Office Betting Pools: Bad for Your Health?

"Researchers from Arizona State University carried out four experiments involving about 850 students. They found that betting on the outcome actually reduced people's enjoyment of the event and could make them stressed."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080530/lf_nm_life/betting_pools_dc

Was Oral Sex Always Normal?

"Historically, fellatio or cunnilingus were perceived among heterosexual couples as not only more intimate than intercourse but also to be reserved for those who were married."

Open-Mouthed Wonder
by William Saletan
http://www.slate.com/id/2192477/

Quote of the Day

"The Dumbest people I know are those who know it all."

-Malcolm Forbes

Are We Really Happier on Fridays?

"New research shows that people's beliefs about being in a better mood at the end of the week than at the beginning is really just a bias in the way human memory works. In reality, people's moods do not change dramatically over the course of the week, and people are not vastly happier on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings than they are on Mondays."

When We Cook Up a Memory, Experience Is Just One Ingredient
by Shankar Vedantam
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/25/AR2008052502637.html

List of Global Gas Prices

When I added up the 60 country's on the list, I calculated that the average global price of gas is about $5.5/gallon. That means that we pay bargain prices in the US...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_usage_and_pricing

How Much Money is a Life Worth?

"In theory, a year of human life is priceless. In reality, it's worth $50,000. That's the international standard most private and government-run health insurance plans worldwide use to determine whether to cover a new medical procedure. More simply, insurance companies calculate that to make a treatment worth its cost, it must guarantee one year of 'quality life' for $50,000 or less. New research, however, would argue that that figure is far too low. Stanford economists have demonstrated that the average value of a year of quality human life is actually closer to about $129,000."

The Value of a Human Life: $129,000
by Kathleen Kingsbury
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1808049,00.html

Updated:

The government puts a dollar value on life: value of a statistical life (VSL):

Mining Safety and Health Administration: $9.1 million
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: $9.1 million
Federal Railroad Administration: $6.3 million
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration: $6.2 million
Consumer Product Safety Commission: $5.4 million
Food and Drug Administration: $3.5 million

http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-the-government-puts-a-dollar-value-on-life-1458911310

Fact of the Day: Military & Oil

"The military is the country's largest single consumer of oil. It consumes 340,000 barrels of oil a day, or 1.5% of all of the oil used in the country."

US Military Launches Alternative-Fuel Push
by Yochi Dreazen
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121134017363909773.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

Global Cursing

Some of these make American curses seem harmless...

http://www.cracked.com/article_16275_9-most-devastating-insults-from-around-world.html

42 Cool Business Card Designs

http://reencoded.com/2008/05/20/42-awesome-business-card-designs-with-links-to-100s-more/ (Some are the same as an earlier post.)

Can Money Buy Happiness?

"Money doesn't bring enduring happiness for countries, communities, or individuals, except perhaps when people start out in abject poverty. Why not? The answer has to do with what psychologists call 'adaptation.' Humans tend to adapt psychologically to their circumstances - including their monetary circumstances - and do so very quickly."

Can Money Buy Happiness?
by Arthur Brooks
http://www.american.com/archive/2008/may-june-magazine-contents/can-money-buy-happiness

Do Americans Think Too Big?

I am wondering why the US can't pass things such as comprehensive energy legislation, and comprehensive corporate tax legislation, among other things. Is it because American think too big? It seems that Americans always want a quick fix and large fix. But what if we first thought on a smaller scale?

Driving Hostility Index

The East Coast appears to be a hot-bed of anger and rage...People say that Washington, DC ranks so high on the scale because it is a "crossroads" town - meaning that it has a mix of many different ethnicities and also different regions of the US...

Hostility Index (from Prince Market Research):

Least Courteous Cities (Worst Road Rage) --
1. Miami
2. Boston
3. New York
4. Baltimore
5. Washington, DC
6. Atlanta
7. Los Angeles
8. Phoenix
9. Dallas and Tampa

Most Courteous Cities (Least Road Rage) --
1. Pittsburgh
2. Portland
3. Seattle
4. Minneapolis
5. Cleveland
6. Cincinnati
7. Sacremento
8. Chicago
9. San Diego
10. San Francisco

Drivers Still Among Rudest in US
by Jonathan Mummolo & Mark Berman
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/14/AR2008051402183.html?nav=emailpage

Why Smokers Are Happier When Cigarettes Cost More

"Where cigarette taxes rise, 'potential smokers' — the people whose age, class, income, and domestic circumstances suggest that they are likely to smoke — are happier. So when the tobacco industry raises prices, at least it may be spreading a little cheer."

The $20 Pack
by Tim Harford
http://www.slate.com/id/2191412/

Gasoline is Cheap

"When measured on an inflation-adjusted basis, the current price of gasoline is only slightly higher than it was in 1922. Gasoline is also a fairly minor expense when you consider the overall cost of car ownership. A Starbucks venti latte costs the equivalent of $23 per gallon, while Budweiser beer runs $11 per gallon."

Gasoline is Cheap
by Robert Bryce
http://www.slate.com/id/2191491/

If Your "One Child" Dies Will China Let You Have Another?

"Yes. Mothers are allowed to have a second child if the first one dies or—in many cases—if he or she has a major disability. In rural areas, parents are often allowed to have two children without penalties, especially if the first is a girl. Finally, parents who are both only children are frequently exempted from the one-child policy, as are China's ethnic minorities."

The Chinese Earthquake Roundup
by Jacob Leibenluft
http://www.slate.com/id/2191498/

Just-Released: World's Top Restaurants

Zagat's just released a brand-new guide covering all of the top restaurants in 58 markets worldwide, including Asia, Canada, Europe, as well as the United States.

http://www.zagat.com/

How Prada & Chanel Will Survive the "Recession"

1. Accessories like jewelry will be more present around stores (jewelry is apparently less susceptible to market fluctuations)
2. US buyers will cut back purchases from overseas design houses
3. There will be earlier and more aggressive sales
4. Retailers will provide a variety of lower-price options
5. Fashion will become more minimalist and austere

High Styles for Low Times
by Lesley Blume
http://www.slate.com/id/2191398/

How American Workers Slack Off

Learn about American procrastination rituals.

Procrasti-Nation
http://www.slate.com/id/2191403/

DOD Information Operations

A 2006 Department of Defense directive on Information Operations, which had previously been withheld as "For Official Use Only," was released last week in response to a Freedom of Information Act request from theFederation of American Scientists.

"The directive, issued by the Under Secretary of Defense (Intelligence),assigns baseline responsibilities for the conduct of informationoperations, an umbrella term that includes electronic warfare, computernetwork operations, psychological operations, military deception, andoperations security."

http://www.fas.org/irp/doddir/dod/info_ops.pdf

VP: What Branch of Government?

"The Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) at the Department of Justice has been pondering the peculiar status of the Office of Vice President fordecades, and has recently released a collection of more than a dozenOLC opinions regarding the Vice President, dating back to theEisenhower Administration."

http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/olc/index.html

Map: Scale of the American Economy

This is a map of the 2006 GDP of the top four non-US economies - China, Japan, Germany, and the UK - placed within an image of the US.

http://flickr.com/photos/22994175@N03/2205172655/sizes/l/

Young Me vs. Now Me - PICS

This is a pretty cool site. People post an old photo of themselves doing something (usually when they were very little) and then post a similar picture of themselves now. It is fun to try and look for patterns. Upon a quick glance, I noticed that fat babies usually stay fat and "nerdy-looking" kids usually remain nerdy-looking.

http://colorwar2008.com/submissions/youngnow?page=01

100 Must-Read Books: The Essential Man's Library

Another book list...

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/05/14/100-must-read-books-the-essential-mans-library/#more-183

What/Where is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?

"The SPR is stockpiled at four locations around the Gulf of Mexico, all within shouting distance of major refineries: Bryan Mound and Bill Hill in Texas, and West Hackberry and Bayou Choctaw in neighboring Louisiana. The oil is kept in subterranean salt caverns, where the temperature's just right to maintain the perfect amount of viscosity, and the air pressure prevents the creation of fissures that could cause leakage."

What - and Where - is the Strategic Petroleum Reserve?
by Brendan Koerner
http://www.slate.com/id/2191396/

Are YOU Having an Affair?

This is good news for MILF hunters...

"Well, if you're not, go to the playground and look around. One of the three married mommies innocently trailing their little tyke is cheating, according to a new 'Sex and the American Mom' survey conducted by Cookie magazine and AOL Body and apparently filled in by 30,000 women."

http://www.slate.com/blogs/blogs/xxfactor/archive/2008/05/13/are-you-having-an-affair.aspx

Stroganina & The "Inuit Paradox"

"Stroganina is a kind of Siberian sashima. It consists of long, thin, crisp shavings of frozen fish only with salt and pepper and traditionally served with vodka."

Where Home Cooking Gets the Cold Shoulder
by Andreas Viestad
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/13/AR2008051300583_pf.html

Rhum

"I've come to think of rum - with its many variations from all over the Caribbean and Latin America - as the most complicated and fascinating spirit in the liquor store. Rhum agricole may be the most complex of them all. All seven distilleries on Martinique are governed by an Appellation d'Origine Controlee (AOC) bestowed by the French government in 1996. Most rums are made from molasses, but rhum agricole must be produced from 100 percent fresh, pure sugar cane juice."

What the H? It's Remarkable Rum
by Jason Wilson
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/13/ST2008051302807.html

Can We Domesticate Germs?

Can we control the evolution of harmfulness? There appears to be hope...

Paul Ewald: Can We Domesticate Germs (TED Video)
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/259

The Amazing Intelligence of Crows

Crows are incredibly intelligent, but at the same time, we always want to kill or get rid of them. Joshua Klein argues that we should find mutually beneficial systems for these species - ways to interact that do not involve exterminating them. He says we could do things such as train them to pick up garbage after stadium events, find expensive components from discarded electronics, or do search and rescue...

It seems to me that this model can be applied to almost any aspect of humanity. In other words, humans can (and should) try to take things that are considered bad and use them to our benefit. One example is the prison system. Instead of having prisoners rot in jail, have them create things that they can sell. Have them write poetry and create art that teaches a lesson.

Joshua Klein: The Amazing Intelligence of Crows (TED Video)
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/261

Why Don't We Hear More About the World?

It appears that the reason is largely economic. News networks have reduced foreign bureaus by half as their budgets have been slashed. Thus, covering Brittany Spears in cheaper than covering what's happening in Indonesia or Zimbabwe. In addition, local TV news (where most Americans get their news) only dedicates 12% of its coverage to international news.

Alisa Miller: Why We Know Less Than Ever About the World (TED Video)
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/248

Is a Hybrid Cost Effective?

In sum, not really. They will save money on gas but the demand for hybrids is making the cost of them go up. Tax incentives and carpool-lane stickers have also disappeared, making hybrids even less attractive...Basically, it will take several years to balance out the fuel savings with the higher hybrid costs. But as fuel prices go higher, the shorter the payoff time becomes...

http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/v/7806285

Graph: Global Distribution of the World's Water

Nice breakdown...

http://www.unep.org/geo/geo4/media/graphics/Zoom/4.1.jpg

Which Hedge Fund to Work For?

If I could choose one I would probably chose AdulstVest Inc.

http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/PRNEWS.20080508.LATH161/GIStory

Tracking Prediction Markets

A new site on prediction markets:

http://www.marketsforforecasting.com/

How Slacking Off is Good for the Economy

"Americans can invest in pretty much everything today—from Kenyan stocks to political futures—but it's not yet possible to invest in procrastination. You can, however, buy shares in companies whose products and services encourage, abet, and enable time-wasting and delays. It may even be a good investment: Recent research suggests that procrastination is on the rise—30 years ago, just 5 percent of Americans were self-described 'chronic procrastinators'; today that number is up to 26 percent."

Lazy Money
by Daniel Gross
http://www.slate.com/id/2191242/

Who Happier - Older or Younger?

"The happiest Americans are the oldest, and older adults are more socially active than the stereotype of the lonely senior suggests. In general, the odds of being happy increased 5 percent with every 10 years of age."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/05/12/older.happier.ap/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

Japan's 40 Richest

This is a just-released list of Japan's 40 richest people according to Forbes magazine.

Japan's 40 Richest
by Kiyoe Minami
http://www.forbes.com/2008/05/07/japan-wealth-technology-cz-km-lk-japanrichest08_0507lander.html?partner=globalnews_newsletter

Spies for Hire

"In Spies for Hire, investigative reporter Tim Shorrock lifts the veil off a major story the government doesn't want us to know about -- the massive outsourcing of top secret intelligence activities to private-sector contractors."

http://www.simonsays.com/content/book.cfm?tab=1&pid=616280

A Public Choice Theory of Chinese Food

"Why did Chinese immigrants to America start so many restaurants? Because Chinese cuisine is glorious, right? Well, no. Chinese immigrants started a lot of laundries, too, and there is nothing wonderful about Chinese ways of washing clothes. As Jennifer Lee explains in this excellent talk, the first Chinese immigrants were laborers. They were taking jobs away from American men, and this caused problems. Restaurants and laundries were much safer immigrant jobs because cooking and cleaning were women’s work."

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/05/a-public-choice.html

TV Ownership Good for Well-Being?

A new Gallup survey suggests that owning a TV may impact your well-being for the better.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/105850/Ownership-May-Good-WellBeing.aspx

The Top 100 Public Intellectuals

Foreign Policy magazine is now accepting votes for the top 100 public intellectuals...

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4262

Top 5 Experiments That Prove Humanity is Doomed

http://www.cracked.com/article_16239_5-psychological-experiments-that-prove-humanity-doomed.html

Onyx Countertops

I've never been obsessed with countertops until I saw this 1,900lb. onyx countertop illuminated with 1,600 LED lights.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_kitchen/article/0,1793,HGTV_3375_5782239_04,00.html

Top Business Leaders

The WSJ rankings are out for the most influential business thinkers:

1. Gary Hamel
2. Thomas Friedman
3. Bill Gates
4. Malcolm Gladwell
5. Philip Kotler
6. Robert Reich
7. Daniel Goleman
8. Henry Mintzberg
9. Stephen Covey
10. Jeffrey Pfeffer
10. Peter Senge
11. Richard Branson
12. Michael Porter
13. Michael Dell
14. Geert Hofstede
15. Clayton Christensen
16. Jack Welch
17. Tom Peters
18. Myron Scholes
18. Ikujiro Nonaka

New Breed of Business Gurus Rises
by Erin White
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120994594229666315.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

Think Tanks: RAND

On RAND Corporation...

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174925/chalmers_johnson_teaching_imperialism_101

Ranking the World's Universities

I've always wondered how one compares the world's universities. Well, Shanghai Jiao Tong University ranks the world's universities and is often cited as a "prominent" source...

1. Harvard
2. Stanford
3. UC Berkeley
4. Cambridge
5. MIT
6. California Inst. Tech.
7. Columbia
8. Princeton
9. U. of Chicago
10. Oxford

http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2007/ranking2007.htm

Gini Index of Inequality

"The problem is that Gini index alone does not yield enough information to indicate what proportion of a country's people are poor—even if we know the country's total income. A measure omitting that crucial concept doesn't get to what people really mean when they talk about inequality. Take it out, and most of the rhetoric about inequality loses its soul."

Is India More Equal Than the US?
by Mark Gimein
http://www.slate.com/id/2190375

Do Text Messages Live Forever?

The short answer is that they do, but it takes a lot of time and money to retrieve them...

Do Text Messages Live Forever
by Jacob Leibenluft
http://www.slate.com/id/2190382/

Video: The Democratic Race in 7 Minutes

This is why the US needs a time limit on campaigning...

http://slatev.com/player.html?id=1531283112

Life In a Dungeon: Harmful?

This Slate article discusses the health implications of being confined to a windowless room. Despite what many think, it appears that living in one is not all that bad. I imagine that the mental impact, however, is greater than the physical impact...

Life in an Austrian Dungeon
by Juliet Lapidos
http://www.slate.com/id/2190211/

Fact of the Day: Death

The PPI report says that traffic accidents are astonishingly deadly - which they are - but it does not highlight the fact that heart disease caused 16.7 million deaths, and cancers caused 13.7 million deaths during the same time period...

Worldwide Causes of Death (from World Health Organization; 2002):

*Infectious diseases - 10.9 million
-HIV Aids - 2.8 million
-Tuberculosis - 1.6 million
-Malaria - 1.3 million
-Measles - 0.6 million
*Traffic Accidents - 1.2 million
*Murders - 0.6 million
*Malnutrition - 0.5 million
*Wars - 0.2 million

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecID=900003&contentID=254624

At What Price Would You Part With Art?

If you had a peice of art you liked and wanted to keep, at what price would you sell it for? To answer this question, I would look at the opportunity cost. If one didn't need to sell the art to survive (i.e., pay for food/rent, etc...), I would only sell the peice if the price I got was enough for me to be able to afford another peice of art (comparable or better) that I wanted. If funds are unlimited, the equation changes a bit. In that case, if one really liked a peice of art he/she had and someone made an offer for it, the price offered (no matter what it was) would mean almost nothing. Then, maybe space/quality becomes an issue. If one wanted to put all his/her art in one house, there likely would be finite space, and thus, one would eventually have to get rid of art or risk it not being on display (i.e., putting it is storage). This is what many museums do... Presumably, ones tastes would adapt (improve?) over time and getting rid of art may be easier...