15 January 2008: Morning

  • U.S. plans to send 3,200 additional Marines to Afghanistan, in hopes of shaming NATO allies into matching troops.
  • Army seeks "professional celebrity rock music band"; bureaucracy gets to build a tour rider.
  • From William Henry Harrison's log cabin medal to the George W. Bush piñata: a vast collection of campaign memorabilia. (See images)
  • "Bleed me white my lord, if my death pleases you!" Middle East newspapers critical of Bush's visit, explain difficult symbolism.
  • Media reactions to Improv Everywhere's No Pants Subway Ride.
  • "It was positively, absolutely nothing from these parts." Texans report UFO.
  • FDA assert the safety of meat, milk from cloned animals; some claim it may be safer than the old, non-cloned kind.
  • Why actor Luis Guzmán (Boogie Nights) is pitching cheese for Cabot. (Includes video)
  • Online social networks help manufacturers decide what to make next--thus, Snausages Breakfast Bites.
  • Bringing popular games--under new names--to your Facebook, and the uncertain future of Scrabulous.
  • You could be forgiven for not understanding a word of this. An explanation of the Financial Times's new online subscription model.
  • On the road, in the boardroom with those who check the accuracy of digital maps and those who want to monetize it.
  • This spring, Portland, Ore., will install "bike boxes" to help protect cyclists riding on city streets.
  • As I rushed past the entrance to the Manhattan Bridge Sunday afternoon, I glimpsed a white bicycle chained to a signpost at the intersection of Canal and Bowery.