We recently took a trip to London to visit my sister and brother–in-law. I love San Francisco, but after a week of exploring the parks, promenades, and museums of London, home always feels like a sleepy beach town. Thanks to the pansy-ass strength of our currency at the moment, most of our meals were prepared in my sister's European kitchen. One night, while running the puny kitchen at an American-sized volume, we were plunged into darkness accompanied by that ominous electronic “sighhh.” Power's out in London? And what was my sister doing digging around for coins in her purse? While...

Eco-friendly system will put U.S. Capitol in new light - by Christopher Lee, The Washington Post (April 4, 2008) Pelosi plans to upgrade the lighting system at the Capitol Dome. Battling global climate change, one lightbulb at a time... "Everyone supports making the Capitol more energy-efficient, but we don't have to waste taxpayer dollars to do it," said House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio. "This is a ridiculous boondoggle."...