Monthly Archives: December 2010

Happy New Year

Posted on 31 December 2010 by

In celebration of the end of this year and the start of a new one, I thought I’d point out a few feel-good news items: — Italy is outlawing plastic bags. Given the fact that this nation alone consumes 20% … Continue reading →

Posted in good news, video | 5 Comments

The “War’s Greatest Picture”

Posted on 30 December 2010 by

On the night of December 29, 1940, the German Luftwaffe unleashed such a barrage of incendiary bombs on London that it was called “The Second Great Fire of London.” According to Iconic Photos, “nineteen churches, thirty-one guild halls and all … Continue reading →

Posted in Europe, life | Leave a comment

Mystery poop

Posted on 29 December 2010 by

While tromping through the hills today, I cut through an olive orchard and headed down the well-trodden path, only to stop at the sight of a poop on the trail. Something in it had caught my eye. And because yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in life, Portugal, science | 7 Comments

This is what 32 inches of snow looks like

Posted on 28 December 2010 by

It’s a bit cool here in the Algarve, with overcast skies and occasional rain. In other words, not much different than a typical winter in my old home back on the Oregon coast. I hear about snowfall from friends who … Continue reading →

Posted in life, video | 7 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 27 December 2010 by

If you missed the total lunar eclipse on Solstice Night (and it seems like a lot of folks did, due to cloud cover), here is a chance to have it on your desktop. The composite of five stages of the … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | 2 Comments

A Swedish Christmas tradition

Posted on 24 December 2010 by

Since we’ve been exploring the Christmas traditions of various cultures lately, I thought I’d add one more. A Swedish friend mentioned it once, so I’m thinking of her today as all of Sweden sits down for their annual tradition of … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Europe | 5 Comments

December in the Algarve means…

Posted on 23 December 2010 by

…fresh oranges. I love this time of year.

Posted in Portugal | 5 Comments

Geek moment of the day

Posted on 22 December 2010 by

Because I am both an editor and a geek, I was happy to find this post at TUAW settling, once and for all, the question of whether it’s proper to write “a 120GB hard drive” or “a 120 GB hard … Continue reading →

Posted in tech | 7 Comments

Natal and Navidad

Posted on 21 December 2010 by

A reader from Spain wrote: Although there have been changes over the years, the Spanish tradition is very similar to the Portuguese, as you described it in your post. On Christmas Eve is the big dinner of Nochebuena. Some families … Continue reading →

Posted in culture, Europe | 14 Comments

Wallpaper Monday

Posted on 20 December 2010 by

A blue hole is a deep, circular underwater hole, named for the dark blue color of its water as compared to the lighter color of shallower surrounding waters. Blue holes were created by weathering of limestone, a soft rock in … Continue reading →

Posted in wallpaper | Leave a comment