 |
|
|
December 2003
|
We invite you to speak your mind on these hot topics and global issues plucked from the pages of National Geographic magazine. For more on the subject go to the online feature page, or read the December issue of NGM.
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
The Future of Flying
Depending on class of service, some airlines offer passengers on long international flights the comfort of what amounts to a bed. And until it recently retired from the skies, the Concorde—the first plane to offer commercial supersonic travel—could fly between New York and London in less than three and a half hours compared with the standard seven-hour crossing. Given the push for better airline customer service and advancing computer technology, what innovations would you like to see in commercial air transportation and aviation in general? Enter>>
|
|
|
 |
|
Eye on Infinity
The disaster of space shuttle Columbia in February 2003 claimed the lives of the seven men and women who made up the shuttle's crew. With the human cost of sending people into space, should NASA rely more heavily on unmanned alternatives for exploration? Enter>>
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Hot Pink Yard Art
They're the colorful gnomes who, struck with wanderlust as they reach maturity, are said to set out on adventures from one garden to another. Assigned more purpose, a lantern-bearing coachman figurine—once used as a hitching post on southern lawns—signaled to runaway slaves along the Underground Railroad. A glowing lamp meant a safe haven; lights out indicated that it was best to move on. But think yard art, and plastic pink flamingos generally come to mind. National Geographic had the honor of providing the model for the icon of garden ornaments in 1957 when Don Featherstone, a young designer with Union Products in Leominster, Massachusetts, sculpted the prototype using photos of the real thing from a back issue. And plastic flocks have been flourishing ever since. So, what's the fascination with pink flamingos? What's the most unusual piece of yard art you've ever seen? And what are your favorite bits of outdoor ornament lore? Enter>>
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Hip Zips
Nominate your favorite zip or postal code for coverage in the pages of National Geographic. Our magazine series—ZipUSA—takes a periodic peek at special corners of the country by zip code. We like the concept so much that we're going global and extending our stories to include international postal codes as well. So describe a weird, wacky, wonderful locale of your own choosing—it just might make it into the magazine—and read postings from other folks too. Enter>>
|
|
|
|
|
