Photo of the Day (08.30.10)

by Mike Barish on
One of the hang-ups I used to have was eating alone. I thought it was sad. Eventually, however, I realized that there’s one meal in particular that is really pretty wonderful when enjoyed with nothing more than your food and a newspaper: breakfast. Sure, you can slurp ramen by yourself or grab a slice of pizza and sit down next to the antiquated arcade games, but both of those experiences lack the serenity of enjoying some greasy eggs to start your day. And there’s no better place to do it than in a classic diner.

When eating alone in a diner, it’s always nice to sit at the counter like the gentleman above. This image, captured by Flickr user Paul Brady (whose musings can also been seen here), shows the quintessential diner experience for a party of one. Some might say that it looks depressing. I think it’s fantastic. Sitting at the counter lets you contemplate things like, “What do I have to do today?” and “I wonder how long those desserts have been rotating in that display case?” These are the important questions of our time.

Have any pictures of people eating alone? Or just some of the meals that you’ve had while unaccompanied? Upload them to the Gadling Flickr group and we might just use one for our next Photo of the Day.

Ciudad del Este – South America’s black market hotspot

by Jeremy Kressmann on

The tiny country of Paraguay doesn’t often pop up on the “must-see” list for those traveling to South America. Sitting landlocked between Argentina to the south, Bolivia to the west and Brazil to the north and east, Paraguay has been described as “the forgotten country of Latin America.” But Paraguay has nevertheless attracted quite a bit of attention lately, less for tourism than because it is an important hub in the global smuggling trade.

A vast bazaar of illegal weapons, counterfeit goods and illicit substances is spread out for sale in the markets of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay’s smuggling capital. The city is conveniently located at the convergence of the borders of three countries (Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay), making it the ideal transit point for tax free and often illegal goods headed to all points beyond. GOOD magazine has an interesting profile on Ciudad del Este in its most recent issue. Author Sacha Feinman dives into the city’s back alleys and sidestreets, where he discovers everything from AK-47’s to Montblanc pens to bricks of marijuana can be easily obtained for purchase. Feinman also befriends some of Ciudad del Este’s many porters-for-hire, who package illicit goods and carry them over the city’s 1,600-foot “Friendship Bridge” to neighboring Brazil. Instead of crossing through customs, the men drop their packages off the side to the riverbank below, where waiting teenagers sort through the packages for distribution. So much for filling out that customs form…

As long as the Paraguayan and Brazilian authorities continue to turn a blind eye to the thriving smuggling practice, Paraguay’s black markets will continue to thrive. For a country that doesn’t see much tourism (or other industry for that matter) it seems to be as much an economic necessity as it is a fact of life. Do exercise caution if you’re even considering a visit. Aside from all the petty lawlessness, Wikitravel warns that Paraguay is currently experiencing its worst outbreak of Yellow Fever in over 60 years. Yikes.

$100 Bill Gets a Makeover

by Catherine Bodry on

U.S. currency has undergone several changes in the last few years. But the latest change to be administered is focused on the $100, which is the most counterfeited bill in U.S. currency. The changes will dazzle and delight — and hopefully frustrate counterfeiters. No fancy splashes of color here; instead 650,000 microscopic lenses are implanted in each $100 bill, which affects the micro-printing in a fascinating way.

Move the bill up and down, and the image seems to move from side to side. Move the bill side to side, and the image appears to move up and down.

The old $100, which had the same security features as the $5, has long been cracked. Counterfeiters quickly figured out how to use the $5 to create the $100. Thus, a new $5 will be made public on September 20.

The $100 is expected to go into circulation sometime next year.

[via]

Just Fake It!

by Iva Skoch on

Many folks, these days, are traveling for more than just sightseeing, they’re going shopping. With the dollar lingering near all-time lows versus some major world currencies, many shopping tourists are traveling to the States. However, some real shopping bargains exist elsewhere, particularly in the rip-off goods category.

My trip last year to China was a real eye-opener: the major markets all sold knock-off goods openly, while big, red banners, hang across all entrances, proclaiming “Maintain Intellectual Property” (one of the few signs anywhere in China written in English). (I’m still trying to figure out what the banners that said “Striking Forbid Illegal Management Activities of Soliciting Goods” mean, but that’s another story …)

These huge open-air markets are enough to make brand-name companies fume, with brands like North Face, Nike, Victorinox, and Columbia Sportswear and others all featured prominently, for pennies on the dollar. They don’t even bother with the spelling errors (you’ve seen them: “Addidas”) or mismatched teams (e.g., “Atlanta Braves Football Club”). The rip-offs are so realistic, it’s hard to tell them from the real thing, and it’s all right there in the open. It puts Canal Street to shame for sheer audacity.

But it’s not just China that’s in the big business of selling black-market items. They’re being sold across Europe too, usually in Asian-run boutiques. The shoe pictured above was featured prominently in the window of a downtown Barcelona shoe store just last month. Note the altered swoosh. I can hear Phil Knight screaming …