28 Places to See Before You Die

Smithsonian Magazine has compiled a list of 28 places to see before you die. The Giza Pyramids and the Louvre inevitably make the list, but I was particularly struck by the tremendous beauty of the Iguazu Falls, which lie on the Argentina-Brazil border and are a true testament to the dizzying natural beauty of South America (Machu Picchu also makes the list). I've reproduced a picture of the Iguazu Falls below (unfortunately low quality), but if you're reading this make sure to google it and look at some pictures.

Arab Summit

Foreign Policy reports on the continuing annual mockery that is the Arab League Summit, which is held in Tripoli this year amid declining attendance by Arab leaders and low expectations by foreign observers. As the short article notes, given the deteriorating relationship between the U.S. and Israel, it would seem that this is a particularly opportune moment for Arab leaders to mount a renewed diplomatic effort for or against the Arab Peace initiative. In my view, while Palestine remains (perhaps vaguely) a unifying theme for Arabs everywhere, the divergence between Arab countries--politically, socially, economically--has become too wide for there to be any Arab united front in a meaningful way, and this will forever hinder any progress in these summits.

Hedge Fund Homes at a Discount

A slideshow. Not all the houses are that cool, and they're all located in the U.S. north-east (NY and CT), but some of them are nice. I wonder how many people can afford houses priced at $10mm+ and whether they buy them outright or take mortgages. For those London-based, house prices are even more depressing. In fact, given the terrible economic climate, rising taxes, and horrible weather, I'm beginning to wonder why anyone (me included) wants to pay so much money to live in that city.

Edward Burtynsky

Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer whose work depicts natural landscapes altered by industry; among the works which treat this theme are photos of mines, ships and ship-making, an industrializing China, and oil, the subject of his latest photo-book. The following is a picture from his China collection which depicts the dizzying urbanization of Shanghai; almost nothing natural remains in the vast expanse of drab high-rises.



Burtynsky acknowledges the inherent tension between the themes he treats and his ability to do his work: without modern industrial advances, he wouldn't be able to travel to the places he does.