The Linkage for May 18th

Here’s a quick look at what I was reading online from May 5th to May 18th.

It’s open season on journalists near Moscow
Although violence against people exposing uncomfortable truths has always been a unfortunate hallmark of Russia's fledgling democracy, the past two years have seen a new and sustained wave of unsolved attacks and official harassment against journalists, human rights activists and opposition politicians around Moscow, including its suburbs, but not the city itself. Rarely, if ever, is anyone held responsible.

The new Routemasters are here! (Well, almost.)
Five years after the iconic London double-deckers were taken out of service, the design for the next generation of Routemasters has been unveiled.

After long ban, western China is back online
Full Internet service was restored to the vast western region of Xinjiang 10 months after it was blocked following deadly ethnic rioting that convulsed the regional capital, Urumqi. The blockage was the longest and most widespread in China since the Internet became readily available throughout the country some years ago.

Cellphones…now not so much about the phone
Are actual telephone calls becoming a dying form of communication? Honestly, I probably one use the "phone" function of my iPhone a handful of times a week. Looks like I'm not the only one.

Who knew Australian cookbooks were filled with racial tension?
Even after you've run your masterpiece through the trusty ol' spell-checker, it's still a good idea to let a set of human eyes scan it over. Just in case something like this happens.

Just wake Ken Griffey Jr. if you need him
Remember when Ken Griffey Jr. was the bright-eyed star of tomorrow? Now he's just the old guy stringing out the end of his career collecting paychecks for batting .208 – and apparently sleeping during games. I'm sure the Astros are doing everything they can to add him to their roster.

Ferrari caves into pressure from idiots wearing tinfoil hats
Ferrari removed a controversial bar code livery from their Formula One cars after getting complaints that it represented subliminal advertising for cigarette sponsor Marlboro. Seriously – you people are now concerned about your brain being controlled by bar codes zipping past at 220 mph?

U.S. troops march in Red Square
Americans, Pole, French, and Brits marching through Red Square to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II? What a country!

First non-latin web addresses go live
Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the first countries to have so-called "country codes" written in Arabic scripts. I predict I'll start getting questions about securing our "squiggle URL" within days.

Honda designs the Rascal Scooter of tomorrow
Dear Segway: your goofy days are numbered. We've found something even slower and goofier.