2009 Food Trend Predictions

My favorite is "Peruvian is the new Thai." I assume that pisco sours are really going to take off...

1. "Value" is the new "Sustainable"
2. The Compost Pile is the new Flower Garden
3. Peruvian is the new Thai
4. Noodle Bars are the new Sushi Joints
5. Ginger is the new Mint
6. Smoking is the new Frying
7. Regional Roasters are the new Starbucks
8. Portland (Maine) is the new Portland (Oregon)
9. Rustic Food is the new Molecular Gastronomy
10. "Top-Rated" is the new "Critic's Pick"

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/12/epicurious-pred.html

Banned Words List

Which word/phrase do you hate the most?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081230/ap_on_re_us/banned_words

The 2009 List from Lake Superior State University (LSSU)
http://www.lssu.edu/banished/current.php

What Causes Harm

1. Belief on the part of individuals or groups (or tribes or states or nations or churches) that he or she or they are in sole possession of the truth: especially about how to live, what to be and do - and that those who differ from them are not merely mistaken, but wicked or mad: and need restraining or suppressing.

2. Stereotypes

3. Nationalism

Notes on Prejudice
by Isaiah Berlin
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/article-preview?article_id=14625

Fact of the Day: English in Europe

"13% of EU citizens speak English as their native language. Another 38% of EU citizens state that they have sufficient skills in English to have a conversation."

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

The Me Millennium

Is everything about "me"?

Self-Portrait
by Jesse Gordon and Knickerbocker
http://partners.nytimes.com/library/magazine/millennium/m5/endpaper.html

The "How-to Book of Terrorism"

"In the year since the September 11 attacks, few more chilling documents have emerged than 'Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants,' a how-to terrorism manual that investigators believe has been used by followers of Osama bin Laden.

"Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants"
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/jihadmanual.html

What Will I Die From?

Basically, we have more than a 50% of dying from either cancer or heart disease.

*heart disease (30.3% of deaths)
*cancer (23.0%)
*cerebrovascular diseases including stroke (7.0%),
*chronic lower respiratory diseases (5.2%),
*accidents (4.1%),
*diabetes (2.9%),
*Alzheimer's (1.9%),
*kidney diseases (1.5%),
*septicemia (1.3%),
*all other causes (20.2%) [CDC NVSR 2001].

http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/death/what.htm

The Meaning of America

"All in all, Punkin Chunkin is a symbol of what makes America great. Only in the richest country on Earth could regular guys spend thousands of dollars building a pumpkin gun. Only in a nation with such a fine tradition of inventiveness, ot to mention martial prowess, would so many choose to. And only in a land of wide open spaces would they be able to practise their chunkin without killing their neighbors."

http://www.economist.com/world/unitedstates/displaystory.cfm?story_id=5139909

NatyGeos "Greendex" Scores

See how environmentally friendly you and your country are:

http://event.nationalgeographic.com/greendex/

Finance vs. Economics

What is the difference? These days, I think they are often used interchangeably.

"In finance, you focus on the time value of money. In economics, you focus on the money value of time."

http://thinkingonthemargin.blogspot.com/2007/04/finance-vs-economics.html

Americans' Favorite Sport to Watch

Since the poll was done in December (i.e., when football season is going strong), I wonder if that has any impact on the figures...

Gallup Poll (Dec. 4-7, 2008)

1. Football: 41%
2. Baseball: 10%
3. Basketball: 9%
4. Ice hockey: 4%
5. Soccer: 3%
6. Auto racing: 3%
7. Golf: 2%
8. Boxing: 2%

http://www.gallup.com/poll/113503/Football-Remains-Runaway-Leader-Favorite-Sport.aspx

Video Stores vs. Online Rentals: Which = Greener?

"Renting a DVD by mail is probably a greener choice than going to your local video store."

Video Stores vs. Online Rentals
by Jacob Leibenluft
http://www.slate.com/id/2196651/

Why do Celebrities Crash so Many Cars?

"Mere logistics explain a lot. Most celebrities live in Southern California, a region that has brought us everything from drive-in churches to drive-up voting, and they naturally spend an inordinate amount of time in their cars. Research has shown that the more miles one travels, the higher one's 'exposure' to risk becomes. There are simply more chances to get into trouble."

Oops! She Crashed Again
by Tom Vanderbilt
http://www.slate.com/id/2206100/

On Prosecco

"With consumers in an economizing mood this holiday season, prosecco is an increasingly popular alternative to Champagne, which has been soaring in price. But prosecco is also encountering some growing pains. From its traditional home in northern Italy, it is now waging a war against outsiders, just as Champagne, its more elite cousin in France, has done for so many years. A host of producers elsewhere in Italy and as far away as Brazil are trying to cash in on the drink’s newfound popularity. Because prosecco is the name of a grape, like chardonnay or cabernet, anyone can use the name."

Italian Makers of Prosecco Seek Recognition
by Amy Cortese
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/28/business/worldbusiness/28prosecco.html?em

Update on the Milgram Shock Experiment

Humans are still as evil as before...

"Much has changed since 1963. The civil rights and antiwar movements taught Americans to question authority. Institutions that were once accorded great deference — including the government and the military — are now eyed warily. Yet it appears that ordinary Americans are about as willing to blindly follow orders to inflict pain on an innocent stranger as they were four decades ago."

Four Decades After Milgram, We're Still Willing to Inflict Pain
by Adam Cohen
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/29/opinion/29mon3.html?em

New Intelligent Toilet II

"Toto and Daiwa Housing are teaming up once more to offer a sequel to their infamous 2005 'Intelligence Toilet.' The new 'II' is equipped with all of the original health monitoring features (urine sugar analysis, blood pressure check, BMI and body weight measurement), plus an additional function designed to appeal to women: urine temperature measurement and analysis."

http://www.cscoutjapan.com/en/index.php/new-intelligence-toilet-ii-targets-women/

One Year in 40 Seconds

A neat little video...

http://vimeo.com/2639782?pg=embed&sec=2639782

IDF Launches Youtube Gaza Channel

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) started their own YouTube channel...

http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk

10 Outrageous Claims 2009

From Saxo Bank:

1. Iranian Revolution
2. Crude Oil to $25
3. S&P 500 to 500
4. Italy Could Drop the Euro
5. Australian Dollar to Slump vs Yen
6. Dollar to Outstrip the Euro
7. Chinese GDP Growth to 0%
8. Eastern European Forex Pegs to Fail
9. Commodities Prices to Plunge
10. Yen to Become Currency Peg

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/106331/No-Growth-in-China-and-Other-Outrageous-Prophecies

Are Online Social Networks Too Big?

"Now, people who have accumulated hundreds, or in some cases more than a thousand, friends are cutting loose some of the ones they have lost touch with or who were little more than acquaintances from the start. It's a shift from the days when users, eager to boast about their online popularity, added new friends with abandon, whether or not they really knew them."

OMG, We're Not BFFs Anymore? Getting 'Unfriended' Online Stings
by Jessica Vascellaro
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123007984542431845.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

The "R-Word Index"

"The Economist's informal R-word index is also sounding alarms. Our gauge counts how many stories in the Washington Post and the New York Times use the word 'recession' in a quarter. This simple formula pinpointed the start of recession in 1981 and 1990 and 2001. In the past few years the R-word index has been extremely low. It began to rise in the second half of 2007 and, measured at a quarterly rate, has soared in early 2008."

http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10498907

Why Ohio Makes the Best Coaches

Less than 4% of the country's population lives in Ohio, but 15% of college football's major conference head coaches were born there - the most for any state. Why?

"The state's passion for football is fed by a history of tough, lunchbucket labor in mining, manufacturing and steelmaking. Ohio has one of the highest percentages of native-born residents of any state, which helps its interest in football regenerate itself through generations. Ohio is the seventh-largest state but has the third-most high school football players.
But what really separates Ohio from other states is an uncommonly high number of decent college football programs."

Why Ohio Makes the Best Coaches
by Darren Everson
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123017289813533693.html?mod=todays_us_weekend_journal

The Sashimi Challenge

Is the fish at Bar Masa truly worth its sky-high prices?

The Sashimi Challenge
by Raymond Sakolov
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123032887725836031.html?mod=todays_us_weekend_journal

Igor Panarin's "End of US" Map

Isn't Russia in worse shape than the US?

California will form the nucleus of what he calls "The Californian Republic," and will be part of China or under Chinese influence. Texas will be the heart of "The Texas Republic," a cluster of states that will go to Mexico or fall under Mexican influence. Washington, D.C., and New York will be part of an "Atlantic America" that may join the European Union. Canada will grab a group of Northern states Prof. Panarin calls "The Central North American Republic." Hawaii, he suggests, will be a protectorate of Japan or China, and Alaska will be subsumed into Russia.

As if Things Weren't Bad Enough, Russian Professor Predicts End of US
by Andrew Osborn
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051100709638419.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

Photographs of Photographers

Photographers are a wild bunch...

http://35mm.instantfundas.com/2008/12/photographs-of-photographers.html

Mileage Tax vs. Gas Tax

A GPS-based system kept track of the in-state mileage driven by the volunteers. When they bought fuel, a device in their vehicles was read, and they paid 1.2 cents a mile and got a refund of the state gas tax of 24 cents a gallon. As Oregonians drive less and demand more fuel-efficient vehicles, it is increasingly important that the state find a new way, other than the gas tax, to finance our transportation system.”

Kulongoski to Pursue Mileage Tax
by Hasso Hering
http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2008/12/28/news/local/1aaa02_road.txt

Virginity Pledges = Meaningless?

"Teens who take virginity pledges are just as likely to have sex as teens who don't make such promises -- and they're less likely to practice safe sex to prevent disease or pregnancy, a new study finds. The study also found that, five years after taking a virginity pledge, more than 80 percent of pledgers denied ever making such a promise. This high rate of disaffiliation may imply that nearly all virginity pledgers view pledges as nonbinding, Rosenbaum said."

Many Teens Don't Keep Virginity Pledges
by Steven Reinberg
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20081229/hl_hsn/manyteensdontkeepvirginitypledges

Natural Disasters Kill 220,000 in 2008

It just goes to show that comparitively speaking, war these days isn't too bad...

"Natural disasters killed over 220,000 people in 2008, making it one of the most devastating years on record."

Natural Disasters Killed Over 220,000 in 2008
by Simon Sturdee
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20081229/sc_afp/climatewarmingdisaster

Top-Rated War Movies

From Yahoo...

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/collections/gallery/1344/yahoo-users-toprated-war-movies/fp#photo0

Adult FriendFinder to go Public

"Little known Russian investment bank Renaissance Capital is representing them in the deal. The company hopes to raise $460 million in the IPO."

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/12/23/adult-friendfinder-files-to-go-public/

On Slaves

"There are now more slaves on the planet than at any time in human history."

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=4173

Cool Maps

Some real cool NY/Tokyo maps...

http://www.zeroperzero.com/

CNBC's '09 Predictions

Predictions '09:

Here is one of the sports predictions --

"More sports teams will be put up for sale in 2009 than any year in the last two decades."

http://www.cnbc.com/id/27873565?__source=vtypredictions&par=vty

2009 Financial Forecasts

I highly disagree with #9 - that market timing will beat buy-and-hold. The latter is a long-term strategy and takes time/patience to see results, and thus, people don't like it. Market timing is rarely consistent over the long-run...

1. Infrastructure spending plans will bog down in Congress
2. The unemployment rate will approach 10%
3. Weak second-quarter earnings will dash hopes
4. Synchronized swoon will become an Olympic event
5. Markets will reach lower lows
6. Chinese growth will slow to 0% - 4% range, or worse
7. Russian, Persian Gulf, and Japanese investors won't bail out the US
8. Treasurys will trump corporate debt
9. Market timing will beat buy-and-hold
10. Investors will seek low-risk growth

Financial Forecasts: 11 Bets for '09
by Jon Markan
http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/SuperModels/financial-forecast-11-bets-for-09.aspx

10 Things That Won't Survive the Recession

Survival of the fittest at its best...which one will you miss the most?

1. Free tech support
2. Wi-fi you have to pay for
3. Landline phones
4. Movie rental stores
5. Web 2.0 companies without a business plan
6. Most companies in Silicon Valley
7. Palm Inc.
8. Yahoo
9. Half of all retail stores
10. Satellite radio

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/12/23/10_things_that_wont_survive_the_recession_1.html

International Orgasm Day Devastation

"After weeks of preparations for the largest sex event of its kind in Israel, organizers were forced to cancel it this week due to public pressure and threats exerted on the owner of the venue where the sex fest was to take place. The event in question, which was scheduled to take place on 'International Orgasm Day,' aimed to bring together some 250 participants seeking to promote world peace through multiple orgasms reached by masturbation or sex. The orgy was organized by the Raelian movement, a UFO religion whose followers believe humankind was created by aliens."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3642845,00.html

The Arab Lobby

Everyone talks about the "Jewish lobby" but few talk about the Arab lobby...

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

Are Carbon Offsets Worth It?

"Carbon offsets make sense only if they really do prevent greenhouse-gas emissions. As this Government Accountability Office report points out, a carbon-offset program is likely to be worthless unless it fulfills several requirements. First, it must be real and quantifiable, in the sense that a consumer should be able to figure out by exactly how much the program reduces (or otherwise mitigates) emissions. For example, it's not enough to say that growing a tree will sequester carbon—we need to know how many tons of CO2 are offset per dollar spent on a project. Second, the reduction or mitigation must be permanent and sustainable. Offsets that pay for underground carbon storage may become worthless if the gas can't be stowed there indefinitely. Last—and perhaps most crucially—the program's efforts must spur new, useful activity that never would have happened without your money."

Are Carbon Offsets Worth It?
by Jacob Leibenluft
http://www.slate.com/id/2207324/

Sushi Poisoning Update

"A restaurant industry group is challenging Jeremy Piven's claim of sushi-induced mercury poisoning as his reason for abruptly leaving Broadway's 'Speed-the-Plow.' The DC-based Center for Consumer Freedom maintained that he would have to eat 3.4 pounds of tuna - or 108 pieces of tuna sushi roll - a week for life before suffering ill effects of mercury."

-12/23/08 WPost

US Lobster Facts

Fact: Maine catches 80% of American lobsters.

"Most lobsters are caught in Maine, where about 7,300 registered lobstermen and lobsterwomen trap about 32,000 tons a year in 3 million authorized cages. (Massachusetts accounts for most of the remaining tonnage, with smaller industries operating off Rhode Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey...The big market is Canada, which buys more than half of Maine's annual lobster catch."

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecID=900003&contentID=254857

The Hidden Travels of the Atomic Bomb

A very interesting article and an excellent map (titled "A Chain Reaction of Proliferation")...

"The book says that China opened its sprawling desert test site to Pakistan, letting its client test a first bomb there on May 26, 1990. That alone rewrites atomic history. In another disclosure, the book says China secretly extended the hospitality of the Lop Nur nulcear test site to the French."

The Hidden Travel of the Bomb
by William Broad
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/science/09bomb.html

Drowning in Data

This NYTimes article discusses some of the new technology that can be used to track/control information flow/news. Several new names mentioned include: NewzNozzl, BuzzFeed, ReadBurner, RSSMeme, and LinkRiver.

Staying Informed Without Drowning in Data
by Jenna Wortham
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/18/technology/personaltech/18basics.html?em

North Dakota: Recession-Proof?

"North Dakota's cheery circumstances can be explained by an odd collection of factors: A recent surge in oil production that catapulted the state to fifth-largest producer in the nation; a mostly strong year for farmers (agriculture is the states biggest business); and a conservative, steady, never-fancy culture that has nurtured fewer sudden booms of wealth like those see elsewhere."

A Placid North Dakota Asks, Recession? What Recession?
by Monica Davey
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/us/06dakota.html

Fact of the Day: Transnational Companies

The number of transnational companies grows by 2,500 a year.

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?contentID=254841&knlgAreaID=108&subsecID=127&FREM=Y&sid=1&mid=27921

Futurist Top Ten for 2009

The Futurist Magazine's Annual Outlook Report: 2009

1. Everything you say and do will be recorded by 2030

2. Bioviolence will become a greater threat as the technology becomes more accessible. Emerging scientific disciplines (notably genomics, nanotechnology, and other microsciences) could pave the way for a bioattack.

3. The car’s days as king of the road may soon be over.

4. Careers, and the college majors for preparing for them, are becoming more specialized.

5. There may not be world law in the foreseeable future, but the world’s legal systems will be networked.

6. Professional knowledge will become obsolete almost as quickly as it’s acquired. An individual’s professional knowledge is becoming outdated at a much faster rate than ever before.

7. The race for biomedical and genetic enhancement will-in the twenty-first century-be what the space race was in the previous century.

8. Urbanization will hit 60% by 2030.

9. The Middle East will become more secular while religious influence in China will grow.

10. Access to electricity will reach 83% of the world by 2030.

http://www.wfs.org/Sept-Oct08/Nov-Dec%20FUTURIST/topTen.htm

Fact of the Week: Hajj

Hajj is the largest annual event in the world...

*Piligrims attending Hajj in 2008: 2.9 million

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecid=900003&contentid=254853

Brookings Report on Making DC The World's Best City

http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2008/1218_dc_revitalization_garrison_rivlin.aspx?emc=lm&m=220815&l=1&v=733624

Bogle's Bond Rule

From John Bogle, founder of the Vanguard Group...

"Well, I have followed what I refer to modestly as 'Bogle's Rule' … at a certain stage in life, probably fairly early, your bond position should equal your age."

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/12/22/jack-bogle-on-warren-buffett-and-beating-the-marke.aspx

China Wine Boom?

"In May, Berry Brothers & Rudd, England's oldest independent wine merchant, dropped an oenological bombshell. In its 'Future of Wine Report,' it predicted that in 50 years, China would be the world's leading wine producer. Don't laugh just yet. China is already the world's sixth-largest producer, with some 400 wineries. And it has been making grape-based wine for at least 2,000 years."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-section4B-t-005.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

The Stock Transfer Tax

"Want to prevent bouts of speculative mania like those that sparked the current financial crisis? Here's a simple but effective cure: impose a small tax on the sale or transfer of stocks, bonds, derivatives and other securities, thereby encouraging people to buy and hold rather than to engage in the frenetic transactions typical of the speculative bubble."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-section4-t-005.html

Spray-On Condoms

"The idea for the spray-on condom came to Krause in a car wash, where he realized he could make a tube into which an erect penis could be inserted and then sprayed with liquid latex from all sides to create a perfectly fit condom."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-section4-t-003.html

Fact of the Day: Junk Mail

*Americans get an average of 18 peices of junk mail for every personal letter.

*Paper spam eats up an estimated 100 million trees each year.

*44% of junk mail ends up - unopened - in landfills.

*Direct mail yields an estimated $646 billion a year in sales

*Several services are trying to get rid of junk mail: Do Not Mail campaign, CatalogChoice.org, GreenDimes.com, and ProQuo.com

De-Cluttering Your Mailbox
by Jeremy Caplan
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1864428,00.html

The Quinn Solution

"He proposes that the US set up a government-sponsored corporation like Fannie Mae that would accept any and all securities backed by mortgages and real estate in the US. Anyone unloading securities into the poll would in return receive shares of stock in the new corporation - shares that would have the same face value as teh inflated book value of the securities. Stockholders would then be entitled to their shares of the revenue from the mortgages in the pool, paid out in quarterly dividends. Once the mortgage-backed securities have been replaced with a single, homogeneous security, those shares could be bought and sold."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14ideas-section3-t-006.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

The National 10% Off Sale

"After rebate checks arrived in the mail in the spring as part of the economic stimulus package, US taxpayers unexpectedly saved much of the money rather than spending it...rather than send checks in the mail, the federal government would promise each state government a lump sum equal to 10 percent of the total money spent on consumer goods within the state over the previous six months. In return, each state would agree to institute a 10 percent off sale throught stores within its jurisdiction. This would be done by eliminiating the state sales tax as well as imposing a negative tax to bring the total sale to 10 percent."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-Section2-C-t-010.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Goalkepper Science

What's the best way to stop a penalty kick? Do nothing: just stand in the center of the goal and don't move. That is the surprising conclusion of 'Action Bias Among Elite Soccer Goalkeepers: The Case of the Penalty Kick,' a paper published by a team of Israeli scientists in the Journal of Economic Psychology. If that's true, why do goalies almost always dive off to one side? Because, the academics theorized, the goalies are afraid of looking as if they're doing nothing - and then missing the ball...He suspects the behavior erupts during financial crisis too...the same goes, of course, for presidents and politicians."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-Section2-B-t-008.html

Genopolitics

"This year two political scientists published studies claiming that in addition to environment, genes may be a primary influence on political engagement...two specific genes, claim Fowler and Dawes - both known for their role in regulating serotonin - are associated with voting."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-Section2-B-t-007.html

MPG to GPM

"Inspired by debates they had while carpooling in a hybrid car, management professors Richard Larrick and Jack Soll ran a series of experiments showing that the current standard, miles per gallon or mpg, leads consumers to believe that fuel consumption is reduced at an even rate as efficiency improves. People presented with a series of car choices in which fuel efficiency was defined in miles per gallon were not able to easily identify the choice that would result in the greatest gains in fuel efficiency. For example, most people ranked an improvement from 34 to 50 mpg as saving more gas over 10,000 miles than an improvement from 18 to 28 mpg, even though the latter saves twice as much gas. (Going from 34 to 50 mpg saves 94 gallons; but from 18 to 28 mpg saves 198 gallons)."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080619142118.htm

Better for the Economy: Dems or Repubs?

"Between 1948 and 2005, real income rose more under Democratic presidents than under Republicans. And yet Republicans benefitd from a curious election-year pattern. For Republican presidents, the economy was typically sluggish during the second and third years of their terms, but strong in the fourth years, while for Democrats it was the opposite. When Republicans take office, they worry about inflation first and slow the economy in order to deal with it; the economy then bounces back toward the latter part of the term. Democrats typically prioritize the creation of jobs, and then, worried about inflation toward the end of the term, slam on the brakes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14Ideas-Section2-B-t-004.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

The Bus-Wait Formula

Should you wait for the bus or just walk there?

"You should probably wait - and whatever you do, don't second-guess yourself. Buses, after all, are usually punctual and move much faster than you."

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/14/magazine/14ideas-section01-t-008.html

Infinite Bubble Wrap Popping

"Japan's Bondai Company invented the Mugen Puchi Puchi, a battery-powered key-chain with a panel of eight push buttons designed to simulate bubble-packaging destructions. Since the key chain's buttons rebound, users can vent their frustration endlessly."

http://www.gadgetmadness.com/archives/20070921-bandai_mugen_puti_puti_infinite_bubble_wrap_toy.php

Vertical Farming

This could be the wave of the future...

"Valcent uses hydroponic greenhouse methods to grow upward rather than out. The results saves space - vital in urban areas - and allows farmers to irrigate and fertilize with far less waste."

Vertical Farming
by Bryan Walsh
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1865974,00.html

Favorite Word on 2008

"Pregorexia" - Obsession with staying thin by a pregnant women

My runner up word woulod be "frugalista" - a person who is frugal but fashionable (which basically has the same meaning as "recessionista.")

Aimless in Afghanistan

Klein is exactly correct.

"The war in Afghanistan - the war that President-elect Barack Obama pledged to fight and win - has become an aimless abusurdity...the enemy escaped into Pakistan and for the past seven years, Afghanistan has been a slow bleed against an array of mostly indigenous narco-jihadi-tribal guerilla forces that we continue to call the Taliban...once bin Laden slipped away, the mission morphed into a vast, messy nation-building effort to support the allegedly democratic Karzai government...But the mission was historically implausible: Afghanistan has never had a strong central government. It has been governed for thousands of years by local and regional tribal coaltions...a good part of the current Taliban uprising in nothing more than standard tribal rivalries juiced by Western arms and opium profits...the far more serious problem is Pakistan, a flimsy state with illogical borders, nuclear weapons and a mortal relgious enmity toward India."

The Aimless War
by Joe Klein
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1865730,00.html

Wine Funds Becoming Popular

"Investors buy shares backed by actual bottles, getting an asset group whose fotunes are not closely tied to credit markets."

More Investors Pour Into Wine Funds
by Adria Cimino
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/20/AR2008122000122.html?nav=rss_business/industries

Does Sushi Kill?

Mercury poisining appears to be over-hyped. Fortunately, some people may be scared of mercury poisining and swear off eating so much fish. Thus, sushi prices should decline!

The Times' Fish Story
by Jack Shafer
http://www.slate.com/id/2182823/

Question of the Day: Cold Temps.

Why isn't the darkest month of the year also the coldest?
by Sophie Gilbert
http://www.slate.com/id/2207210/

Most Promiscuous Countries

Based on OECD countries with populations over 10 million... so don't forget that Eastern Europe and Baltic countries are generally much more promiscuous than these big developed OECD countries.

"The study was conducted by asking more than 14,000 people in 48 countries to fill in anonymous questionnaires. Respondents were asked about numbers of partners and one-night stands, and their attitudes were assessed by asking them how many people they expected to sleep with over the next five years and how comfortable they were with the idea of casual sex."

1. UK
2. Germany
3. Netherlands
4. Czech Republic
5. Australia
6. USA
7. France
8. Turkey
9. Mexico
10. Canada
11. Italy
12. Poland
13. Spain
14. Greece
15. Portugal

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/relationships/article5257166.ece

Ranking the Returns of an MBA

Inside the article is a link where you can find out which is the best MBA bang for the buck...

Ranking the Returns on Executive MBAs
by Alina Dizik
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122886992617993259.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal

Italy's Cheese Bailout

"The world is bailing out banks and car companies. Italy is coming to the rescue of parmigiano cheese. In an effort to help producers of the cheese commonly grated over spaghetti, fettuccine and other pastas, the Italian government is buying 100,000 wheels of Parmigiano Reggiano and donating them to charity."

Hard Times for Parmigiano Makers Have Italy Ponying Up on Cheddar
by David Berretta
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122877565358989333.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

REVA

Just saw one of these in downtown DC - wow! This makes the Smart Car look like an SUV...

http://www.revaindia.com/

Safest & Most Dangerous Cities

Most Dangerous:

1. Detroit, MI
2. Baltimore, MD
3. Memphis, TN
4. Washington, DC
5. Philadelphia, PA

http://www.morganquitno.com/cit07pop.htm#25

Unanswered Questions From 2008

Some very interesting ones...

Several of my favorites:

*Why does some music make you want to shake your butt?

*Why don't humans have a mating season?

*How did early man deal with growing toe and fingernails?

*If someone with DNA from the Stone Age were born today, would they be normal?

*If there is so much oil in the Middle East, could one missile (such as the ones used to penetrate bunkers and caves) explode deep underground and hypothetically blow up a few countries?

*How can personal coaches justify coaching athletes who are much better than they ever were? If they know so much about how to win, why aren't they competing?

*I live in Chicago, where taxi drivers are constantly talking on their phones. To whom are they talking?

http://www.slate.com/id/2206835/

How to Punish a Ponzi Schemer

I completely disagree with the statement below. Essentially, Madoff is a killer because many of his victims likely will become extremely depressed and may even commit suicide. The greater the monetary crime, the greater the punishment...

"Sure, these men destroyed enormous shareholder value, just as the targets of today's criminal cases allegedly did. But it's hard to contend that they deserved prison terms longer than the average sentence for murder (22 years), kidnapping (14), and sexual abuse (eight)."

Madoff Mercy
by Harold Protass
http://www.slate.com/id/2206967/

Competition of Religions

"The researchers also analyze the holiday money trail, using county-by-county data on 'Jewish Products' expenditures made at a large supermarket chain. In counties where Jews are more outnumbered by Christians—and hence exposed to greater Christmas spending pressures—there is a bigger jump in purchases of Jewish products in December compared with more-Jewish areas, presumably as a result of increased sales of candles, latkes, and other Hanukkah paraphernalia. Jewish expenditures also spike during springtime Passover celebrations, when Jewish shoppers stock up on matzo and kosher wine. But the percentage increase in sales isn't any bigger in Christian-dominated counties than in less Christian counties, again suggesting that Hanukkah celebration correlates with competition from Christmas."

The Invisible Hand of God
by Ray Fisman
http://www.slate.com/id/2206116/pagenum/2

Does the Gold Standard Bring Credibility

Apparently not...

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w13918

US Happiness Gap Narrowed

"Despite robust economic growth over the past three decades, Americans do not report being any happier today than they were thirty years ago. Yet in Happiness Inequality in the United States (NBER Working Paper No. 14220), Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers find that happiness is more evenly distributed among Americans -- in other words, the happiness gap has narrowed."

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w14220

Gasoline Prices Effect Fuel Economy

"The authors estimate that a 10 percent increase in gasoline prices from 2005 levels will generate a 0.22 percent increase in fleet fuel economy in the short run and a 2.04 percent increase in the long run - ten times the short-run effect."

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w14450

The Causes of Rising Income Inequality

"To explain increased skewness at the top, we introduce a three-way distinction between market-driven superstars where audience magnification allows a performance to reach one or ten million people, a second market-driven segment consisting of occupations like lawyers and investment bankers, and a third segment consisting of top corporate officers. Our review of the CEO debate places equal emphasis on the market in showering capital gains through stock options and an arbitrary management power hypothesis based on numerous non-market aspects of executive pay."

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w13982

Climate Change and Economic Growth

"Using data for 136 countries over the period 1950 to 2003, the authors find that higher temperatures have large negative effects on growth - but only in poor countries. For such countries, the results suggest that a temperature increase of one degree Celsius for one year reduces economic growth by about 1.1 percentage points."

http://papers.nber.org/papers/w14132

2008 Best & Worse Selling Vehicles

Quite a surprise...

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/782/the-years-bestand-worst-selling-cars

America's Most Expensive Liscense Plates

http://www.forbes.com/collecting/2008/12/17/plates-license-collection-forbeslife-cx_zog_1218plates.html?partner=yahoobuzz

Death Map

"Heat is more likely to kill an American than an earthquake, and thunderstorms kill more than hurricanes do, according to a 'death map' published on Tuesday."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081217/hl_nm/us_death_usa

Law Clerks Said to Influence Supreme Court

Twenty-somethings really influence geezer Supreme Court Justices? Yes, according to the latest studies...

Influence on the Supreme Court Bench Could be an Inside Job
by Adam Liptak
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/washington/09bar.html?fta=y

Alinea: The US's Most "Radical" Restaurant

Or so claims the Wall Street Journal...

Savoring a 25-course Meal
by Raymond Sokolov
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122911869435602737.html?mod=todays_us_weekend_journal

Why Did Madoff Trick so Many "Smart" People?

Of all people, sophisticated investors like Mr. Madoff's clients should know that if something sounds too good to be true, then it's not. But they believed it anyway. Why? Simply put, people did not do there due diligence.

"Robert Cialdini, a psychology professor at Arizona State University and author of 'Influence: Science and Practice,' calls this strategy 'a triple-threat combination.' The 'murkiness' of a hedge fund, he says, makes investors feel that it is 'the inherent domain of people who know more than we do.' This uncertainty leads us to look for social proof: evidence that other people we trust have already decided to invest. And by playing up how exclusive his funds were, Mr. Madoff shifted investors' fears from the risk that they might lose money to the risk they might lose out on making money."

How Bernie Madoff Made Smart Folks Look Dumb
by Jason Zweig
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122912266389002855.html?mod=todays_us_money_and_investing

Getting Rid of the Electoral College

I'm not sure if this is the best idea, but certainly one to consider...

"Under the proposed National Popular Vote compact, state legislatures would agree to choose electors who promise to support the winner of the nationwide popular vote. For example, if a Republican were to win the overall national popular vote, even if New Yorkers favored the Democrat, New York's Electoral College votes would go to the Republican. The compact will go into force when states representing 271 Electoral College votes have entered into it to guarantee that the winner of the popular vote will become president."

It's Time to Junk the Electoral College
by Jonathan Soros
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122930124441705413.html?mod=todays_us_opinion

Why So Many "Czars?"

The rise of the czar can be traced to the rising concentration of power in the White House, said Leon Panetta, a former chief of staff to President Clinton. He said that is partly because the number and size of government agencies have grown so large that they are almost unwieldy. 'In a very complex bureaucracy that makes up the federal government, the simplest way to cut through it is to do it at the White House level,' he said.

New York University professor Paul Light says: "We only create them because departments don't work or don't talk to each other."

"Czars" Ascend at the White House
by Laura Meckler
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122930070620305369.html?mod=todays_us_page_one

Who Gets US Foreign Aid

Seems to me that US foreign aid is largely a waste. We are essentially arming countries with weapons. I do not consider this "aid."

1. Israel: $2.4 billion
2. Egypt: $1.7 billion
3. Pakistan: $798 million
4. Jordan: $688 million
5. Kenya: 586 million
6. South Africa: $574 million
7. Mexico: $551 million
8.Colombia: $541 million
9. Nigeria: $491 million
10. Sudan: $479 million

http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/who-gets-us-foreign-aid.html

Casanova vs. Don Juan

"Casanova was no Don Juan. The two are constantly, incorrectly, conflated. Casanova was real and was Venetian, he adored women, and he beded, according to his own testimony, a paltry 122, give or take a few depending on how you count orgies, and a handful of men. Don Juan is a mythical figure, was Spanish, did not, by all accounts, love women in the least, and had, according to Mozart's catalog aria, 2,065 conquests - all female."

The Man Who Loved Women
by Toni Bentley
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/books/review/Bentley-t.html

Is Cyber-Squatting Illegal?

To a large extent, yes.

"Cybersquatting, the practice of buying up a domain in order to profit from a trademarked name, is prohibited under the 1999 Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act as well as a set of international guidelines called the Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy. Disputes are usually mediated by the National Arbitration Forum or the U.N.'s World Intellectual Property Organization."

Is Cybersquatting Against The Law?
by Christopher Beam
http://www.slate.com/id/2206596/

Do Unemployment Benefits Encourage Joblessness?

"New research from Raj Chetty, a young Berkeley economist, suggests that moral hazard may not be why more generous benefits seem to lead to more unemployment. Chetty realized that unemployment benefits do not merely pay people to stay out of work; they also protect them from having to rush into an unsuitable job."

On the Dole, But Not Doleful
by Tim Harford
http://www.slate.com/id/2206420/

Tips on Holiday Tipping

Do you know how much to tip your newspaper delivery person? Find out now!

http://www.theroot.com/id/49105

How Much To Buy a Senate Seat?

Apparently $6.2 million...Click on the link to see how the calculation was made.

http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2008/12/how_much_does_a_senate_seat_co.php

Readers Are Lying

"Nearly 40 percent of readers surveyed in England admitted that they lied about reading something to impress friends or potential partners. The breakdown was even worse along gender lines, according to the BBC: 46 percent of men and 33 percent of women said they lied about reading experiences. Teenagers were the worst offenders, with 74 percent lying about reading books, websites, or song lyrics."

http://www.mediabistro.com/galleycat/trends/readers_around_the_world_are_lying_103214.asp

VATs To Be Hottest 2009 Trade Issue?

"AMTAC said 149 countries, including nearly every major U.S. trading partner, have value-added taxes. Most of them rebate part or all of the VATs paid by their companies on some or all exports, according to Lloyd Wood, director of membership and media outreach for the coalition. Because those countries rebate the value-added paid by their producers on exports and impose a VAT on imports, they simultaneously heavily subsidize exports and erect massive trade barriers to imports, according to Washington-based AMTAC."

http://www.shippingdigest.com/news/article.asp?sid=5721&ltype=feature

Dupont Automotive Color Popularity Report

According to the 2008 DuPont Global Color Popularity Report, White and White Pearl are America's choice for favorite car color, with 16% and 4% of the market share, respectively. This is the second year white has come out on top. Black and Silver tied for second in the survey. Jalopnik sees a simple explanation for the trend. What cars are standard white? The cheapest. Go to any car dealership and in addition to the premium trim levels you'll typically find a row of white base models.

http://usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/cars-trucks/daily-news/081210-Americans-Love-Nondescript-White-Cars-/

Prince Alwaleed Wealth Strategy

He merely used Warren Buffet's basic strategy of buying undervalued blue-chip stocks...So simple yet so hard to have the discipline to do...

The Prince, 53, built his fortune by investing in brand-name companies he considered undervalued, including Apple Inc., News Corp. and Time Warner Inc.

Prince Alwaleed Loses 19% of Wealth on Global Slump
by Shaji Matthew
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ag6ZKRzI1vvw&refer=worldwide

Fat Tax in NY?

Is this an unfair tax on people who are generally healthy and don't drink much soda. Also, the taste of non-diet soda is much better...How would soda companies respond?

"The plan will come with a host of revenue raisers — increased taxes on hospitals and insurance policies, for instance — and at least one new assessment, a so-called obesity tax on non-diet soda to raise $404 million."

New Taxes, Cuts in Budget Plan
by James Odato
http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/storyprint.asp?StoryID=750267

The New Face of Terrorism: Fidayeen

"Fidayeen attacks, while ultimately acts of suicide are distinct from the contemporary ‘suicide bomber'. Militants armed with ammunition, weaponry, and small-scale explosives infiltrate their targets (often military bases or civilian institutions) and begin to open fire. The attacks continue until the militants run out of ammunition or are killed by security personnel. Escape is possible, and has occurred, but is unlikely and often accidental. Historically, fidayeen (“Death-Defying” or “Commando”) squads were introduced by Pakistani radical organizations funneling weapons and personnel in to Kashmir during the 1990s."

The Age of the Fidayeen: Terror's New Tactic
by Josh Hammer
http://www.fpa.org/topics_info2414/topics_info_show.htm?doc_id=744527

Jellyfish Gone Wild

I wonder if they have records of the number of jellyfish found in years past. Of course a first study will show that there are lots of jellyfish in waters. But, there were lots of jellyfish around when I was five years old...

Jellyfish Gone Wild Ruin Tourist Spots, Report Says
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081212/sc_nm/us_jellyfish

How the Smart Money Turned Dumb in 2008

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/How-The-Smart-Money-Turned-usnews-13808633.html

Islamic Financing: Wave of the Future?

I imagine this is becoming more and more popular after the financial crisis...

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200812120064.html

The Top 10 Stories You Missed in 2008

Some very interesting ones...

1. The surge in Afghanistan already started
2. Colombian coca production increased
3. The next Darfur is heating up in Sudan
4. The US is helping India build a missile shield
5. Russia is investing heavily in Africa
6. Greenhouse gas comes from solar panels
7. Shanghai Steel fails basic safety test
8. Aid to Georgia financed a luxury hotel in Tbilisi
9. For the first time, US citizen convicted of torture abroad
10. American company sells "sonic blasters" to China

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/top10-2008/index.html

Pew Center Climate Change Docs for the 111th Congress

http://www.pewclimate.org/DDCF-Briefs

Proof the US Economy is Suffering

"Treasuries rose, pushing rates on the three-month bill negative for the first time, as investors gravitate toward the safety of U.S. government debt amid the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression."

Treasury Bills Trade at Negative Rates as Haven Demand Surges
by Daniel Kruger and Cordell Eddings
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aOGXsWKEI6F4&refer=worldwide

Track the Flu and Other Illnesses

Find out who is getting sick where!
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/usmap.htm

Another interesting thing to check out is this self-reporting website
http://whoissick.org/sickness/

And of course, there is Google's new FluTrends
http://www.google.org/flutrends/

What Slate has to say on these sites
http://www.slate.com/id/2206516/

Bailout Guide

Confused about all the bailouts? Check out Slate's cool bailout guide (it might actually make things even more confusing).

http://www.slate.com/id/2206356/

The Lobster Glut

"Why are lobster prices so low? The economy. People just aren't buying, but in Maine their stocks are loaded. It's all about supply and demand. The situation, however, is probably not going to last much longer, according to Trevor Corson, author of The Secret Life of Lobsters. The lobster fisherman are victims of their own success, he said, explaining that because they have managed to make lobster fisheries so sustainable, they have recently had record catches. Until now, the excess catch was funneled to Canadian processing plants, which sold them frozen to chain restaurants. But the bad economy hit the Canadian plants hard enough to shut down operations. It's gotten to the point where for the fishermen, it's not worth their while to catch lobsters, so the supply will decrease."

Luxury on Sale: The Lobster Glut
by Melissa Clark
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/10/dining/10appe.html?em

Fact of the Day: Renting

"Homes traditionally have sold for about 20 times what it would cost to rent them for a year. In 2006, houses were selling for 32 times annual rent."

Why Home Values May Take Decades to Recover
by Dennis Cauchon
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20081212/1ahouseprices12_cv.art.htm

Environmental Fugitives

Proof that the US is getting serious about the environment...

"The government is starting a different kind of most-wanted list — for environmental fugitives accused of assaulting nature. These fugitives allegedly smuggled chemicals that eat away the Earth's protective ozone layer, dumped hazardous waste into oceans and rivers and trafficked in polluting cars. And now the government wants help in tracking them down. In its own version of the FBI most-wanted list, and the first to focus on environmental crimes, the Environmental Protection Agency is unveiling a roster of 23 fugitives, complete with mug shots and descriptions of the charges on its Web site at http://www.epa.gov/fugitives/."

Environmental Fugitives Get Own Most-Wanted List
by Dina Cappiello
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081210/ap_on_go_ot/environmental_fugitives

Most Corrupt US State?

North Dakota...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-12-10-corruptstates_N.htm?se=yahoorefer

Patagonian Tribe Extinction

"With only an estimated 12-20 pure-blooded members of his nomadic Kawesqar tribe surviving, most of them elderly, another of the far-flung region's tribes will soon disappear."

Patagonian Indian Tribe Faces Extinction
by Simon Gardner
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081210/sc_nm/us_chile_tribe

2008 Perceived Corruption Index

From Transparency International...

1. Denmark
1. New Zealand
1. Sweden
4. Singapore
5. Finland
6. Switzerland
7. Iceland
7. Netherlands
9. Australia
9. Canada

Japan, US, and Belgium are tied for the 18th spot. Somalia is considered the most corrupt at 180.

http://www.ppionline.org/ppi_ci.cfm?knlgAreaID=108&subsecID=900003&contentID=254848

2008 Corruption Perception Index
http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi

How to Never Get Sick

http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/secrets-super-healthy-people

Is Long Term Investing Dead?

These guys say so, I would disagree.

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/141683/Death-to-%27Buy-and-Hold%27-There%27s-No-Slowing-Down-%27Fast-Money%27s%27-Macke-and-Adami?tickers=MCD,DIS,POT,X,TGT,MRK,CSCO

Optimal World Population?

The organization Negative Population Growth, or NPG, believes the optimal population for the United States is 150 to 200 million and that the optimal world population is two to three billion. In order to accomplish their goal of a smaller U.S. population, the organization promotes policies which would reduce the fertility rate in the U.S. to 1.5 births per woman, and they advocate for reducing the level of immigration into the United States to 100,000 to 200,000 per year from the existing level of over 1.5 million per year.

http://www.npg.org/

Club Med Update

"Club Med, which started in the 1950s as a low-cost resort known for its wooden huts, has already closed 55 resorts and opened 20 new ones, and the huts and communal showers are long gone. With the slowdown likely to hit the wealthy vacationers Club Med wants just as they're looking for cheaper vacations, analysts don't expect a return to profitability before 2011."

Club Med Looks for Balance
by Max Colchester
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122869034486786419.html?mod=todays_us_marketplace

Fact of the Day: Christmas Trees

More than 31 million Christmas trees were sold in the US in 2007, for $1.3 billion, according to the National Christmas Tree Assocation.

Least Healthy Place to Work in the World?

The least healthy place to work in the world is Japan, followed by Canada, according to recruitment firm Kelly Services.

"Both Japan and Canada are among the nations with the lowest minimum annual holiday leave – only ten days a year - which is significantly lower than most other countries. The healthiest places to work emerged as New Zealand, India and Australia, home to the fewest complaints of work-related ill health."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/japan/3675330/Japan-is-least-healthy-place-in-the-world-to-work.html

Is Einstein the Last Great Genius?

"It is harder now to achieve scientific greatness. A study of Nobel Prize winners in 2005 found that the accumulation of knowledge over time has forced great minds to toil longer before they can make breakthroughs. The age at which thinkers produce significant innovations increased about six years during the 20th century."

Is Einstein the Last Great Genius?
by Robert Roy Britt
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20081205/sc_livescience/iseinsteinthelastgreatgenius

Question of the Day

Would you rather be a mult- millionaire and only live to 50, or live modestly to 100?

Online Coupons Becoming Popular in Downturn

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/106255/In-Lean-Times,-Online-Coupons-Catching-On

Happiness is Contagious

My view: happiness is contagious, until it gets annoying.

Happiness is Contagious: Study
by Maggie Fox
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081205/hl_nm/us_happiness

Divorce Calculator

Calculate your risk for divorce.

http://www.divorce360.com/content/divorcecalculator.aspx

Why Do More Women Study Abroad?

More shopping experiences to be had in Italy, London, Paris?

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2008/12/why-do-so-many.html

The Toyota Way

The 14 Principles of the Toyota Way:

http://www.si.umich.edu/ICOS/Liker04.pdf

Dreaming in Black and White

In an age of high-definition television and vivid cinematography, it might seem peculiar to think that anyone would experience colorless dreams.

For many people, the dream state can be the most turbulent, emotionally intense part of the day. Falling, flying, failing exams and being chased are among the most frequently reported themes when people are asked in studies to describe their dreams. And yet for a small segment of the population, drifting off at night means reverting to a world of monochromatic hues.
Childhood exposure to black-and-white television seems to be the common denominator. A study published this year, for example, found that people 25 and younger say they almost never dream in black and white. But people over 55 who grew up with little access to color television reported dreaming in black and white about a quarter of the time. Over all, 12 percent of people dream entirely in black and white.

Go back a half-century, and television’s impact on our closed-eye experiences becomes even clearer. In the 1940s, studies showed that three-quarters of Americans, including college students, reported “rarely” or “never” seeing any color in their dreams. Now, those numbers are reversed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/02/health/02real.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

Which Charity Would You Give To?

If you had extra money to spend, which charity/cause would you give to? I would probably mix it up between some local stuff and some international stuff. I might give a bit to tree planting in the neighborhood (something like restoremassave.org), money to cleaning up rivers/bays like the Chesapeake/Potomac/Anacostia, some to National Geographic, and some to the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Those are just some ideas without having given it too much thought.

Todd Kliman on Sushi

Sushi Quality Question: What is it that distinguishes sushi quality (other than freshness)? Type of fish, cut of sushi?

Todd Kliman: Really, the big thing is money. With money, you can buy the highest grades possible. You can have a fresh piece of fish, but if it's been given a low grade, it's not going to taste as good as something that's been graded highly and isn't quite as fresh. Freshness, by the way, is a big myth. Most sushi fish is frozen. It's just a matter of for how long, and how the freezing's been done. I know a lot of sushi eaters are under the impression that when they walk into a sushi bar, the fish they're gettiing was dredged from the water the night before, or that morning. In most cases, the fish has been out of the water between five and seven days. It takes another day or two for transport. And most sushi restaurants get deliveries twice a week. Which means the sushi chefs have to make those deliveries last for an entire week.

(From Kliman Online, 12/2/08)

On De-Stressing

"If you can't get away two or three times a week, she has another suggestion to tackle stress without leaving your destk: Yawn to bring more oxygen to your brain. And then take two or three minutes and breathe deeply. Sit and don't think. As you breathe, imagine you're bringing in sunlight. Imagine your feet in water. Everything toxic is out when you exhale. Hug yourself. Or take three to five minutes for something that gives you just - what sings to your heart. Such short breaks will balance and center you and help you through the most hectic day."

(WPost, Vickie Elmer short clip)

Comment of the Week

"I am rich beyond measure. I work my 40 hours, commute 10 minutes to work, don't work nights or weekends, and have lots of time to spend with my wife and child. We're a single income family, one working for the government. So while that means a small house and we don't try to keep up with the Joneses, we are happy and prosperous. What more could we want?"

(From WPost, unknown date)

Opposite Gender Friends

Q: I'm responding to the question in your column of whether men and women in a relationship can have opposite-gender friends. I dearly love my wife and feel truly blessed to have her. We have much in common, spend a lot of time together, but we also have independent interests. I enjoy the company and conversation with women, which my wonderful bride understands. If a relationship is sound, friends of either gender should never be a problem.

A: I agree completely. Opposite-sex friendships are rewarding, but they can also test a relationship that is already insecure.

(From Ask Amy, WPost)

Quote of the Day

"The truth is not so much that man has conscience as that conscience has man."

-Isaac Dorner

Prayer - The New Economic Indicator?

There is a proliferation of prayer websites, where anyone can submit a request and a bunch of people can pray for them. Recently, the amount of prayers for financial help has been increasing on those websites. Perhaps tracking economic/financial-related prayer can be a good indicator of what's to come...Following are several examples:

Our Prayer
http://www.ourprayer.org/

PrayerRequestSite
http://www.prayerrequestsite.com/

UpperRoom
http://www.upperroom.org/Prayer_Center/

Democrats to Become Party of Big Business

"It's a reasonable guess that the more that Republicans become aligned with lower-income voters, the quicker they will lose their fondness for tax cuts and that the more that Democrats enjoy the support of upper-income voters, the more likely they will be to abandon plans to soak the rich with tax hikes."

Big Business Transfers Its Loyalty, Money to the Democrats
by Peter Canellos
http://www.boston.com/news/politics/2008/articles/2008/12/02/big_business_transfers_its_loyalty_money_to_the_democrats/

Answers to a Bunch of Financial Questions

http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081006.wexplainer1006/BNStory/Business/home

Quote of the Day

"He who reigns within himself and rules his passions, desires and fears is more than a King."

-John Milton

http://www.quotes.net/quote/1353

NBER & Recessions

Why does it take NBER so long to tell us we are in a recession? Does it really takes months to calculate quarterly growth in the US?

French Food Outside of France

Is France's 35-hour work week be hurting the quality of its restaurants?

"France appears to be losing its leadership in simple, honest cooking. Mid-range restaurants are suffering from a bad case of what the French call 'J'm'en foutisme' (I don't care-ism), which leads to indifference and finally déresponsibilsation (not my fault-ism)...Young French chefs gravitate to the United States, he said, where money flows more freely. French chefs also are heading for London, Tokyo and other major cities to make their careers...The culinary professions have lost their luster. Kitchen work and waiting tables has been 'totally devalued' as a career. The French 35-hour work week has helped undermine pride in the profession."

Want a good French meal? Don't go to France.
by Michael Johnson
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/11/27/opinion/edjohnson.php

Top 60 Japanese Words/Phrases of 2008

http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/11/top-60-popular-japanese-words-phrases-of-2008/

Question of the Day: Book Collection

Will all the books you purchase today eventually become crusty/yellow with age like most of the books from decades ago? If so, will you have to re-purchase those books in the future? Or, today's books better made to withstand the test of time? I imagine that glossy books will last longer than traditional paper books...

On Loneliness

"We all need to make three types of human connection, they say: with intimate or romantic partners, with close friends and with our 'collectivity' -- the community or nation as a whole. A failure on any one of these fronts is what produces loneliness. Consider the Internet. While it certainly does offer opportunities for bonding -- whether intimate, friendly or communal -- it is incapable of helping in any one of these categories without putting the other two at risk."

The State of Solitude
by Andrew Startk
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122792160204165843.html?mod=todays_us_weekend_journal

What is Means for the Fed to Start Printing Money

"In practice, the term 'printing money' is often used as shorthand for what economists call quantitative easing. Typically, major monetary-policy decisions by the Fed are made by setting a target for the federal funds rate—the interest rate at which banks lend to other banks—and then buying or selling government securities to achieve that goal."

Start the Presses?
by Jacob Leibenluft
http://www.slate.com/id/2205574/

Why Did Bombay Become Mumbai?

"Shiv Sena's leadership pushed for the name change for many years prior to 1995. They argued that 'Bombay' was a corrupted English version of 'Mumbai' and an unwanted legacy of British colonial rule."

Why Did Bombay Become Mumbai?
by Christopher Beam
http://www.slate.com/id/2205701/