Alami.com

Downtown Detroit

Jeff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:53:09 +0000

Now everybody knows Detroit is decaying as a city, but have a look at these two pics with the GM HQ in the background:

Pretty spooky…

Only in Latin America…

Jeff — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:50:49 +0000

…could the mint misspell the name of their own country on a coin. Chile did that with their 50-peso coins (which by the way are worth under 10 cents US) minted in 2008, and somebody’s gonna pay for that kind of idiocy. That being said, coin collectors now have something to add to their wish-list!

Left: Misspelled coin, Right: Corrected coin.

Help Out in Haiti

Jeff — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:15:13 +0000

It looks like the earthquake in Haiti yesterday has turned into a mega disaster, with a death toll that could reach over 100,000.

If you’re looking for an effective way to donate, my suggestion would be Samaritan’s Purse, who are there now and have a stellar record of effectively managing donations according to Charity Navigator. Also there are ways to donate funds by simply sending a text.

Must Be Global Warming, Right? Right??

Jeff — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:20:17 +0000

Believe it or not, the photo below isn’t from The Day After Tomorrow, it’s an actual satellite photo of Great Britain taken last Thursday:

Brrrrr! Seems like contrary to the man-made global warming fiasco, and to the delight of polar bears everywhere, we could be entering a chilly mini ice age:

The bitter winter afflicting much of the Northern Hemisphere is only the start of a global trend towards cooler weather that is likely to last for 20 or 30 years, say some of the world’s most eminent climate scientists.

I, for one, look forward to epic snow conditions for snowboarding.

Keep It Up, TSA

Jeff — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:28:45 +0000

Thanks to the ongoing policy of adding steps to the security checkpoints of dubious value, and looking for bombs hidden inside grandma’s dress instead of actual terrorists, flying is increasingly turning into a hassle that might spur the demand for innovation in another travel option:

Maybe the US will do well to have a high-speed train network (or rather, a series of train networks) connecting major cities that are geographically close. With the kind of crazy going on at airports these days it might not be too long until flying from Boston to New York becomes a rarity.

Uh Oh… My Morning Drink’s in Danger of Being Trendy

Jeff — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:44:28 +0000

Looks like my morning yerba mate could be the next big craze… seeing how it’s a stimulating drink like coffee or tea, is packed full of nutrition, is fairly cheap, and apparently Guayaki brand saves the rainforest.

I was impressed to see Guayaki brand yerba mate sold at the neighborhood store when I got back to Vancouver. Looks like it’s catching on.

Tallest Building Ever For A While

Jeff — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:02:04 +0000

Looks like the Burj Khalifa (Burj Dubai) opened up on Monday… it was only a matter of time before some Arab nation with a ton of oil money decided to up the ante a little. Not only did they beat the record but by such a long shot that it may not be bested for a while to come.

What’s really impressive about this chart is that the three most recent projects on it (Petronas Towers, Taipei 101 and Burj Dubai) were all the work of Samsung. Remember when Koreans couldn’t build a decent car?

Somebody Call The Zoo!

Jeff — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:39:13 +0000

Watch your step when you leave your apartment in Costa Rica!

Seriously, I thought iguanas were only around the coast, but they seem to travel up and down the rivers in the Central Valley too. Next time I see it I’ll need to call INBioparque so they can add it to their collection!

Back to Work Everybody

Jeff — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 14:23:38 +0000

OK everyone, holidays are over, time to get back to work…

RIP David

Jeff — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:42:22 +0000