Brian Gongol
Floods and fires simultaneously across the US
Graphic of the day: Radiant Spectrum
One factory, three owners, and $10 million in government subsidies
Wisconsin discovers that economic-development incentives aren't much of a guarantee that anything good will happen. Such incentives rely on the faulty insistence that politicians are responsible for "creating jobs." Job creation isn't the same as wealth creation, and wealth creation is much better.
Pan-African passport unveiled
It's being pushed as a way to promote unity across the continent and as a way to help women pursue opportunities outside their normal borders
Canada celebrates 140th year of independence
Simultaneously, Hong Kong marks ten years under Red China's thumb
Al Qaeda conducts barbaric attack on civilians in Iraq
Related: Eight people have been arrested in connection with the attacks in the UK, including a couple of doctors. Nine people were killed today by a car bomb in Yemen, including seven Spaniards. Al Qaeda is being blamed.
Tulsa on brink of catastrophic flooding
Newspaper report: "All roads into the city are likely to be cut off by rising waters tonight," thanks to extraordinary rains. Related: Missouri is woefully underprepared for a massive earthquake -- which is a statistical certainty over the long run, given the presence of the New Madrid fault. One emergency manager promises that the big one will make the Hurricane Katrina disaster look easy.
Glasgow's answer to Jack Bauer
A t-shirt and tribute website have emerged in honor of the guy who claims he beat the crap out of one of the bombers at the Glasgow airport
"Blair was quite simply the worst British Prime Minister since Vlad the Impaler"
"...and Vlad the Impaler wasn’t even a British Prime Minister."
Cubic watermelons
By growing them in glass containers, farmers can change the shape of the tasty fruit
Russian government decides political ads are OK on outdoor billboards
That such things are in fact the subject of laws in other countries makes the wearisomely long Presidential race in the US seem a little more tolerable.
Casino opens in Waterloo
There's nothing wrong with gambling per se, but counting on it to provide "economic growth" is a little nutty. Similarly nutty is the ongoing strain involved in keeping the 10-year-old "one country, two systems" thing working in China.
June's worst aviation accident killed six people
The crash of a medical transport plane outside Milwaukee was the deadliest crash in the US in June
Summer vacation for some, first day at the academy for others
