Swedish Mansion: Scandinavian supermodels take over LA

by Anna Brones on

It’s not so hard to come up with a list of Swedish stereotypes. Everybody seems to have one; all Swedes eats meatballs, everyone loves ABBA and all the women are blond and gorgeous. I think I could beg to differ on all accounts, but the media is certainly planning on cashing in on the last one with the new reality series Swedish Mansion. The reality show kicks off March 1, 2008 with none other than six Swedish models (and one Norwegian) all living in a house in Los Angeles.

Nobody explains the situation better than Glamour of Sweden’s website: “What happens if a group of Swedish top models lives under the same roof in a mansion in Los Angeles?” To find out you will either have to watch the first phase which will broadcast online, or wait for the reality series to hit television.

Somehow I am pretty sure that this isn’t going to be a show revolving around learning the ins and outs of Scandinavian culture. But at least it will fulfill your dreams of Swedish stereotypes — if you can get past the fact that one of the models is a brunette.

%Gallery-17125%

E-Menu: A side of computer with your meal sir?

by Anna Brones on

Ever had to wait too long for a waiter or waitress come to take your order? Did they have a surly demeanor? Ever had your meal arrive at the table only to realize that it wasn’t what you ordered? That may all change with new technology that is allowing diners to order their food directly from their table via a touch-screen computer system.

Companies developing “e-Menu” technology argue that not only does the system cut costs, but it in fact helps to boost sales. When a customer sits down in front of a computer screen and browses through delicious looking pictures of food, he may in fact order more. Who wouldn’t click on the golden creme brulée or the fresh looking sushi? It’s called impulse ordering ladies and gentleman. On top of it all, the touch screens can be accessed in different languages, allowing you to avoid the confusion that comes with language barriers. E-Menus have become so popular that restaurants in Europe, Japan, the United States and Israel are all testing out the new technology.

Although the tech-savvy might easily fall in love with the new ordering systems, traditionalists have their concerns. Computers can’t add the personal touch. If you’re a regular they won’t know your name and if you’re a visitor they won’t let you have a breath of the local culture via personal interactions. I once had a friend who tried to order a coffee — un cafe monsieur — in France and the waiter came back with a croque monsieur. It might not have been what he wanted, but it certainly made for a good story; you can be sure that it wouldn’t have happened with a computer screen.

Read more about e-Menus here.

JFK airport’s makeover: What to do with a stained glass window?

by Jamie Rhein on

As Terminal 8 at JFK is being taken down to make room for snowplow storage, figuring out what to do with its 900-pane stained glass window has been considered in depth. When the terminal was built in 1960, the window was a signature piece that pointed to the glory of air travel. Glory didn’t even last half a century.

There was an effort to save the window in its entirety, but that failed. For a mere one million dollars it could have been yours. Instead it’s being taken apart with sections of it being shipped to various locations. The folks who wanted to save the window aren’t too happy about it since the feeling is that has historic and artistic value. It might be the largest stained glass window in the world. It is the largest stained glass window to figure into a building’s design. Others believe that why save a stained glass window when airlines are struggling to meet costs?

Still, it’s too bad about the window. Although pieces of it will be quite lovely in their new locations, they won’t be the same as seeing the whole thing. One could also look at this change due to change as similar to a Buddhist sand mandala or a Native American sand painting. They aren’t made to last, but their beauty transcends. (Here’s a New York magazine post about former efforts to save the window. The photo is from 1961.) [via New York Times]

WHS tentative list: Places to love — Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

by Catherine Bodry on


For the Gadling series “World Heritage Site new “Tentative List”: Places to Love” we covered the 14 sites that have been submitted for possible inclusion as an official World Heritage Site in the United States. The sites were not posted in order of importance or in the order they appear on the list — this is the last site covered.

Number: 12

Name of Site: Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge

Location of site: Georgia/Florida

Reason for importance (in a nutshell): This site embodies the Okefenokee Swamp, a large, intact wetland that houses the headwaters of two rivers. It also has undisturbed deposits of peat. The vast, saucer-shaped bog was once part of the ocean floor, and the swamp is one of the oldest and most well-preserved freshwater areas is the US, according to GORP.

Catherine’s take: It’s got more going for it than a name that’s fun to say; intact wetlands are hard to come by these days. The photo I found was so beautiful I had to make it larger than usual. And besides, if we run out of oil we can just burn the peat, right?

Monkeys get hitched in India

by Anna Brones on

If you’ve ever seen the movie Monsoon Wedding, you know that marriage ceremonies in India can be elaborate events full of colorful flowers, saris and a feast of delectable traditional Indian food. When two monkeys were wed last Thursday in eastern India, the festivities were no different. Women chanted while priests sang sacred hymns, the “bride” wore a five meter long red sari and the “groom” was brought into the temple by a grand procession. After the wedding ceremony the monkeys were presented with gifts, which consisted mostly coconuts and bananas; one local businessman was generous enough to donate a gold necklace which was given to the bride.

Monkeys are considered sacred in the Hindu faith and the monkeys had been taken in as pets by two local families. Their marriage was a sort of a send off before their release back into the wild. But they haven’t strayed too far; since their release the young couple has been hanging out at the temple where the marriage took place. No money honeymoon?

Marriages between humans and other creatures are not uncommon in India, and are intended to ward off spells and other curses; last fall a man in the southern state of Tamil Nadu married a female dog in an attempt to atone for stoning two dogs to death, which he believed had cursed him.