Intelligence Folks Requested to Network More

A pretty simple idea - it is amazing how this wasn't already part of internal policy...

http://www.fas.org/irp/dni/icd/icd-205.pdf

Multilateral Trade Agreements

*Multilateral trade agreements concluded, 1947-1998: 12
*Multilateral trade agreements concluded, 1999-2008: 0

Fact: No Republican president has concluded a multilateral trade agreement since Dwight Eisenhower oversaw the Geneva II Round of the GATT in 1956.

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecid=900003&contentid=254705

Do Gas Prices Rise Faster Than They Fall?

"Analyses of gasoline economics show that when the price of oil rises, it takes up to four weeks for gas station prices to catch up, with most of the increase taking place within the first two weeks. But when oil prices sink, it takes up to eight weeks for the savings to be passed along to consumers. The phenomenon is known as 'asymmetric price adjustment' or, more informally, 'rockets and feathers.'"

Do Gas Prices Rise Faster Than They Fall?
by Martha White
http://www.slate.com/id/2196273/

Which Prices Are Falling?

http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2008/07/for-some-products-theres-been-major.html

Why Isn't Asian Music More Popular

Another from Marginal Revolution...

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/07/why-isnt-asian.html

Are Books Overwritten?

From Marginal Revolution...

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/07/are-books-overw.html

Question of the Day: Manufacturing

Does the US need a strong (or even a weak) manufacturing base to stay competitive?

More on US's manufacturing base:
http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=5078&type=0

Eel Drink

"A canned drink called 'Unagi Nobori,' or 'Surging Eel,' made by Japan Tobacco Inc., hit the nation's stores this month just ahead of Japan's annual eel-eating season."

http://www.kansascity.com/451/story/723235.html

Thought of the Day: "Banality of Evil"

"It describes the thesis that the great evils in history generally were not executed by fanatics or sociopaths but rather by ordinary people who accepted the premises of their state and therefore participated with the view that their actions were normal."

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

Map: The World According to The NYT

"Countries are color coded by the amount of times they are mentioned in the Times, per capita. Greenland, Iraq, New Zealand, Iceland, and Panama are disproportionally represented."

http://www.verysmallarray.com/?p=527

Most Popular Boat Names

Most popular boat names...

1. Orion
2. Zephyr
3. Stargazer
4. Free Spirit
5. TBD
6. Cheers
7. Mariah
8. Solitude
9. Sandpiper
10. Calypso
11. Banana Wind
12. MoonDance
13. PATRIOT
14. Mental Floss
15. valhalla

http://www.10000boatnames.com/index.htm

US Oil Imports & Top Oil Importers/Exporters

Chief suppliers of foreign oil to the US (in thousands of barrels per day; May 2008):

1. Canada: 1,840
2. Saudi Arabia: 1,579
3. Mexico: 1,116
4. Venezuela: 1,030
5. Nigeria: 851
6. Iraq: 583
7. Angola: 464
8. Algeria: 440
9. Brazil: 318
10. Kuwait: 263

http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/graphic/2008/07/26/GR2008072601572.gif

The Value of Life

How much is a human life worth? According to the government, it is worth several million dollars...

"Value of a Statisitcal Life" by Agency:

*Environmental Proection Agency (EPA) - $7.22 million
*Department of Transportation - $5.8 million
*Consumer Product Safety Commission - $5 million

Cosmic Markdown: EPA Says Life is Worth Less
by David Farenthold
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/18/AR2008071803235.html

NFL Player Position & IQ

"The closer you are to the ball, the higher your score."

http://benfry.com/writing/archives/147

75 Things to do Before a Man Dies

Good to give one some ideas, but the list overall is pretty weak...

http://www.esquire.com/features/75-things-0808

World's Most Expensive Cups of Coffee

http://www.forbes.com/2008/07/23/cities-coffee-expensive-forbeslife-cx_zg_0724expensivecoffee.html?partner=yahoobuzz

When Did the Dollar Become the Leading Int'l Currency?

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w14154

How Terrorist Say "Hello"

How Terrorists Say "Hello"
by Juliet Lapidos
http://www.slate.com/id/2195387/

On "Explorers Club"

A "secretive" travel club...

http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/07/14/the-explorers-club-travels-most-secret-society-revealed/

World's Most Expensive Places to Have Sex

...Ireland

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/offbeat-news/worlds-most-expensive-places-to-have-sex/1405

Interactive Map: Oil Spills

http://www.incidentnews.gov/map

Most Creative Homeless Sign Ever?

I wonder if this sign will get you more money than any other sign...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/24917549@N04/2415535734/

Pic: Transparent Canoe

This would be great for the Carribbean (if you're not scared of sharks)...

http://www.toxel.com/tech/2008/07/06/transparent-canoe/

Chart: Friends with Benefits

Amusing...

http://i30.tinypic.com/34j3rzm.jpg

Higher Gas Prices = Fewer Auto Deaths

"Today's high gas prices could reduce auto deaths by nearly a third as driving decreases, with the effect particularly dramatic among price-sensitive teenage drivers."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080711/ap_on_he_me/auto_deaths_gas_prices

How Wines Are Arranged in a Store

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/07/how-are-wines-a.html

Most Popular Baby Names

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20080708/sc_livescience/mostpopularbabynameschangedramatically

Splurging is Good For Your Health

"Over time, those who had indulged felt less and less guilty about their choices, whereas those who had been dutiful experienced a growing sense of having missed out on the pleasures of life.” (As the old saying goes, nobody dies saying “I wish I’d spent more time at the office.”)

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/07/07/splurging-is-good-for-your-health/?mod=yhoofront

CIA Tunneling

Cool story on the CIA's secret underground tunnel under Berlin...

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol-52-no-1/turning-a-cold-war-scheme-into-reality.html