Putting Apple Displays Under the Microscope

A widescreen Apple display looks nice alongside a Mac Pro, with their matching aluminum constructions. But beyond mere design aesthetics, what's the value proposition for Apple's lineup of pricey monitors? They definitely fall into the higher end of the market, so how do their features and specs compare with rivals' elite offerings?

Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) gets a lot of criticism for the seemingly high retail prices of its Macs. While the PC and Mac pundits alike can spec out competing solutions and argue over value in terms of software and operating systems, what about displays? Computer monitors don't ship with an operating system and free productivity software -- displays are about as pure a hardware play as you can get these days. So who's buying Apple displays, and why would someone buy an pricey Apple display, anyway?

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True Love

My husband and I got married at eight in the morning. It was winter, freezing, the trees encased in ice and a few lone blackbirds balancing on telephone wires. We were in our early 30s, considered ourselves hip and cynical, the types who decried the institution of marriage even as we sought its status. During our wedding brunch we put out a big suggestion box and asked people to slip us advice on how to avoid divorce; we thought it was a funny, clear-eyed, grounded sort of thing to do, although the suggestions were mostly foolish: Screw the toothpaste cap on tight. After the guests left, the house got quiet. There were flowers everywhere: puckered red roses and fragile ferns. "What can we do that's really romantic?" I asked my newly wed one. Benjamin suggested we take a bath. I didn't want a bath. He suggested a lunch of chilled white wine and salmon. I was sick of salmon.

What can we do that's really romantic? The wedding was over, the silence seemed suffocating, and I felt the familiar disappointment after a longed-for event has come and gone. We were married. Hip, hip, hooray.

Read the full article from National Geographic magazine

Geisha: The Life, the Voices

“Geisha: The Life, the Voices” "is an icon of Japanese culture and custom- the geisha in her role as human work of art and perfect woman.

A hundred years ago geisha numbered eighty thousand; today there is a thousand at most. Luckily, Jodi Cobb can show us- before they disappear- both the ceremonial world of the geisha in Tokyo and Kyoto and their private world as few outsiders have ever seen it.

Many of the older women we meet here were forced into this world by difficulty; the young women were drawn to it by their dream of a romantic life or their love of traditional arts. We see geisha in their daytime routines: fine-tuning their breathtakingly lavish wardrobes; perfecting the art of makeup; training maikos (apprentices); and preparing for annual dance performances."

Read the full book review here

7 Reasons to Travel With Your Kids

Photo above by Telluride

Young families everywhere take note: include your children in your travels. Explore the world together. Here’s why.

"Traveling gels a family. While life, work and school can get in the way of togetherness, a family getaway makes a team of you all. You’re in the same boat, car, train, or plane and negotiating everyone’s needs at close quarters is a chance to get to know each other again in a new way."

Check out the 7 Reasons

Ouch! Moving violations just got more expensive!

Politicians hard at work in Sacramento have added some unrelated charges to the cost of a moving violation ticket.

Here's the breakdown of the tab for failing to stop at a red light up in the Bay Area:
$100 -- the base fine
$70 -- for various state programs
$30 -- Alameda County general fund
$70 -- county fee for automated fingerprint ID and other programs
$20 -- fee for state DNA crime evidence collection program
$55 -- fee for court construction
$20 -- assessment for county's emergency medical system
$20 -- court security fee
$20 -- surcharge for state's general fund
$35 -- fee to help cover revenue bonds for courthouses
$1 -- night court fee
$49 -- fee for the privilege of signing up for traffic school
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$490 for rolling through a stop sign. However you have the option to pay the courts on the installment plan or defer payment. With a $30 penalty fee, of course. Read the full story at the SF Chronicle.

Russia backs return to Gold Standard to solve financial cris

Russia to play peripheral role at the G20 summit. However Russia has become the first major country to call for a partial restoration of the Gold Standard to uphold discipline in the world financial system.

Mr Dvorkevich said it was "logical" that the new currency should include the rouble and the yuan, adding that "we could also think about more effective use of gold in this system".

The Gold Standard was the anchor of world finance in the 19th Century but began breaking down during the First World War as governments engaged in unprecedented spending. It collapsed in the 1930s when the British Empire, the US, and France all abandoned their parities.

It was revived as part of fixed dollar system until US inflation caused by the Vietnam War and "Great Society" social spending forced President Richard Nixon to close the gold window in 1971.

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How to Recycle 10 Unusual Household Items

"Whether doing major spring cleaning or just sorting through old household supplies, occasionally, we all run into a recycling stumper—crayons, foam peanuts, old VHS tapes? 

Good grief. The more obscure an item, the harder it is for us to resist throwing it out the easy way—in the trash can. But the truth is we really are doing ourselves (and our planet!) a big favor by repurposing used parts and pieces. So, the next time clutter is being banished from the house, refer to this list of wacky recycling tips."

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