this, that

Rumors only so far, and a couple of pictures, but apparently there's going to be a new First Car for the 44th President:

Presidential Power on the Road [NYTimes]

...television clips showing George W. Bush entering and exiting the rear doors of his limos indicate that the windows are at least 5 inches thick, nearly twice the depth of what was used on presidential limousines in the 1980s and ’90s.

...Large steel overlaps are also typically added to the body openings of armored autos to deter attackers who might try shooting through the door gaps.

...Aircraft tie-downs welded to the chassis allow the limousine to be transported aboard a military cargo jet, which also often carries the Secret Service’s Suburban escort vehicles and at least one limo used as a backup or decoy.

(Still not 100% convinced that A) the election is over and B) Obama won. My current thought is that I'm in a weird dream state. Or a coma.)

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I did not know ... there's an asphalt shortage.

Asphalt shortage delays road repairs nationwide [AP/SeattlePI via GirlHacker]

Asphalt is becoming scarce as U.S. refiners overhaul their equipment to maximize output of highly profitable fuels such as diesel and gasoline, using inexpensive - and hard to process - crude oil.

...Dozens of road repairs were delayed last summer and municipalities around the country may face another shortfall next summer. Road-maintenance projects that have gone forward cost significantly more as the price of asphalt nearly tripled over the past year.

...[Some] municipalities are taking a second look at concrete, which for years was more expensive.

I would have thought the drop in oil prices would help out with it, but apparently not.

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Handing out your twitter login & password to a stranger, even if they make nice-sounding noises about how they won't use it, really, cross their fingers, seems like a bad bad idea.

Gullible Twitter users hand over their usernames and passwords - did you get your Twitterank yet?! [ZDNet]

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