Loose change for February 21, 2009, Part 2

 Economic news 

• The New York Times talks about the nickel-and-diming of airline passengers — or should I say they're getting Jacksoned? — and how that has created a war between them and the airlines.

 North Korea news and stuff 

• Groups helping defectors in North Korea are saying that cell phones are being used as a way of getting information into and out of North Korea — but only in a narrow strip of the DPRK within reach of China-based cell towers.

 Other Korea-related stuff 

• The Chosun Ilbo has a piece on James Lee, the Korean-Canadian who designed the wood-planked Olympic podium in Vancouver.
• Brian in Chŏllanam-do got some of his nice pictures printed in a newly published Moon guide for expats living in South Korea. I hope he doesn't mind me snagging the one below, of Sunchon Bay (순천만, sun•ch'ŏn•man).

 Miscellany 

• There's a special circle of Hell (or at least Purgatory) for lobbyists and politicos who use their money to affect legislation or government operation in a way that endangers lives. 
• A study done at UT Austin suggests that social networking site profiles are actually a fairly accurate picture of the person making them and not a reflection of some idealized self.
• The Los Angeles Times has a nice feature on Hideki Matsui, who has signed on to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim the Anaheim Angels.
• Why not make your house look like a lifeguard tower? And here's another odd house.
• How will California restaurant goers react to nutrition guideline displays at chain eateries, especially when they find out that salad has a thousand calories?
• Living in Orange County, I never saw a cockroach, but apparently there are restaurants in Orange County that get closed down for cockroach infestation, rodent infestation, sewage problems, etc. Fortunately for the consumer, the Orange County Register is good enough to list the locations.
• I'd like to give a shout-out to iheartblueballs over his help for wrongly convicted people. The Innocent Man, anyone? Wrongly convicted people are a major reason I'm against the death penalty. But I still wish he'd change his avatar so I can read The Marmot's Hole in a public venue.
• I like Ed Helms, he of "The Office" and Hangover. Adeel may like this picture.