markallerton.com

Hospitalized by culture shock

Link: BBC NEWS | Europe | 'Paris Syndrome' strikes Japanese. Via FP Passport.

Jet lag

Link: The worlds most expensive chocolates - sorta. You will learn lots about chocolate by reading this article, in particular who not to buy it from. Via MeFi.

Tesla

Link: Exclusive Q & A with Elon Musk on the Tesla Roadster and the future of EVs - AutoblogGreen. The discussion of the relative efficiencies of electric cars vs other fuels (including power generation and carbon emissions) is one of the best I've seen, and thoroughly debunks the idea that electric cars are just moving the emissions problem around.

Livable Traffic

Link: The Truth About Cars | The Road Ahead. I see signs of the kind of thinking that Leikanger describes in this piece happening in Vancouver, for example the "two-waying" of Beatty, Cambie & Homer streets and I like the idea of a move away from land yachts for city transport, however much I like land yachts. The best way to make cars more efficient is to make them lighter - and since an electric bicycle clocks in at around 60lbs and a typical car at around 3500 there is a lot of scope for weight reduction. The challenge will be to find the mininum that can work with the existing road infrastructure whenever necessary, because it will not change quickly (for example, think about how you would get a vehicle with the size, weight and speed of a golf cart from Vancouver to North Vancouver, or even from downtown to Kits.)

From our own correspondent

Link: BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Where Holocaust denial is welcomed. Frances Harrison reports from Iran's holocaust conference.

Not ready for prime-time

Link: Automobile magazine tries out Lexus' new self-parking system.

When Dave Winer looks sane in comparison...

Link: Mike Arrington is looking set to become the Dave Chappelle of tech blogging. You read it here first. Have you seen the state of him recently?

A Tornado in Kensal Rise? WTF?

Link: BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Six hurt as tornado hits London.

Curtains for music DRM?

Link: Rough Type: Nicholas Carr's Blog: Curtains for music DRM?. On the stalling of digital music sales and the possible move by record companies to sell unprotected MP3s.
But won't selling songs as unprotected MP3s lead to rampant illegal copying? No. Because there's already rampant illegal copying.

Adam's Fallacy

Link: Economics: The Invisible Hand of the Market - New York Times. A review of "Adam's Fallacy: A Guide to Economic Theology" by Duncan Foley. Via Freakonomics.