Reporting from Kuala Lumpur...

My fourth day in Amsterdam brought with it morning news withdrawal, so I whipped up a double espresso and turned on the TV for the first time. And guess what news channel they have!

Al Jazeera!!

Nothing tickles the Mayoress like a whole new news source.* And it's always good to get some non-US centric news coverage. Among some of the top stories...

Today is a day of mourning in Armenia due to the horrible plane crash that killed 168 people. The pictures of the wreckage are devestating. Apparently, part of the problem is that the airline(s) are not allowed to buy planes from Boeing or Airbus, so they're operating way out-of-date machines making safe travel more unlikely by the day.

China has completely evaded the global recession with growth on pace for 8% this year. Now if only I could remember the answer to my security question on my online trading account. (Who is my favorite fictional character? Alice in Wonderland? Samantha Jones? Mr. Right? I can't figure it out.)

The prime minister of Pakistan made a good speech about the problem of terrorism being global, and that the solution is not simply military but multi-dimensional. He must not have been allowed to talk when Bush was in office.

No more complaining Sam Champion! Al J's weatherperson has to deliver forecasts for five continents! I can't read celcius but I do know it's 35 in Rome today.

Check it out at www.aljazeera.net/english

*Well, that's not true. The Mayoress is tickled by many things, including but not limited to children dancing on Yo Gabba Gabba, people unironically driving Vespas, and B's makeout with a certain well-known news reporter last week.

International Report: Buy More Shoes

I'm in Amsterdam visiting family and really loving the city. Is the Mayoress Dutch? you gasp! Non, dear readers, but these Presslers had the opportunity of a lifetime when a certain global megabrand swooshed them across the Atlantic for a two-year stint in Holland, all expenses paid. Not too shabby.

But that was two years ago, before the Great Recession. For the past month, my cousin's wife has been in a panic about losing the excellent job she's had for around a decade, not to mention worried that they'll have to pick up and return to the States overnight. Luckily she found out she's okay, but now her BlackBerry has become the grim reaper, sounding death nells for a stream of coworkers who aren't so lucky.

It's my opinion that big companies that are still profitable are using the economy as an excuse to trim the fat. The capitalist in me agrees with that in theory, but the trouble with business models and relevant actions is that people tend to be at the other end - how very inconvenient. Hmm, maybe aforementioned brand could lay off its multi-million dollar endorsement deals and save a few regular jobs?

Travel Report

In honor of my departure today for the longest vacation of my life (!), take a look at this incredible slideshow with charming stories in the very solid NY Times Travel section.

Meet the Pressler will be on Rainbow Tour for the next 3 weeks, reporting from Europe... or not reporting. Even the Mayoress needs a vacay every so often.

I Just Want to Remind Everyone

That Barack Obama is our president. F-ing awesome.

Today in Dick Cheney is Satan News...

The Central Intelligence Agency withheld information about a secret counterterrorism program from Congress for eight years on direct orders from former Vice President Dick Cheney, the agency’s director, Leon E. Panetta, has told the Senate and House intelligence committees, two people with direct knowledge of the matter said Saturday.

Full article.

Hats, So Hot Right Now

Excuse me but do I have to be the first journalist* to point out the fabulous style of the Jackson family at the memorial service?

*blogger

Obama in Ghana

Watching the coverage of the Obamas in Ghana is absolutely amazing. Make sure you take a minute to look at photos or video:

Pics & article at HuffPo
CNN Video

Wow - Obama's speech to the people, he and Michelle visiting an old slave trading post (Michelle's ancestors were slaves) -- first time since the election that Obama as an African-American president has really resonated. I'm vowing to visit Cape Coast someday.

The size and the energy of the crowds is unbelievable. What foreign president has ever inspired such enthusiasm?

Aww, Malia and Sasha AND Mrs. Robinson are there too!

Kudos to CNN for putting particularly gorgeous reporters on the story, making it that much more watchable: Anderson Cooper, Suzanne Malveau, more. What? I'm just saying.

Tech Report

Guys, I gotta admit: even though I was one of the first to turn "google" into a verb for cyberstalking ex-boyfriends I mean searching for important information, I'm kinda loving Bing.com. It's great for travel, I'm using it alongside kayak, and will definitely try it out for more.

But of course some techie has put it to the test: at the cool site bing-vs-google.com you can compare search results from both Bing and Google on a split screen and see which you prefer.

Oh, the internet. I love you.

Interesting Angle on Jacko Memorial

"Jacko"?! What am I, the New York Post?

Apparently a ton of taxpayer money backed the events in LA memorializing Michael Jackson this week, at a time when California is basically bankrupt.

On Wednesday, the city controller, Wendy Greuel, sent a stern letter to the Los Angeles emergency management department demanding to know why it had spent $48,826 on sandwiches from a deli 80 miles from Los Angeles to feed police officers. (Sandwiches from Subway would have cost $17,491.25, she pointed out.)

Full article.

Stand Clear of the Closing Doors

My first reaction when reading the scrolling news ticker tape outside the Fox News building on 6th Ave yesterday was: "Way to man up, Paterson! You (finally) appointed a lieutenant governor! Way to lead!"

Of course, the Republican senators are all up in arms and will challenge it in court, etc. Readers: if you didn't work for a month, like the New York state senate, would you have a job right now? I worked my ass off the month of June and I no longer have a job. Maybe I can switch places with my state senator.

I digress.

Well now I see that freshly appointed lieut-gov is Richard Ravitch, 76 (!), a former MTA Chairman. UGH. Way to bring a new wave of corruption and inability to get things done progressively to Albany. If there's any worse-run agency than the MTA, someone please direct me to it now.

Abstract Humanitarianism

Nicholas D. Kristof is one of my favorite journalists - his column today is definitely worth a read:

In a thoughtful book published this year, “The Life You Can Save,” Professor Peter Singer of Princeton University offers the pond example and explores why we’re so willing to try to assist a stranger before us, while so unwilling to donate to try to save strangers from malaria half a world away.

You get it - a child is crying right in front of you and you'll ask what's wrong (or, if you're at brunch with Yvette, say, "Since when are children allowed in restaurants?"), but you avoid the Children International reps on 7th Avenue like the plague. Admittedly, those reps are super annoying.

Today in New York State Ridiculousness

Here's a good one: no one knows who's second in command to Governor Paterson. If he were somehow unable to serve right now, there would be no governor. Why? There's no lieutenant governor because he used to be it and there's no provision for who appoints the next one, and the state senate speaker is next in command after that but since the senate's in stalemate, that position is effectively vacant too. Read the full explanation here.

And apparently my favorite politician* Mike Bloomberg is withholding funds from the FDNY and NYPD to motivate the senate? What?? Isn't that like taking innocent hostages? Bill Thompson, save us.

*Note voice dripping with sarcasm.

Bonnie O'Neil of Newport Beach is a Complete Idiot

But all the other letters to the editor regarding Palin's stupid move last week are ingenious.

Read them here.

A couple faves:

My dislike of Sarah Palin has nothing to do with her sex or class. It has everything to do with her policies, her anti-intellectualism and her contempt for me. Her remarks stating that because my political views are different from hers and suggesting that because I live on the East Coast I’m not a real American are offensive, to say the least. I work hard. I pay my taxes. And the America I believe in is tolerant of our differences. If that makes me un-American, so were our founding fathers.

And:

Gail Collins and Maureen Dowd can poke fun at Sarah Palin all they want (“Sarah’s Straight Talk,” column, July 4, and “Now, Sarah’s Folly,” column, July 5), but I begin each day with a silent, heartfelt “thank you!” to the soon-to-be former governor of Alaska. If not for her breathtaking ignorance, which she refreshingly coupled with soaring arrogance, and if not for her coldblooded disdain for the lives of wolves, moose and polar bears, Barack Obama might not have won the presidency. America and indeed the world are infinitely indebted to her. Thank you, Sarah Palin, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, indeed.

Gay Marriage Now Recognized in DC

Go, our capital! Next step - gay marriage performed in DC. Maybe Obama will have to come around after all...

Alaska Breathes a Collective Sigh of Relief

You all should have heard by now that Ms. Sarah Palin suddenly quit her job last Friday. Why? She didn't say. What she did say, in her eloquent prose, was that to stay would be to give up. And to quit would be the right thing. Wha?

The press thinks this is either a) a bail out after a rough year, or b) a gear-up for a more national presence. All signs from her ridiculous popularity-hungry personality point to (b), which should make the other 49 states as nauseous as I feel at the thought of having to look at her and hear her stupid "speeches" for yet another season.

But I think it's c) she's gotten some offer for a big famous thing, like hosting her own 700 Club or something. She just craves the attention too much to get out of the spotlight without another, bigger spotlight waiting.

The Next Frontier

Guys. I'm thinking about Meet the Pressler: the web talk show...

Topics of the day!
Hard-hitting interviews with local officials!
Fashion faux pas exposed!

Whaddya think?