Looks like us Yanks just aren’t fans of social niceties — things like line forming and chivalry.  For the Americans on the Titanic this may have been a fortunate thing.  Turns out, according to research, polite Brits may have suffered for their endless courtesy — their love of queues actually accounted for a proportionately higher rate of death.  Smoking cigars, waving at their families, many Brits watched ended up jovially watching the life boats as the ship hit the drink.

[picture via Miss Hartwell]

BBC News

Fat Goon

In other interesting news, Fidel Castro sends his praise to Obama.  No word on if the Cuban leader is in reality, actually still alive.

A little while back, Quinn over at Anthropophagous picked up a lengthy, but incredible article about Detroit.  Chronicling the bits of humanity left in the city it covers everything from the shattered records of Motown, and persevering hometown journos, to the firemen cum superheroes and bizarre phenomena such as “the flight of the dead.”  This article articulates so many of the reasons why I find the rust belt inspiring.  Despite the hardships and tragedies of these weather and time worn cities, there’s still a spark left.  Detroit’s motto says it all — these people just won’t give up.

“Detroit has always been a city of fire. Nearly all of it was destroyed by fire in 1805, more of it burned in the Detroit Race Riot of 1863, and over 2,000 buildings were consumed in the Twelfth Street Riot of 1967. Even its flag contains fire; its Latin motto translates, “We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes.”

The City Where Sirens Never Sleep

[picture via Paul Thomas]

Daniel Arsham

[via Holga]

Well, either there are a ton of ballers in Tennessee or Saudi Arabia produces a lot less than I thought.  Though the US is often posited as one big economic block, it’s a healthy (necessary) exercise to examine the variance in states.  Not everyone can rake it in like Texas.

[via Josh Spear]

Add your own to collection.

[via Sexy People]

I’ve lived in Cleveland nearly all my life.  The skies are grey.  The city is considered ugly by many and much like its rust belt brethren it’s suffering from tough times.  With that being said, I love it.  I love Cleveland with the same fervor that many Michiganders I know love Detroit.  There are few things more beautiful than the flaming towers of plants, barren factories, and other remnants left in this post-industrial city.  Given my affection, I was pleasantly surprised when I came across “The Mind of Cleveland,” a series of billboard works by artist Carl Pope.  This balanced view of Cleveland, bleak but hopeful is nice to see.  It’s not often you find something in between the rainbows/unicorns and the grim wails of collapse.

The Mind of Cleveland

[via This Isn't Happiness]

Windows mobile and two huge bricks two choose between?  The man has to be having nightmares.

[via Engadget]

Mathew Zurlinden