation with All Things Considered, it was heartening to know I could get on someone 's wavelength. Even if Snyder was faking it--especially if he was faking it--I'm grateful. But he didn't seem to be. ... 2:34 P.M. ___________________________ Doing Pinch's Job**: Emailer X has an idea for replacing the hated TimesSelect paywall while making Pinch Sulzberger's New York Times some extra money.
China can build things. Why can't India?
India's top science and technology official is in China, making excuses about why his country's infrastructure is so shoddy. Shanghai has brilliant new skyscrapers and museums and parks and trains – and Bombay can't manage to have a decent airport. According to Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal, it's all because of democracy. “There is a different model of growth in our country," Sibal told reporters in Beijing, according to this report from wire service PTI carried on Indian portal Rediff.com. “We can't, for example, build a Pudong overnight." Well, neither did the Chinese. Pudong today is the result of more than a decade's worth of work and planning and investment. The place is hardly paradise; Pudong can feel overwhelming, especially along the district's broad boulevard.
3am Girls Enjoy Sienna Miller And Rhys Ifans In-Flight Entertainment
PROFESSIONAL girlfriend Sienna Miller is pictured on the cover of the Mirror in the company of a grinning Rhys Ifans. "IN BED AT 37,000FT," comes the headline. "Sienna and Rhys's amazing jet antics." Inside and: "Sienna revels in a flight of passion. WE SEE HER FROLIC IN 33in BED ON PLANE WITH RHYS." And so we find ourselves aboard a flight from Los Angeles to London. The paper's 3am Girls, Clemmie Moodie and Danielle Lawler, are sat a few seats away from Miller and Ifans. The voyeurs look on as Ifans removes his top and jumps "giggling" into Miller's bed. A few seats to one side is James McAvoy. He is reading a sudoku book, possibly researching a new film on the life and times of Chris Sudoku, the Most Boring Man In London (1822-1898).
The toxic legacy of plastic bags
At the heart of arguments against introducing a ban on the damaging common plastic shopping bag lies a stubborn refusal to consider anything other than the economic costs of keeping them. Plastic bags are cheap to make and cheap for shops to buy. We have become used to the convenience of them and think they make our lives somehow easier. But our easy addiction to plastic bags is destroying our environment, killing our marine life and birds, and is so pervasive and persistent that it is entering the food chain. How can those who assess plastic bags simply on their economic merits ignore the impacts of the waste left behind? How can any of us afford not to? In the half dozen decades since plastic became a regular part of our lives and plastic bags a common sight, the natural environment has become full to bursting with plastic rubbish.
Toll road rejected
Orange Mayor and Orange County Transit Authority board member Carolyn Cavecche said the toll road would by itself siphon 50,000 cars a day off of I-5.Officials rejected an alternative that would entail widening I-5 in south Orange County, saying it wouldn't help enough, there is no money for it and it would require knocking out 1,200 homes and businesses.Thomas Margro, Foothill/Eastern's chief executive officer, said, "This project is the best option for relieving traffic congestion with the least amount of impact on communities and the environment."That point was vigorously disputed by environmental groups, surfers and other opponents. And they contended that a more effective cure to I-5's ills would be to improve I-5 itself. The Endangered Habitats League hired an East Coast consultant to study the I-5 alternative, and the result was an option that would require only 60 properties.Also in considerable dispute was the amount of damage to sensitive lands that would occur.
Is this retail's nightmare before Christmas?
And stock-market investors appear to think not only that things are bad, but that they are going to get much, much worse. Since the beginning of the year retail share prices have dropped by more than 20%. And as the chart on the right shows, prospective price-earnings ratios – a key measure of the stock-market’s perception of company prospects – have plunged to their lowest level since the early 1990s, according to data from Thomson Financial. Companies such as Woolworths and SCS have seen their share prices drop so low they appear to be offering unprecedented dividend yields of 15% and 20%, respectively. One analyst said: "The yields are so high because everyone is worried that earnings will be slashed and the companies won’t be able to afford dividend payments." In the debt markets, the warning signals are flashing too.
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