By Brett McCracken
Wall Street Journal
'How can we stop the oil gusher?" may have been the question of the summer for most Americans. Yet for many evangelical pastors and leaders, the leaking well is nothing compared to the threat posed by an ongoing gusher of a different sort: Young people pouring out of their churches, never to return.
Casual reading for the intellectually curious.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Packing for College, 2010 Style
Hidden financial traps are snaring even the best and brightest on campus—and their parents. Here is how to make sure you don't flunk Money 101.
By Karen Blumenthal
Wall Street Journal
As you help pack up the minifridge, laptop and extra-long twin sheets for your college freshman, you might consider a few other last-minute chores:
By Karen Blumenthal
Wall Street Journal
As you help pack up the minifridge, laptop and extra-long twin sheets for your college freshman, you might consider a few other last-minute chores:
The Power Trip
Contrary to the Machiavellian cliché, nice people are more likely to rise to power. Then something strange happens: Authority atrophies the very talents that got them there.
By Jonah Lehrer
By Jonah Lehrer
Wall Street Journal
When CEO Mark Hurd resigned from Hewlett-Packard last week in light of ethics violations, many people expressed surprise. Mr. Hurd, after all, was known as an unusually effective and straight-laced executive.
When CEO Mark Hurd resigned from Hewlett-Packard last week in light of ethics violations, many people expressed surprise. Mr. Hurd, after all, was known as an unusually effective and straight-laced executive.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Who's a Pirate? In Court, A Duel Over Definitions
By Keith Johnson
Wall Street Journal
NORFOLK, Va.—Not since Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy sailed back triumphantly to nearby Hampton Roads in 1718 with the severed head of Blackbeard swinging from his bowsprit has this Navy town been so embroiled in the fight against piracy. Interactive Graphic
Wall Street Journal
NORFOLK, Va.—Not since Lt. Robert Maynard of the Royal Navy sailed back triumphantly to nearby Hampton Roads in 1718 with the severed head of Blackbeard swinging from his bowsprit has this Navy town been so embroiled in the fight against piracy. Interactive Graphic
Baby sitters too costly? Check out rates in these Top 10 sitter cities.
By Mark Trumbull
Christian Science Monitor
Virginia Beach, Va., may be the best city in the United States for parents to find a baby sitter, according to a ranking by the online service Sittercity. The service, which matches parents with sitters who post their availability on the Sittercity's website, weighed metro areas based on both costs and the number of sitters available.
Christian Science Monitor
Virginia Beach, Va., may be the best city in the United States for parents to find a baby sitter, according to a ranking by the online service Sittercity. The service, which matches parents with sitters who post their availability on the Sittercity's website, weighed metro areas based on both costs and the number of sitters available.
The Secrets of Songwriters
Whether they're poets or hired guns, modern lyricists are fighting to keep their words in tune with a wildly changing music business. How top writers, from country to hip-hop, nail the phrases they hope will last forever.
By John Jurgensen
Wall Street Journal
It's close to midnight in a Manhattan recording studio, and a songwriter is listening to a work in progress, one that he hopes millions will soon know by heart. He'd recently improvised the lyrics in the vocal booth, including the chorus: "If you're the country, I'm your new citizen." Now, he sings along with the playback in a soft, high voice. If all goes to plan, however, the voice forever linked to "Citizen" will be that of Beyoncé Knowles, the superstar singer in the next room, who's been gathering songs for a new album.
Wall Street Journal
It's close to midnight in a Manhattan recording studio, and a songwriter is listening to a work in progress, one that he hopes millions will soon know by heart. He'd recently improvised the lyrics in the vocal booth, including the chorus: "If you're the country, I'm your new citizen." Now, he sings along with the playback in a soft, high voice. If all goes to plan, however, the voice forever linked to "Citizen" will be that of Beyoncé Knowles, the superstar singer in the next room, who's been gathering songs for a new album.
The top countries on Facebook (chart)
Posted in Main on August 12th, 2010 by Pingdom
Facebook recently passed an incredible milestone, 500 million active users. And it keeps growing.
Although Facebook initially focused on the United States, it soon turned its eyes towards the horizon and the rest of the world. And it’s a tactic that’s been working extremely well. Facebook’s current user base is more than 1.6 times the size of the entire US population. If Facebook were a country, it’d be second only to China and India.
Facebook recently passed an incredible milestone, 500 million active users. And it keeps growing.
Although Facebook initially focused on the United States, it soon turned its eyes towards the horizon and the rest of the world. And it’s a tactic that’s been working extremely well. Facebook’s current user base is more than 1.6 times the size of the entire US population. If Facebook were a country, it’d be second only to China and India.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live
By Kate Murphy
New York Times
When Adam Savage, host of the popular science program “MythBusters,” posted a picture on Twitter of his automobile parked in front of his house, he let his fans know much more than that he drove a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Embedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken.
Embedded in the image was a geotag, a bit of data providing the longitude and latitude of where the photo was taken.
Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Moving From South Asia to U.S.
By Donald G. McNeil Jr.
New York Times
A dangerous new mutation that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics has become increasingly common in India and Pakistan and is being found in patients in Britain and the United States who got medical care in those countries, according to new studies.
New York Times
A dangerous new mutation that makes some bacteria resistant to almost all antibiotics has become increasingly common in India and Pakistan and is being found in patients in Britain and the United States who got medical care in those countries, according to new studies.
Are Americans Bigots?
Wall Street Journal
When in 1983 Ronald Reagan characterized the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," the reaction from his betters was swift. Writing in the New York Times, Anthony Lewis called it "primitive"—and wondered (naturally) what the Europeans would think. A headline in Time referred derisively to "The Right Rev. Ronald Reagan." All agreed on one thing: this kind of black-and-white moralizing had no place in American politics.
When in 1983 Ronald Reagan characterized the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," the reaction from his betters was swift. Writing in the New York Times, Anthony Lewis called it "primitive"—and wondered (naturally) what the Europeans would think. A headline in Time referred derisively to "The Right Rev. Ronald Reagan." All agreed on one thing: this kind of black-and-white moralizing had no place in American politics.
Discovering Hats, a New Generation Brims With Anxiety Over Etiquette
By Ray A. Smith
Wall Street Journal
Hector Ramirez sort of knows, from watching old movies, that men are supposed to take off their hats when indoors. But the 19-year-old Brown University student wears fedoras in class—with jeans—anyway. Slideshow: A History of Hats
Wall Street Journal
Hector Ramirez sort of knows, from watching old movies, that men are supposed to take off their hats when indoors. But the 19-year-old Brown University student wears fedoras in class—with jeans—anyway. Slideshow: A History of Hats
'Twilight' leads Quileute tribe to help museum tell its true story
By Lynda V. Mapes
Seattle Times
Wolves that once roamed the wild Olympics, the stories say, were the first Quileute ancestors, transfigured by Kwati, a shape shifter and transformer as old and familiar here as the mist that rolls in from the Pacific.
Seattle Times
Wolves that once roamed the wild Olympics, the stories say, were the first Quileute ancestors, transfigured by Kwati, a shape shifter and transformer as old and familiar here as the mist that rolls in from the Pacific.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Leaving a Job With a Bus, Not a Slide
By Michael Wilson
How thrilling the ride off the back of a jet and down that inflatable emergency slide must have been for Steven Slater, flight attendant — cold beer in his hand, wind in his hair, the seat of his JetBlue uniform gliding merrily toward the runway. Woo-hoo!
New York Times
How thrilling the ride off the back of a jet and down that inflatable emergency slide must have been for Steven Slater, flight attendant — cold beer in his hand, wind in his hair, the seat of his JetBlue uniform gliding merrily toward the runway. Woo-hoo!
Competing For a Mate May Shorten Men's Lives, Study Suggests
Healfinder.gov
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services
TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In certain situations, competing for a mate may shorten a man's life.
U.S. researchers found that when men reach sexual maturity in settings where they far outnumber women, they live an average of three months less than males from areas with a more equitable gender ratio.
TUESDAY, Aug. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In certain situations, competing for a mate may shorten a man's life.
U.S. researchers found that when men reach sexual maturity in settings where they far outnumber women, they live an average of three months less than males from areas with a more equitable gender ratio.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Stephen Hawking: mankind must move to outer space within a century
By Richard Alleyne
Telegraph (U.K.)
The renowned astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and its future "must be in space" if it is to survive.
The renowned astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and its future "must be in space" if it is to survive.
Slumdog Tourism
By Kennedy Odede
New York Times
SLUM tourism has a long history — during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy New Yorkers snaked along the Bowery and through the Lower East Side to see “how the other half lives.”
SLUM tourism has a long history — during the late 1800s, lines of wealthy New Yorkers snaked along the Bowery and through the Lower East Side to see “how the other half lives.”
That Middle-of-the-Night Bellyache: Appendicitis?
By Perri Klass, M.D.
New York Times
Let’s start with “Madeline.” In that classic children’s story by Ludwig Bemelmans, published in 1939, the little French girl of the title is awakened in the night by severe abdominal pain, and the doctor races to get her to the operating table.
New York Times
Let’s start with “Madeline.” In that classic children’s story by Ludwig Bemelmans, published in 1939, the little French girl of the title is awakened in the night by severe abdominal pain, and the doctor races to get her to the operating table.
China Seizes on a Dark Chapter for Tibet
By Edward Wong
New York Times
GYANTSE, Tibet — The white fortress loomed above the fields, a crumbling but still imposing redoubt perched on a rock mound above a plain of golden rapeseed shimmering in the morning light.
New York Times
GYANTSE, Tibet — The white fortress loomed above the fields, a crumbling but still imposing redoubt perched on a rock mound above a plain of golden rapeseed shimmering in the morning light.
A Masterpiece of Nature? Yuck!
By Natalie Angier
New York Times
A friend recently sent around an e-mail with the subject line “lost cat bulletin.” Open the message and — gack! — there was a head-on shot of a star-nosed mole, its “Dawn of the Dead” digging claws in full view and its hallmark nasal boutonniere of 22 highly sensitive feelers looking like fresh bits of sirloin being extruded through a meat grinder. Slideshow
New York Times
A friend recently sent around an e-mail with the subject line “lost cat bulletin.” Open the message and — gack! — there was a head-on shot of a star-nosed mole, its “Dawn of the Dead” digging claws in full view and its hallmark nasal boutonniere of 22 highly sensitive feelers looking like fresh bits of sirloin being extruded through a meat grinder. Slideshow
How Parkinson's Alters the Brain
By Shirley S. Wang
Wall Street Journal
Patients with Parkinson's disease are known to exhibit slowed movements and tremors, but one aspect of their condition is often overlooked: cognitive impairment.
Unlike with Alzheimer's and other dementias, patients with Parkinson's don't lose their memory. Instead, they may develop trouble with planning, making decisions and controlling their emotions, and often exhibit changes in personality as a result.
Wall Street Journal
Patients with Parkinson's disease are known to exhibit slowed movements and tremors, but one aspect of their condition is often overlooked: cognitive impairment.
Unlike with Alzheimer's and other dementias, patients with Parkinson's don't lose their memory. Instead, they may develop trouble with planning, making decisions and controlling their emotions, and often exhibit changes in personality as a result.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Top 3 Things Not to Carry On Your Flight
By: Editor | August 09, 2010 | Category: Travel
GovGab Your U. S. Government Blog
Airline travel has gotten so complicated. Security lines are long; there are extra fees for baggage; adults need to keep out their federal or state-issued ID through the checkpoint; and there are restrictions on what can be carried onto the flight. TheTransportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website is the first place to go to find out the truth about these restrictions.
GovGab Your U. S. Government Blog
Airline travel has gotten so complicated. Security lines are long; there are extra fees for baggage; adults need to keep out their federal or state-issued ID through the checkpoint; and there are restrictions on what can be carried onto the flight. TheTransportation Security Administration’s (TSA) website is the first place to go to find out the truth about these restrictions.
Cellphone Service by the Day, Month or Tankful
By Thomas J. Fitzgerald
New York Times
The two-year contract.
To the cellphone carriers, it is the centerpiece of their business model, promising a steady stream of revenue by handcuffing customers to their phones.
On the other side of the contract is the consumer, locked to a phone or a carrier as competitors offer less expensive or better alternatives.
New York Times
The two-year contract.
To the cellphone carriers, it is the centerpiece of their business model, promising a steady stream of revenue by handcuffing customers to their phones.
On the other side of the contract is the consumer, locked to a phone or a carrier as competitors offer less expensive or better alternatives.
Many Girls Now Begin Puberty at Age 7, 8
Healthfinder.gov
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
MONDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The onset of puberty is continuing to drop among American girls, with many girls as young as 7 and 8 now showing the beginnings of breast development, new research shows.
U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
MONDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The onset of puberty is continuing to drop among American girls, with many girls as young as 7 and 8 now showing the beginnings of breast development, new research shows.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
This Bedbug’s Life
By May Berenbaum
New York Times
I had been a professor of entomology for 15 years before I saw my first live bedbug. It crawled out of a plastic film canister that had been mailed to me by a distraught student in the Boston area who had no idea what it was. I was so thrilled to see a live bedbug, I showed it off to every graduate student I ran into that day: Cimex lectularius — a small, flat, wingless, brown ectoparasite that hides in cracks and crevices in human dwellings and emerges under cover of darkness to feast on human blood.
New York Times
I had been a professor of entomology for 15 years before I saw my first live bedbug. It crawled out of a plastic film canister that had been mailed to me by a distraught student in the Boston area who had no idea what it was. I was so thrilled to see a live bedbug, I showed it off to every graduate student I ran into that day: Cimex lectularius — a small, flat, wingless, brown ectoparasite that hides in cracks and crevices in human dwellings and emerges under cover of darkness to feast on human blood.
Touch Affects Impressions, Decisions
National Institute of Health
Something you’re touching can influence how you feel about unrelated events, situations and objects without you realizing it, according to new research.
Something you’re touching can influence how you feel about unrelated events, situations and objects without you realizing it, according to new research.
But Will It Make You Happy?
By Stephanie Rosenbloom
SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”
So one day she stepped off.
New York Times
SHE had so much.
A two-bedroom apartment. Two cars. Enough wedding china to serve two dozen people.
Yet Tammy Strobel wasn’t happy. Working as a project manager with an investment management firm in Davis, Calif., and making about $40,000 a year, she was, as she put it, caught in the “work-spend treadmill.”
So one day she stepped off.
Divorce Insurance (Yes, Divorce Insurance)
By Jennifer Saranow Schultz
New York Times
Here’s a new option for those worried they’ll end up on the wrong side of the statistics that show so many marriages ending over time: divorce insurance.
New York Times
Here’s a new option for those worried they’ll end up on the wrong side of the statistics that show so many marriages ending over time: divorce insurance.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
foldit
Foldit is a revolutionary new computer game enabling you to contribute to important scientific research. This page describes the science behind Foldit and how your playing can help.
Also:
In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
By John Markoff
Also:
In a Video Game, Tackling the Complexities of Protein Folding
By John Markoff
New York Times
In a match that pitted video game players against the best known computer program designed for the task, the gamers outperformed the software in figuring out how 10 proteins fold into their three-dimensional configurations.
Best Cars for Teenagers? No One Can Agree
By Cheryl Jensen
New York Times
If you think it is easy to recommend the top vehicles for teenagers, you are so wrong.
If you think it is easy to recommend the top vehicles for teenagers, you are so wrong.
Two New Paths to the Dream: Regeneration
By Nicholas Wade
New York Times
Two research reports published Friday offer novel approaches to the age-old dream of regenerating the body from its own cells. Graphic
Battle Looms Over Huge Costs of Public Pensions
By Ron Lieber
New York Times
There’s a class war coming to the world of government pensions.
The haves are retirees who were once state or municipal workers. Their seemingly guaranteed and ever-escalating monthly pension benefits are breaking budgets nationwide.
New York Times
There’s a class war coming to the world of government pensions.
The haves are retirees who were once state or municipal workers. Their seemingly guaranteed and ever-escalating monthly pension benefits are breaking budgets nationwide.
Demystifying, and Maybe Decreasing, the Emergency Room Bill
By Lesley Alderman
New York Times
DURING a snowstorm last winter, my 6-year-old son fell and cut his chin — not outside on the ice, but inside on the tile bathroom floor. My husband walked our son, Charlie, through the knee-high snow to the local emergency room.
New York Times
DURING a snowstorm last winter, my 6-year-old son fell and cut his chin — not outside on the ice, but inside on the tile bathroom floor. My husband walked our son, Charlie, through the knee-high snow to the local emergency room.
Immigrant Conversations
Citizenship From Birth Is Challenged on the Right
By Julia Preston
New York Times
By Julia Preston
New York Times
Friday, August 6, 2010
Parisians Find Playground Under the Streets
By Don Duncan
Wall Street Journal
PARIS—While many Parisians go out on the town on Saturday evenings, a small but growing number go under it.
Beneath Paris lies a network of some 155 miles of tunnels known as "the catacombs"—an underground labyrinth that serves as the weekend playground for bands of urban explorers. One recent Saturday, several dozen "cataphiles," as these explorers are known, climbed down an embankment in south Paris to a unused railroad track. After a short walk, they disappear into a hole in the side of a railway tunnel to the catacombs, 65 feet below. Slideshow
Wall Street Journal
PARIS—While many Parisians go out on the town on Saturday evenings, a small but growing number go under it.
Beneath Paris lies a network of some 155 miles of tunnels known as "the catacombs"—an underground labyrinth that serves as the weekend playground for bands of urban explorers. One recent Saturday, several dozen "cataphiles," as these explorers are known, climbed down an embankment in south Paris to a unused railroad track. After a short walk, they disappear into a hole in the side of a railway tunnel to the catacombs, 65 feet below. Slideshow
Where temperature strayed from average
By NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies\
New York Times
New York Times
As It Shrinks, the Dead Sea Nourishes Promises of an Economic Bloom
By Isabel Kershner
New York Times
KALIA, West Bank — For many, the shrinking of the Dead Sea has long signaled its impending demise. But even with its waters steadily disappearing, the ancient salt lake, where no fish can survive, is showing other signs of life.
New York Times
KALIA, West Bank — For many, the shrinking of the Dead Sea has long signaled its impending demise. But even with its waters steadily disappearing, the ancient salt lake, where no fish can survive, is showing other signs of life.
My Food-a-pedia
Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
United States Department of Agriculture
Quick access to food info.
Find the calories and MyPyramid food groups for a food, or compare two foods.
Enter food name: [Search]
Find the calories and MyPyramid food groups for a food, or compare two foods.
Enter food name: [Search]
Mobile Internet More Popular in China than in U.S.
Shan Phillips, Vice President, Greater China, Telecom Practice, The Nielsen Company
On the streets of Guangzhou, Harbin and Shanghai, the mobile phone has become ubiquitous. Once the domain of the elite, it now seems that just about everybody has one. Widespread ownership of mobiles is only a fairly recent development in China, but consumers there have fully embraced the technology and in some ways are using it more robustly than their American and European counterparts.
On the streets of Guangzhou, Harbin and Shanghai, the mobile phone has become ubiquitous. Once the domain of the elite, it now seems that just about everybody has one. Widespread ownership of mobiles is only a fairly recent development in China, but consumers there have fully embraced the technology and in some ways are using it more robustly than their American and European counterparts.
New Realities of an Older America
By Stanford Center on Longevity
The challenges of baby boomers reaching old age, combined with a growing, more diverse population, will drive major changes, challenges and decisions in U.S. families, workplaces and communities, according toNEW REALITIES of an OLDER AMERICA: Challenges, Changes and Questions, a new report from the Stanford Center on Longevity.
The challenges of baby boomers reaching old age, combined with a growing, more diverse population, will drive major changes, challenges and decisions in U.S. families, workplaces and communities, according toNEW REALITIES of an OLDER AMERICA: Challenges, Changes and Questions, a new report from the Stanford Center on Longevity.
Technology helps absent obstetricians stay app on things
By Jennifer Brown
The Denver Post
Dr. Reid Goodman was out for lunch when he flicked on his iPhone and realized something was seriously wrong — his patient in labor at Rose Medical Center was in trouble.
The Denver Post
Dr. Reid Goodman was out for lunch when he flicked on his iPhone and realized something was seriously wrong — his patient in labor at Rose Medical Center was in trouble.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
10 Surprising Ways Your State May Tax You Next
Kiplinger
There may be some truth in it--literally. Facing large budget shortfalls and unwilling to raise general taxes in a slow economy, states are looking for creative ways to raise a little extra revenue here and there, including taxing shoe repair. Here are some of the proposed new taxes and user fees under review by state governments across the country. Some plans will be met with public scorn; others will be adopted with little notice. This is a slideshow
How to Find Cheaper College Textbooks
By Tara Siegel Bernard
New York Times
You might call it the college student’s first lesson in exploitation: paying $100 for a textbook, then getting a mere $12 when reselling to the campus bookstore at the end of the semester.
You might call it the college student’s first lesson in exploitation: paying $100 for a textbook, then getting a mere $12 when reselling to the campus bookstore at the end of the semester.
You can count the number of books in the world on 25,972,976 hands
The Official Google Blog
Ever wonder just how many different books there are in the world? After some intensive analysis, we've come up with a number. Standing on the shoulders of giants—libraries and cataloging organizations—and based on our computational resources and experience of organizing millions of books through our Books Library Project and Books Partner Program since 2004, we’ve determined that number.
And May the Best Nurdle Win
By Clifford M. Marks and Ellen Byron
A pair of toothpaste makers have squared off in court over a marketing icon, the "nurdle."
For the uninitiated, the nurdle is that curvy squirt of toothpaste—perfectly shaped in advertisements—that people use to scrub their pearly whites.
Wall Street Journal
A pair of toothpaste makers have squared off in court over a marketing icon, the "nurdle."
For the uninitiated, the nurdle is that curvy squirt of toothpaste—perfectly shaped in advertisements—that people use to scrub their pearly whites.
Stalkers Exploit Cellphone GPS
By Justin Scheck
Wall Street Journal
Phone companies know where their customers' cellphones are, often within a radius of less than 100 feet. That tracking technology has rescued lost drivers, helped authorities find kidnap victims and let parents keep tabs on their kids.
Wall Street Journal
Phone companies know where their customers' cellphones are, often within a radius of less than 100 feet. That tracking technology has rescued lost drivers, helped authorities find kidnap victims and let parents keep tabs on their kids.
From the NYPD to JetBlue
By Scott McCartney
Wall Street Journal
Some airlines try to hire flight attendants who are young and attractive. JetBlue Airways has a type, too: cops and fire fighters.
Wall Street Journal
Some airlines try to hire flight attendants who are young and attractive. JetBlue Airways has a type, too: cops and fire fighters.
Feds admit storing checkpoint body scan images
Declan McCullagh
CNET News
For the last few years, federal agencies have defended body scanning by insisting that all images will be discarded as soon as they're viewed. The Transportation Security Administration claimed last summer, for instance, that "scanned images cannot be stored or recorded."
CNET News
For the last few years, federal agencies have defended body scanning by insisting that all images will be discarded as soon as they're viewed. The Transportation Security Administration claimed last summer, for instance, that "scanned images cannot be stored or recorded."
Showerheads
United State Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. That's nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water used in the United States annually just for showering, or enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year! By retrofitting your entire bathroom with WaterSense labeled fixtures, you can save even more.
Showering is one of the leading ways we use water in the home, accounting for nearly 17 percent of residential indoor water use, or about 30 gallons per household per day. That's nearly 1.2 trillion gallons of water used in the United States annually just for showering, or enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year! By retrofitting your entire bathroom with WaterSense labeled fixtures, you can save even more.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
War on terror's other cost: undeserved anger at all Muslims
By Thomas W. Young
Christian Science Monitor
This September and October, Americans mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the ninth year of war in Afghanistan, respectively. This war has become arguably the longest in our history. Given the jihad-until-doomsday rhetoric of the Islamists, the war on terror will probably stay with us in one form or another for the foreseeable future.
Christian Science Monitor
This September and October, Americans mark the ninth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and the ninth year of war in Afghanistan, respectively. This war has become arguably the longest in our history. Given the jihad-until-doomsday rhetoric of the Islamists, the war on terror will probably stay with us in one form or another for the foreseeable future.
Women More Attracted When Men Wear Red: Study
By healthfinder.gov
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Health and Human Services
TUESDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Men looking to attract the opposite sex may want to add red to their wardrobe, a new study finds.
Free-Range Landscaping
By Gwendolyn Bounds
Wall Street Journal
Recently, the patch of weeds behind Steve Holdaway's Chapel Hill, N.C., home grew so unkempt that he hired outside help. For six hours, the crew's members tackled tall grass and thorny blackberry plants and toiled without a break—other than to chew their cud, that is.
His workers: seven hungry—and carbon-emission-free—goats.
Wall Street Journal
Recently, the patch of weeds behind Steve Holdaway's Chapel Hill, N.C., home grew so unkempt that he hired outside help. For six hours, the crew's members tackled tall grass and thorny blackberry plants and toiled without a break—other than to chew their cud, that is.
His workers: seven hungry—and carbon-emission-free—goats.
Information Explosion & Cloud Storage
Wikibon Blog
Even in 2009′s “Great Recession,” the amount of digital information grew 62% over 2008 to 800 billion gigabytes (0.8 Zettabytes). It is projected that the amount of digital information that will be created in 2010 could fill 75 billion fully-loaded 16 GB Apple iPads.
Even in 2009′s “Great Recession,” the amount of digital information grew 62% over 2008 to 800 billion gigabytes (0.8 Zettabytes). It is projected that the amount of digital information that will be created in 2010 could fill 75 billion fully-loaded 16 GB Apple iPads.
CADILLAC ESCALADE, FORD F-250 PICKUP, & INFINITI G37 TOP LIST OF HIGHEST INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR THEFT
By Highway Loss Data Institute
ARLINGTON, VA—The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for
versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 crew
pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for
these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. These are the
latest theft loss results for passenger vehicles 1 to 3 years old published by the Highway
Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
ARLINGTON, VA—The rate at which people file insurance claims for theft is highest for
versions of the 2007-09 Cadillac Escalade, a luxury SUV, followed by the Ford F-250 crew
pickup, Infiniti G37 luxury car, and Dodge Charger with a HEMI engine. Theft rates for
these vehicles are 3 to 5 times as high as the average for all vehicles. These are the
latest theft loss results for passenger vehicles 1 to 3 years old published by the Highway
Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Breast Milk Sugars Give Infants a Protective Coat
By Nicholad Wade
A large part of human milk cannot be digested by babies and seems to have a purpose quite different from infant nutrition — that of influencing the composition of the bacteria in the infant’s gut.
New York Times
A large part of human milk cannot be digested by babies and seems to have a purpose quite different from infant nutrition — that of influencing the composition of the bacteria in the infant’s gut.
Tracing Oil Reserves to Their Tiny Origins
By William J. Broad
New York Times
In 1913, as the automobile zoomed into American life, The Outing Magazine gave its readers a bit of background on what fueled the new motorcars in “The Story of Gasoline.” After a brief vignette describing the death of “old Colonel Stegosaurus Ugulatus,” the article explained that “yesterday you poured the remains of the dinosaur from a measuring-can — which, let us hope, held five gallons, full measure — into your gasoline tank.” Graphic
In 1913, as the automobile zoomed into American life, The Outing Magazine gave its readers a bit of background on what fueled the new motorcars in “The Story of Gasoline.” After a brief vignette describing the death of “old Colonel Stegosaurus Ugulatus,” the article explained that “yesterday you poured the remains of the dinosaur from a measuring-can — which, let us hope, held five gallons, full measure — into your gasoline tank.” Graphic
Empowering oil rig workers to stop operations not a fail-safe plan
By David S. Hilzenrath
Washington Post
Overlooked among the systems that apparently failed in the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe is what could be the most crucial safety device of all: the human blowout preventer.
Overlooked among the systems that apparently failed in the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe is what could be the most crucial safety device of all: the human blowout preventer.
[As I read this article it reminded me of a management case study, a classic, that we covered in my graduate management program. It is entitled, "Case Study 1: The Blast in Centralia No. 5: A Mine Disaster No One Stopped in Richard J. Stillman II's Public Administration: Concepts and Cases, 9th Edition. It is the first case study in the book going back many editions. Over 100 men died in that disaster and it is still considered one of the worst industrial tragedies ever. This article on the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe reads just like it. It prompts the question, "Are we learning anything?"]
Technological advances usher in the future of reading
By Alex Pham and David Sarno
(Los Angeles Times)
Seattle Times
Emma Teitgen, 12, thought the chemistry book her teacher recommended would make perfect bedside reading. Perfect because it might help her fall asleep.
(Los Angeles Times)
Seattle Times
Emma Teitgen, 12, thought the chemistry book her teacher recommended would make perfect bedside reading. Perfect because it might help her fall asleep.
What Americans Do Online: Social Media And Games Dominate Activity
Nielsonwire
Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company. The research revealed that Americans spend a third their online time (36 percent) communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging.
Americans spend nearly a quarter of their time online on social networking sites and blogs, up from 15.8 percent just a year ago (43 percent increase) according to new research released today from The Nielsen Company. The research revealed that Americans spend a third their online time (36 percent) communicating and networking across social networks, blogs, personal email and instant messaging.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Peak Water
Wall Street Journal
Harry Reid has decided that Senate Democrats will put off their cap-and-tax energy ambitions for now, focusing on smaller-scale subsidies and mandates. Anyone who thinks this counts as a "compromise" might visit Arizona, where the green campaign for renewable energy is forcing the state to confront the limits of a nonrenewable resource—water.
Harry Reid has decided that Senate Democrats will put off their cap-and-tax energy ambitions for now, focusing on smaller-scale subsidies and mandates. Anyone who thinks this counts as a "compromise" might visit Arizona, where the green campaign for renewable energy is forcing the state to confront the limits of a nonrenewable resource—water.
Ignorance By Degrees
By Mark Bauerlein
Wall Street Journal
Higher education may be heading for a reckoning. For a long time, despite the occasional charge of liberal dogma on campus or of a watered-down curriculum, people tended to think the best of the college and university they attended. Perhaps they attributed their career success or that of their friends to a diploma. Or they felt moved by a particular professor or class. Or they received treatment at a university hospital or otherwise profited from university-based scientific research. Or they just loved March Madness.
Wall Street Journal
Higher education may be heading for a reckoning. For a long time, despite the occasional charge of liberal dogma on campus or of a watered-down curriculum, people tended to think the best of the college and university they attended. Perhaps they attributed their career success or that of their friends to a diploma. Or they felt moved by a particular professor or class. Or they received treatment at a university hospital or otherwise profited from university-based scientific research. Or they just loved March Madness.
Too many laws, too many prisoners
The Economist
THREE pickup trucks pulled up outside George Norris’s home in Spring, Texas. Six armed police in flak jackets jumped out. Thinking they must have come to the wrong place, Mr Norris opened his front door, and was startled to be shoved against a wall and frisked for weapons. He was forced into a chair for four hours while officers ransacked his house. They pulled out drawers, rifled through papers, dumped things on the floor and eventually loaded 37 boxes of Mr Norris’s possessions onto their pickups. They refused to tell him what he had done wrong. “It wasn’t fun, I can tell you that,” he recalls.
THREE pickup trucks pulled up outside George Norris’s home in Spring, Texas. Six armed police in flak jackets jumped out. Thinking they must have come to the wrong place, Mr Norris opened his front door, and was startled to be shoved against a wall and frisked for weapons. He was forced into a chair for four hours while officers ransacked his house. They pulled out drawers, rifled through papers, dumped things on the floor and eventually loaded 37 boxes of Mr Norris’s possessions onto their pickups. They refused to tell him what he had done wrong. “It wasn’t fun, I can tell you that,” he recalls.
Trading Karate Kicks for Deadly Force (Krav Maga)
By Lynnley Browning
New York Times
New York Times
CHESHIRE, Conn.
“The groin!” exclaimed Madison Schiavi.
Madison, an 8-year-old with a reddish-brown ponytail, had minced no words with her quick (and correct) response to the suggestion that she “talk about some vital spots we can hit.”
“The groin!” exclaimed Madison Schiavi.
Madison, an 8-year-old with a reddish-brown ponytail, had minced no words with her quick (and correct) response to the suggestion that she “talk about some vital spots we can hit.”
Saturday, July 31, 2010
How to Avoid the Prying Eyes
By Jennifer Valentino-Devries
Wall Street Journal
Visitors to almost every major website are tracked online, a Journal investigation has found. But there are ways to limit the snooping.
Visitors to almost every major website are tracked online, a Journal investigation has found. But there are ways to limit the snooping.
New Survey Shows Significant Local Government Jobs Losses
National League of Cities
Washington, DC – New survey research announced today shows that local governments are now facing a fiscal crisis that will force job losses approaching 500,000 and significant cuts in much needed public services. Representatives from the National League of Cities (NLC), United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) jointly released the survey results at a press conference on Capitol Hill earlier today and were joined by several members of Congress offering their support to cities and counties during these difficult economic times.
Washington, DC – New survey research announced today shows that local governments are now facing a fiscal crisis that will force job losses approaching 500,000 and significant cuts in much needed public services. Representatives from the National League of Cities (NLC), United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) jointly released the survey results at a press conference on Capitol Hill earlier today and were joined by several members of Congress offering their support to cities and counties during these difficult economic times.
Study Calls Google ‘King Of Malware’
By Matt McGee
Search Engine Land
Google has twice as much malware in its search results as Yahoo, Bing, and Twitter combined. That’s one of the findings in the Barracuda Labs 2010 Midyear Security Report, which will be presented tomorrow at the DEFCON 18 hacking conference tomorrow in Las Vegas.
Search Engine Land
Google has twice as much malware in its search results as Yahoo, Bing, and Twitter combined. That’s one of the findings in the Barracuda Labs 2010 Midyear Security Report, which will be presented tomorrow at the DEFCON 18 hacking conference tomorrow in Las Vegas.
The Web's New Gold Mine: Your Secrets
By Julia Angwin
Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal
Hidden inside Ashley Hayes-Beaty's computer, a tiny file helps gather personal details about her, all to be put up for sale for a tenth of a penny. Interactive Graphic
Friday, July 30, 2010
For Most, Implants Beat Dentures, but at a Price
By Lesley Alderman
New York Times
MARK PANKO still gets riled when he recalls the two years he suffered with traditional dentures.
“They fell out when I talked,” Mr. Panko, 56, a small-business owner in Woodridge, Ill., recalled. “I couldn’t taste my food — in fact, I could hardly chew. It was the most miserable time of my entire life.”
New York Times
MARK PANKO still gets riled when he recalls the two years he suffered with traditional dentures.
“They fell out when I talked,” Mr. Panko, 56, a small-business owner in Woodridge, Ill., recalled. “I couldn’t taste my food — in fact, I could hardly chew. It was the most miserable time of my entire life.”
Plus-Size Wars
By Gina Bellafante
New York Times
Earlier this year, the editors of V, a magazine so recherché it can make Vogue seem like Redbook, published an issue featuring large models in expensive body-baring clothes. In one photograph, a woman in a strapless bathing suit, cut to reveal three rolls of flesh, grabs at her platform stilettos. In another, Tara Lynn, a size 16 model, is clad in nothing but a pair of Dior sandals.
New York Times
Earlier this year, the editors of V, a magazine so recherché it can make Vogue seem like Redbook, published an issue featuring large models in expensive body-baring clothes. In one photograph, a woman in a strapless bathing suit, cut to reveal three rolls of flesh, grabs at her platform stilettos. In another, Tara Lynn, a size 16 model, is clad in nothing but a pair of Dior sandals.
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