Oh LOOK, professional centrist Tom Friedman used his position at the “best job in the world,” which we are all “jealous of,” to share with us some deep thoughts on how we should be fixing the economy. See, the whole problem, you guys, is that we haven't created enough of something called “startups.”…

Page-Turner July 23, 2012 _ This week’s story, “Permission to Enter,” charts the life of its protagonist, Keisha Blake, and her best friend, Leah Hanwell, neighbors in a housing estate in North West London, from the ages of four to twenty-one. Through a series of numbered vignettes, we watch…

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Couch potatoes of the world, unite! Arise and – Actually, scratch that. Don't get up on my account. But will you join me for a moment in dropping the remote and shaking your fist at more blood-pressure-elevating statistics about how our way of life sucks, must be changed and will make us die? This…

Jim Wilson/The New York TimesA party to celebrate AirBnB’s new headquarters. A select group of people in the Valley are oblivious to the rest of the world, ensconced in their own protective bubble. It is still up for debate whether there is a bubble in Silicon Valley. One thing I know for sure: much…

Shortcuts At a time when young people are exhorted and expected to be exceptional, there may be something to say for the virtues of being unremarkable.Credit...Charlie Riedel/Associated Press I’VE been thinking a lot about the ordinary and extraordinary lately. All year, my sons’ school newsletters…

The Americas | Defence spending in Canada Problems for a much-vaunted modernisation |OTTAWA |2 min read ONE of the main ways Stephen Harper, Canada’s Conservative prime minister, has sought to distinguish himself from his Liberal predecessors is by building a modern army ready to fight, rather than…

Balancing work and family can be a challenge for working mothers, but it can be a bit easier with the help of parenting security apps. These applications can help you manage your time better and make

Recall your worst day at work, when events of the day left you frustrated, unmotivated by the job, and brimming with disdain for your boss and your organization. That day is probably unforgettable. But do you know exactly how your boss was able to make it so horrible for you? Our research provides…

Less than a year ago, Sean Doolittle was a first baseman. Jason O. Watson/Getty Images ON JUNE 12, A's reliever Sean Doolittle came into the sixth inning against the Rockies. The first two batters reached, and Doolittle was in a mess that could have overwhelmed a pitcher with lesser stuff: the tying…

Science Ideology clouds how we perceive the temperatures Flooding, drought, remain immune to politics. John Timmer – Jul 19, 2012 8:00 am | 173 Areas currently experiencing drought conditions in the US. Their residents are likely to actually perceive that there's been a shortage of rain. Credit:…

If you’re wondering why hip-hop has often been angry, sneering, nihilistic and dystopic, you can blame the war on drugs, and how it feels to be on the wrong side of it. President Nixon announced a war on drugs , but it was President Reagan who started the modern battle in 1982, when hip-hop was in…

Shutterstock Obsessing over trying to serve different economic classes on mass transit misses the point. Years ago, when I was presenting my firm’s bus network redesign plan to the board of a suburban transit agency, a board member from an affluent suburb leaned slowly forward, cleared his throat,…

I Love Transit 2012: An interview with Rebecca Bollwitt, owner and operator of Miss 604 July 18, 2012 I Love Transit 2012: An interview with Rebecca Bollwitt, owner and operator of Miss 604 July 18, 2

Photo Credit: Baloncici/ Shutterstock.com A physicist, a chemist and an economist are stranded on an island, with nothing to eat. A can of soup washes ashore. The physicist says, “Let's smash the can open with a rock.” The chemist says, “Let's build a fire and heat the can first.” The economist…

Pop Music July 16, 2012 In his songs, Ocean is surrounded by everything that popularly represents pleasure, to little effect.Photograph by Jason Nocito Amid the gentleness of Frank Ocean’s major-label début, “channel ORANGE,” there are moments of intensity and grim wisdom that could make a writer…

We’re getting things ready Loading your experience… This won’t take long.

1/4 Credit...Roman Muradov 1/4 Credit...Roman Muradov 2/4 Credit...Roman Muradov 3/4 Credit...Roman Muradov 4/4 Credit...Roman Muradov Editor’s note: This article first ran on July 13, 2012, but we’re running it again because the topic is timeless. IT was like one of those magical blind-date scenes…

I've always admired Steve Martin. He's smart, funny, and avoids engaging in the kind of behavior that ends up in celebrity tabloids. (He's also a terrific banjo player.) I recently read his autobiography, Born Standing Up, and now I admire him even more. This short book is about Steve Martin's…

Errol Morris on photography. Public Domain Last Nov. 8, a giant asteroid made a close pass to the Earth. NASA issued reassuring public statements, but I’m not so sure. It’s about the size of an aircraft carrier. O.K. That seems pretty big to me. Do you mean, I shouldn’t worry about being hit by a…

“Galaxies collide: Vin Scully catechized by Patt Morrison. ...everyone wins." http://t.co/fdyd7vgU via @MarcDuvoisin

Shutterstock Can a city successfully gentrify its bus system? Does it want to? In 2009, Jacqueline Carr’s public transit experience was limited to bus lines of the "party" variety. Then, Carr lost her talent agency gig, sold her Jetta, and charted out a route to her new job—and yoga class—on the Los…

[Editor's note: Last month, Vancouver hosted Velo-city Global 2012, the world's largest cycling planning conference. The event made its North American debut June 26 to 29 at the Sheraton Wall Centre, just a block off the controversial Hornby street bike lanes. Debates over the hottest cycling issues…

@sillygwailo (and @kissane did some much better thinking about it: http://t.co/RlsXPdx5hq)

(The following is a write-up of an incident that occurred on a city bus today [July 6]. It will be sent to TransLink as a formal complaint. I regret the length, but I wanted to make sure all the relevant details were included. Perhaps it will generate some discussion about the suitability of certain…