In Jerusalem, women are 2nd class Jews. Prejudiced Orthodox men forbid women’s full ritual observance&state concedes. nyti.ms/VX7tun
— Philip Turner (@philipsturner) December 23, 2012
NY Times article by Jodi Rudoren reports on appalling behavior by men in the Orthodox establishment that proceeds largely unchallenged by the Israeli justice system.
Creative thinking by @tomwatson on how a wealthy social entrepreneur could beat the NRA at their original mission. onforb.es/URv9RE
— Philip Turner (@philipsturner) December 22, 2012
Listening to/loving my new LP of @cufftheduke‘s album, “Union,” from @paperbagrecords, pressed in pretty green vinyl. twitter.com/philipsturner/…
— Philip Turner (@philipsturner) December 22, 2012
It’s not surprising that the NY Daily News would show disapproval of Wayne LaPierre’s toxic pro-gun rant yesterday, as shown below, since it occasionally tends more moderate than far-right:
but it is surprising that the Murdoch-owned NY Post ran with this cover on today’s paper:
It is true that Murdoch recently tweeted somewhat favorably about gun control, but the Post has for so long been a bastion of extreme right-wing positions it is striking they would take this tone against the NRA. It shows, I believe, how much the political climate on gun control has changed in the past eight days, and how far the image of LaPierre and his extremist organization have fallen, since the murders in Newtown, and Lapierre’s so-called press conference, where he appeared unhinged and took no questions from the reporters summoned to the briefing.
Thanks to David Taintor of TPM, who shared these covers earlier in my Twitter feed.
Although Englishman Alexander Moulton (pictured here) was trained as an automotive engineer his most lasting professional contribution was as the designer of the first mini-bicycle, the forerunner of today’s folding bikes. The fascinating NY Times obituary details the moment when
“Moulton began toying with a small-wheel design for an adult bicycle in the late 1950s. His interest was partly spurred by gasoline rationing in Britain during the Suez crisis, which began when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, an act that threatened to halt oil shipments to Western Europe from the Persian Gulf.
But the design was also fostered by his own engineer’s determination to make things better: ‘The Moulton bicycle was born out of my resolve to challenge and improve upon the classic bicycle,’ he said.
His idea was to create a more efficient, all-purpose vehicle, suitable for errands and commuting at least as much as for recreation. He wanted it to have substantial carrying capacity, to be maneuverable in traffic, to roll smoothly and to be pedaled easily.
He came up with a bike with wheels 16 inches in diameter, high-pressure tires for minimum rolling resistance, front and rear rubber suspension systems for smooth riding on potholed or cobblestoned roads, and a step-through frame (that is, without the top tube of the traditional diamond-shaped frame) for easy dismounting (and more suitable for women wearing skirts). The small wheels left plenty of room for carrying briefcases, shopping bags or overnight luggage. The early bikes could easily be taken apart for convenient stowing, though they were not really foldable; still, the small-wheel collapsible bikes of today owe a debt to the original Moulton. ([The Moulton company] now makes foldable bikes itself.)”
I’ve owned mini- and collapsible bikes and didn’t know who’d invented them. They are great city errand-running bikes. I also love the fact that they were invented as a response to a fuel crisis. Thank you, Alexander Moulton!
I’m continuing to post and share items on my Facebook page, but in 2013 will also be ramping up my use of other social networks–especially Twitter, sharing material that I don’t always put on Facebook. If you’re on Twitter and want to follow me there, please do so–my handle is @philipsturner. You may sample the tweets on my profile page by clicking on this link or see a screenshot of the page below. At the upper right corner of this site, you may join me on any of the social networks where I’m active. I have other initiatives in mind for The Great Gray Bridge in 2013 and look forward to introducing them in the weeks and months to come, including publication of guest posts by other writers on key topics. As always, thanks for reading and sharing my enthusiasms and interests.
