- Canals Interrupted (haikimagazine.com)
Never underestimate the importance of a big ditch, especially if it links two oceans. Canals allow for the rapid and free flow of goods, keeping the global economy ticking. Any threat to a major shipping canal means economic and political turmoil. Look at the Suez Crisis of 1956: when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, Israel, France, and Britain invaded, and the former Soviet Union threatened to bombard Europe with nuclear missiles if the invading forces did not withdraw.
- Mount Index (Wikipedia)
Mount Index is a peak in the central part of the Cascade Range of Washington state. It lies just south of the Skykomish River and U.S. Route 2, at the western edge of the Cascades. Despite its low elevation relative to peaks higher in the Cascades, it is a famous and dramatic landmark due to its topographic prominence. It comprises three pointed spires which rise steeply from a very low base. The main peak is the southernmost of the three, while the North Peak rises even more steeply above the valley. For example, it rises more than 4,250 ft (1,300 m) above the lower slopes on the northeast side in less than 1 horizontal mile (1.6 km).