The American captain of a massive cruise ship faces trial in Marseille on Monday accused of using fuel with sulphur levels above European limits, as the Mediterranean port city grapples with the polluting effect of its drive to increase boat tourism. The Azura, capable of carrying more than 3,000 passengers, is one of the largest in the fleet operated by P&O Cruises, whose parent company Carnival is also being charged. Prosecutors in Marseille say it is the first time pollution charges have been lodged against a ship's captain on France's Mediterranean coast. The city has wrestled with increased smog in recent years, as it seeks to attract more lucrative cruise tourism. Authorities say shipping could be responsible for 10 to 20 percent of the damaging particulate matter in Marseille's air, which can cause respiratory problems and lung disease. A spot check onboard the Azura in March found it was burning bunker fuel containing … [Read more...] about Marseille puts American cruise ship captain on trial over pollution
American
A walk in Moscow’s grand new park, created by an American
Time for a walk in the park ... a most unusual park, in a most unexpected place. Elizabeth Palmer is our guide: Build it, as the saying goes, and they will come. And did they ever. Walkers and lovers, dreamers, tourists, families and friends … and they come especially to the cantilevered walkway jutting out over the Moscow River. Zaryadye Park is the new selfie destination of Moscow. A little spin with the selfie stick will show you why – with views of St. Basil's Cathedral, the Moscow River, and one of the famous wedding cake buildings from the Stalin era coming into view. And just as interesting as the backdrop is the backstory of this place. Few know that all this was designed by an American. "It has become the most visited destination in central Moscow and that makes me have chills and shivers," said Charles Renfro. Among architects, Renfro is a celebrity famous for designing grand public spaces like the Highline Trail in New York. But bringing that radically … [Read more...] about A walk in Moscow’s grand new park, created by an American
‘Soda,’ ‘pop,’ or ‘coke’: More than 400,000 Americans weighed in, and a map of their answers is exactly what you’d expect
Mark Abadi, provided by Published 10:26 am PDT, Saturday, October 6, 2018 Pop Vs. Soda Americans have different words for soft drink depending on which region of the United States they're from. The three most popular terms are soda, pop, and coke, according to data collected by the site Pop Vs. Soda. Linguists have noted other terms people from certain regions use for soft drinks, including tonic and cocola. how they pronounce the word "crayon." One of the things Americans can never seem to agree on is what to call fizzy, carbonated beverages: soda, pop, or coke? That's exactly the question cartographer Alan McConchie sought to answer with his web project, the aptly named Pop Vs. Soda. The site invites visitors to fill out a brief questionnaire asking where they are from and which term they use for soft drinks. To date, more than 400,000 users have submitted answers. The resulting maps illustrate what linguists have long known: Soda is the preferred term in the … [Read more...] about ‘Soda,’ ‘pop,’ or ‘coke’: More than 400,000 Americans weighed in, and a map of their answers is exactly what you’d expect
How Gary Hart Broke the Most Important Rule In American Politics
Cliché can be useful. A cliché gains cultural currency for a reason—a figure, an event, or even just a sentiment occurring so frequently as to become reflexive in nature. Think of the piggish, self-promoting businessman; the coolly intellectual lawyer; the aw-shucks cowboy dangling a Marlboro from his lips. There’s a reason we rely so much on cliché in politics, too: Americans like their leaders to tell them familiar, comforting stories. Even now, in 2018, the options come from a relatively circumscribed menu of “proven leaders,” “outsiders” and “mavericks.” As voters, we don’t have an outstanding track record of looking beyond this menu, or tolerating inconsistency in its elements. Hypocrisy is a cardinal sin; any number of flaws can be tolerated or overlooked as long as they fit into the narrative we’ve constructed for our leaders. This year's film The Front Runner, from director Jason Reitman along with … [Read more...] about How Gary Hart Broke the Most Important Rule In American Politics
The 2019 Jetta review: A quintessentially American Volkswagen
Is there a more quintessentially American Volkswagen than the Jetta? Having grown up in Europe, my default image for VW is the humble Golf. But hatchbacks never really caught on stateside. Until the age of the crossover, you needed a trunk if you wanted to sell, and the Jetta—a Golf with a trunk—proved that in spades. VW has sold way more than three million of them here since 1980, keeping the Jetta nameplate alive in the US market even while it called them Ventos or Boras or Sagitars elsewhere. Now there's a brand-new Jetta on the block, the seventh generation to bear the name. Calling it a Golf with a trunk is underselling it. These days, car companies like VW use architectures, not platforms, and the MQB architecture lets it build Golfs and Jettas but also Atlases, Tiguans, A3s, and TTs, plus some Seats and Skodas we won't see for another 25 years. The architecture fixes some dimensional relationships, including the distance between the front axle and the pedals, for … [Read more...] about The 2019 Jetta review: A quintessentially American Volkswagen