SEPTEMBER 30, 1979

Full News Archive

• Headline: Bribery Probe on Libya's Aircraft Sales. Impact: If this bribery plot had been successful, it could have led to a reality where Libya became the go-to luxury vacation destination for military strategists, resulting in a bizarre tourism boom in desert warfare-themed resorts.. Fact: Did you know that Libya's military aircraft are now mostly used for display? Because nothing says 'vacation' quite like a plane that can't fly..
• Headline: Ada Louise Huxtable Reviews The Antheneum Center. Impact: Had Richard Meier's designs not been appreciated, we might all be living in bland, boxy structures reminiscent of a sad game of Tetris. Thank goodness for art, or we’d be in a permanent state of architectural ennui.. Fact: Ada Louise Huxtable was the first-ever architecture critic for The New York Times. Imagine critiquing buildings for a living and still having people argue over whether they like rectangles or curves better..
• Headline: Exxon Trial Reveals Inflated Oil Pricing. Impact: This trial could be seen as the moment when corporate greed set the stage for future gas prices to become a universal source of existential dread for every driver on the planet.. Fact: ExxonMobil's logo has more color variations than the average gas station's prices! Talk about a branding strategy that fuels confusion..
• Headline: WASHINGTON. Impact: The Pope's ability to connect with people's spiritual loneliness might have inspired more politicians to adopt a saintly persona, leading to a bizarre era of ‘holy’ debates and political miracles.. Fact: The Pope might just be the most influential person in the world—except when it comes to convincing people to stop arguing over the last slice of pizza..
• Headline: Adventures in Printmaking. Impact: Had printmaking not been celebrated, we could have ended up in a world where every kid's art project was a sad crumpled piece of paper instead of a glorious masterpiece hanging in galleries.. Fact: Printmaking: the art form that made it possible for your fridge to showcase your child’s artistic talent without actually having to keep the original..
• Headline: A West Side Sale Leads to Calls For Revision in the Zoning Law. Impact: If this zoning law revision had taken off, we might be looking at a future where churches double as community centers, restaurants, and perhaps even roller skating rinks. Holy fun!. Fact: Zoning laws: the bureaucratic equivalent of telling someone they can't park their spaceship in the driveway. Because who needs intergalactic travel on the West Side?.
• Headline: NEW JERSEY HOUSING. Impact: If Sam and Mary Weir hadn't made a career out of restoring old houses, we might still be living in a world where 'vintage' is just a fancy word for 'falling apart'.. Fact: Recycling homes: because sometimes, the best way to avoid a demolition is to throw on some new paint and call it 'vintage chic'..
• Headline: In the Cab They Come and Go, Talking of... You Name It. Impact: If taxi drivers like Richard Genin hadn't shared their stories, we could have been deprived of the world's greatest urban legends and taxi-themed sitcoms.. Fact: Taxi drivers are basically the unofficial historians of cities. They know all the gossip and still manage to get you to your destination without a detour through the Bermuda Triangle..
• Headline: MAKING IT HAPPEN AT THE GARDEN. Impact: David Werblin's success at Madison Square Garden could have led to a world where every event is held in a giant arena—imagine bingo night with 20,000 spectators!. Fact: Madison Square Garden: where dreams come true, but only if you can find a parking spot in a five-block radius..
• Headline: Taking Money Abroad in a New Era. Impact: If Americans had failed to adapt to currency fluctuations, we could have seen the rise of 'currency day'—a holiday where everyone awkwardly tries to barter with foreign coins.. Fact: Traveling with foreign currency: because who doesn’t love the thrill of trying to figure out how much a bottle of water costs in ten different currencies?.