KPCC/Los Angeles Laying Off Staffers In 'Realignment'

The stories have been around for the last few years: Towns in Italy offering dilapidated houses for practically nothing to anyone willing to fix them up and move in. But those stories never follow up, until this one from CNN, in which they talk to people who bought houses for 1 euro. Is it real? Are they happy? Mostly, yes, as it turns out; people bought the houses for a euro, spent a little money fixing them up, and now use them as second houses or vacation houses and love it. Read it and be jealous. (CNN)

The pictures accompanying this story tell the story of this guy pulled over with an SUV packed with over $36,000 worth of alcohol, the boxes absolutely jamming every square inch other than the driver's seat. Did you know there's a law, at least in Massachusetts, limiting you to transporting 3 gallons of booze before you need a permit? (To prevent illegal resale, I imagine.) Do you even know the liquor laws in your state? I admit that I don't, but, then again, I don't drink, so I don't really NEED to know them. (Boston Globe)

This Washington Post travel article purports to set forth the unofficial "5 rules for the middle seat on an airplane," and the one I'll agree with -- to a point -- is the first, that the person in the middle seat gets to use both arm rests (but watch those elbows slopping over to the other seats). And I'll agree that the middle seater shouldn't spread those legs, although that goes for the other seats, too. "Don't sleep on anyone's shoulder" applies to all seats, not just the middle. But telling couples they need to take the middle seat and not take the aisle and window and leave the middle for someone else is stupid; everyone should get to sit where they want, first come, first served. (Tip: Couples should book two aisle seats across from each other.) And timing lavatory visits, well, YOU tell your bladder. Anyway, book early to avoid all of this. (Washington Post)