"Wait in a place where you can see 20 parking spots in front...assume that the average person's amll trip is roughly three hours (180 minutes). Divide by those 20 cars, and probability factors indicate that one of the cars will leave in nine minutes or less...the more cars you can watch, teh shorter the wait. Lingering in a place with 25 parked cars could shorten the wait time to about seven minutes."
Quick, Find a Parking Space
by Kelli Grant
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204026804577098451316357124.html
Monday, December 19, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Most Influential Cities in the World
The November 2011 National Geographic has an article/infograph of "The Most Influential Cities" in the world. A.T. Kearney launched the Global Cities Index in 2008 and issued an update in 2010. The rankings are based on political engagement, information exchange, human capital, cultural experience, and business activity Here is the rank:
1. New York City
2. London
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
5. Hong Kong
6. Chicago
7. Los Angeles
8. Singapore
9. Sydney
10. Seoul
11. Brussels
12. San Francisco
13. Washington, DC
14. Toronto
15. Beijing
http://twitpic.com/7jdcqa
1. New York City
2. London
3. Tokyo
4. Paris
5. Hong Kong
6. Chicago
7. Los Angeles
8. Singapore
9. Sydney
10. Seoul
11. Brussels
12. San Francisco
13. Washington, DC
14. Toronto
15. Beijing
http://twitpic.com/7jdcqa
US Presidents Live Long?
Aging in Office: US Presidents Often Outlive Peers
by Julie Steenhuysen
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/06/us-usa-presidents-aging-idUSTRE7B52EY20111206
by Julie Steenhuysen
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/06/us-usa-presidents-aging-idUSTRE7B52EY20111206
Friday, December 9, 2011
FP's Top 100 Global Thinkers
http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/11/28/the_fp_top_100_global_thinkers?page=full
Which TV Shows Do Republicans & Democrats Like?
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/12/06/republican-vs-democrat-tv/
Monday, December 5, 2011
Fact of the Day: Twelve Days of Christmas
This is the first time the cost of all 364 items named in the song The Twelve Days of Christmas, estimated by PNC Wealth Management, is more than $100,000. The cost is now $101,120.
-Time Magazine; December 2011
-Time Magazine; December 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Burma vs. Myanmar
Find out which one is "correct" to use...
For Clinton, A Quandary By Any Name
by William Wan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/burma-or-myanmar-for-clinton-no-easy-answer/2011/11/30/gIQAIl8rCO_blog.html
For Clinton, A Quandary By Any Name
by William Wan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/checkpoint-washington/post/burma-or-myanmar-for-clinton-no-easy-answer/2011/11/30/gIQAIl8rCO_blog.html
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Are Dentists Overtreating Your Teeth?
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/28/are-dentists-overtreating-your-teeth/?ref=healthupdate&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb2
Monday, November 28, 2011
Selling Stock Funds
BRICs: Brazil, Russia, India, China
CARBS: Canada, Australia, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa
MINTS: Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Singapore
CIVETS: Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and South Africa
MIST: Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and Turkey
CASSH: Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, and Hong Kong
"Academic research has shown that catchy monikers help sell investments. A 2006 study found that stocks with ticker symbols that conjure common words - such as LUV, BID and RIG - out-performed others by about 8.5 percentage points on their first day of trading from 1990 through 2004. The reason: When dealing with complicated subjects - like investing - people seem to prefer shortcuts that simplify matters."
What's In a Name
by Ben Levisohn
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203710704577054722530665042.html
In 2014, there is another acronym-like term, the "Fragile Five:" Turkey, Brazil, India, South Africa, and Indonesia
CARBS: Canada, Australia, Russia, Brazil, and South Africa
MINTS: Malaysia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Singapore
CIVETS: Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey, and South Africa
MIST: Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, and Turkey
CASSH: Canada, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland, and Hong Kong
"Academic research has shown that catchy monikers help sell investments. A 2006 study found that stocks with ticker symbols that conjure common words - such as LUV, BID and RIG - out-performed others by about 8.5 percentage points on their first day of trading from 1990 through 2004. The reason: When dealing with complicated subjects - like investing - people seem to prefer shortcuts that simplify matters."
What's In a Name
by Ben Levisohn
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203710704577054722530665042.html
In 2014, there is another acronym-like term, the "Fragile Five:" Turkey, Brazil, India, South Africa, and Indonesia
Question of the Day: Sweat
I've always wondered if you sweat a lot via one part of your body if that body part loses more weight. For instance, if you sweat a lot through your head, is it your head that is losing that water-content weight?
How Much Should You Spend on a Car?
"The 1/10th rule is a general rule of thumb that states that you should spend no more than 1/10th of your gross annual income on a car."
http://www.calculatorpro.com/car-purchase-calculator
http://www.calculatorpro.com/car-purchase-calculator
Mac vs. PC Usuers
It still appears that there are overwhelmingly more PC users than Mac users...But through its strong advertising, you would think the opposite...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_percentage_of_Mac_users_to_PC_users._Worldwide_or_otherwise.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_percentage_of_Mac_users_to_PC_users._Worldwide_or_otherwise.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Daniel Kahneman on Human Blindness, & Overconfidence
"We are normally blind about our own blindness. We're generally overconfident in our opinions and our impressions and judgments. We exaggerate how knowable the world is...There are domains in which expertise is not possible. Stock picking is a good example. And in long-term political strategic forecasting, it's been shown that experts are just not better than a dice-throwing monkey."
-Time Magazine Interview; 11/28/11
-Time Magazine Interview; 11/28/11
Twitter-Based Hedge Funds
I still want to see how effective it is over the long-term. Anyone can beat the market for a few months or a few years, but can they do it consistently?
"The stock market is moddy. So is Twitter. Harness teh emotions flowing through both and you could beat the market. Indiana University professor Johan Bollen found that Twitter's collective mood predicted a market shift three days in advance. London hedge fund Derwent Capital took that info to the bank, growing 1.85% last July. The same month, the S&P dropped 2.2%. Derwent scans 10% of the more than 200 million daily tweets, parsing terms like 'calm' or 'alert'."
-Time Magazine, November 2011
"The stock market is moddy. So is Twitter. Harness teh emotions flowing through both and you could beat the market. Indiana University professor Johan Bollen found that Twitter's collective mood predicted a market shift three days in advance. London hedge fund Derwent Capital took that info to the bank, growing 1.85% last July. The same month, the S&P dropped 2.2%. Derwent scans 10% of the more than 200 million daily tweets, parsing terms like 'calm' or 'alert'."
-Time Magazine, November 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
The Most Relaxing Song In The World
"British ambient band Marconi Union has drummed up the world's most realxing song: 'Weightless' in 8 min. 10 sec. of aural bliss, proved to reduce anxiety by 65% and slow heart rates by 35% as teh listener's body rhythm syncs with the song's. Indeed, Weightless is so successful at inducing somnolence that scientists caution drivers not to listen to it while behind the wheel."
Thursday, November 17, 2011
On the US Senate
A comedic look at the Senate...
"All senators look good: They're groomed like putting greens."
A Barrel Full of Senators
by Joel Achenbach
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013001315.html
"All senators look good: They're groomed like putting greens."
A Barrel Full of Senators
by Joel Achenbach
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/30/AR2007013001315.html
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Pain & The Brain
"How you think about pain can have a major impact on how it feels...When subjects focused on something disracting instead of the pain, they had mor activity in the higher-thinking parts of their brain...and they were able to ease their own pain significantly. Motivation also play a huge role - and helps explain why a gravely wounded soldier can ignore his own pain to save his buddies whle someone who is depressed may feel incapacitated by a minor sprain...people who are anxious are more likely to experience pain after surgery or develop lingering nerve pain after a case of shingles...one technique is attention distraction, simply directing your mind away from the pain...guided imagery, in which a patient imagines, say, floating on a cloud, also works in part by diverting attention away from pain. So does mindfulness meditation..."
Rewiring The Brain to Ease Pain
by Melinda Beck
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204323904577038041207168300.html
Rewiring The Brain to Ease Pain
by Melinda Beck
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204323904577038041207168300.html
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
On Timing the Stock Market
Perhaps the only stock investing advice one ever needs...
"Most mortals can't time the markets consistently well enough to make the strategy worthwhile. And because of the vagaries of human emotions, the act of trying to time the stock market often produces far worse results than just buying a diversified bundle of stocks and holding them for the long haul. People tend to sell in a panic at the bottom and buy in a flush of confidence at the top...the reason is that markets are efficient...in an efficient market at any point in time the actual price of a security will be a good estimate of its intrinsic value...As a result, the best stock-buying strategy is to find great companies, buy them now and hold them for a long time."
Time The Market? Try Roulette Instead
by James Glassman
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-best-time-to-buy-or-sell-stocks/2011/11/09/gIQAEb86FN_story.html
"Most mortals can't time the markets consistently well enough to make the strategy worthwhile. And because of the vagaries of human emotions, the act of trying to time the stock market often produces far worse results than just buying a diversified bundle of stocks and holding them for the long haul. People tend to sell in a panic at the bottom and buy in a flush of confidence at the top...the reason is that markets are efficient...in an efficient market at any point in time the actual price of a security will be a good estimate of its intrinsic value...As a result, the best stock-buying strategy is to find great companies, buy them now and hold them for a long time."
Time The Market? Try Roulette Instead
by James Glassman
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/the-best-time-to-buy-or-sell-stocks/2011/11/09/gIQAEb86FN_story.html
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Facebook Friends vs. Real Friends
"On average, participants listed 2.03 close friends in the survey. That number was down from about three in a 1985 study. Forty-eight percent of participants listed one close friend when asked, 18 percent listed two and 29 percent listed more. A little more than 4 percent didn't list anyone."
More Facebook Friends, Fewer Real Ones, Says Cornell Study
by Ned Potter
http://news.yahoo.com/more-facebook-friends-fewer-real-ones-says-cornell-154709141.html
More Facebook Friends, Fewer Real Ones, Says Cornell Study
by Ned Potter
http://news.yahoo.com/more-facebook-friends-fewer-real-ones-says-cornell-154709141.html
Idea of the Week: The Ultimate Online School
I wonder if anyone has put all the most amazing online videos (TED, college courses, etc...) together and created the "ultimate" online classroom that is free to the public.
Coolest College Courses
Following is a brief list I put together. There will be more additions later...
Also, here is a good list of 30 cool science-related labs/courses:
http://www.popsci.com/awesomelabs
*Culinary physics taught by Ferran Adria and Jose Andres: Harvard University
*Cyberporn & Society: State University of New York at Buffalo (surveys Internet porn sites)
*Anthropology of the Unconscious: NYU (discusses x-rated Japanese comic books)
*Cinema and the Sex Act: University of California, Berkeley (view clips of NC17 releases like Showgirls and underground stag reels)
*Pornography in Popular Culture: University of Iowa
*Sociology of Hip-Hop - Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z: Georgetown University
*Philosophy & Star Trek: Georgetown University
*The Joy of Garbage: Santa Clara University
*Learning From YouTube: Pitzer College
*Underwater Basket Weaving: Reed College
*Tree Climbing: Cornell University
*Queer Musicology: University of California, Los Angeles
*Maple Syrup, the Real Thing: Alfred University
*The Science of Harry Potter: Frostberg State University
*The Art of Walking: Centre College
*iPhone Application Programming: Standford University
*The American Vacation: University of Iowa
*White Collar and Corporate Crime: University of California, Irvine
*Airline Emergency Cabin Training: Lynn University
*Biology of AIDS & STDs: Northeastern College
*Disney in America: University of Iowa
*Rock Music From 1970 to Present: University of Minnessota
*Psychology of Facebook: Standford
*From Elvis to Lady Gaga: American Pop Culture 1950-2010: Saint Leo University
*Video Games: History, Theory, & Social Impact: Lebanon Valley College
*Beyond Hollwood - The Sundance Film Festival: Eckerd College
*Perception: Meredith College
*The 1960s in Fiction, Film, & Song: Birmingham-Southern College
*Baseball Statisitcs: Birmingham-Southern College
*End Times: Lebanon Valley College (doomsday predictions)
*Creating Sustainable Societies: Saint Leo University
*Food Science 550 - Food Fermentations: University of Wisconsin, Madison (brew beer)
*History 107 - Pornography & Prostitution in History: Vanderbilt
*Psychology 445 - Psychology of Video Games and Entertainment: UMD
*Arts & Science E105 - Read My Lips: Indiana University
*History of Electronic Dance Music - UCLA
*Eco-Shakespeare: Brown
*Bad in a Good Way: Brown
*Financial Panic 2007-2009: Yale
*Monstrosity & Otherness: Kenyon
*Ghosts & Machines: Harvey Mudd
*Consuming Drug Foods: Chocolates, Sugar, and Coffee: Georgetown
*Ecology of Eating: Wesleyan
*Techniques of Surveillance: Brown
*The Twiligh of the Gods: Ragnarok and the Apocalytic Traditions: Harvard
*Total Noise: Going Deaf in the Information Age: Smith
*Theory of Comedy: Kenyon
*Sexuality: Columbia
*Consuming Passions: Harvard
*Practical Malting & Brewing: University of California, Davis
*Exceptional Children: William & Mary
*The Broadcast Commercial: Marist
*Alien Sex: University of Rochester
*American Pro Wrestling: MIT
*Beer Appreciation: Wellesly; University of Washington
*Brothel Management: UNLV
*Dirty Pictures: RISD
*Find Dates Worth Keeping: University of Sioux Falls
*History of Surfing: UCSB
*How to Watch TV: Montclair State University
*Invented Languages Klingon & Beyond: UT Austin
*Looking at Animals: Evergreen State University
*Mail Order Brides: Johns Hopkins University
*Muppet Magic Jim Henson's Art: UC Santa Cruz
*Naked & Nude: University of Chicago
*Philosophy of Time Travel: University of Delaware
*Stupidity: MIT
*The Future is Lost: Tufts
*The Lucifer Effect - Understanding How Good People Turn Evil: MIT (I think)
*The Science of Superheroes: UC Irvine
*Arguing with Judge Judy - Popular Logic of TV Judge Shows: UC Berkeley
*Science of Harry Potter: Frostburg State
*Simpsons & Philosophy: UC Berkeley
* Far Side Entomology: Oregon State
*History298 - Oprah Windfrey the Tycoon: University of Illinois
*Getting Dressed: Princeton
*The Colbert Report - American Satire: Boston University
*Puppetry: Emerson College
*The Supernatural in Music, Literature, and Culture: MIT
*The Universe: Massachusetts College of Art and Design
*Down, Dirty & Dimensional: Museum School of Fine Arts
*Broadway Musicals: Suffolk University
*Soul, Funk, and Civil Rights - Simmons College
*Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Chaka Khan: Berkeley College of Music
*Sociology of Fame & Lady Gaga: University of South Carolina
*Wordplay: A Wry Plod from Babel to Scrabble: Princeton (play games)
*Oh Look, a Chicken! Embracing Distraction as a Way of Knowing: Belmont U.
*Things That Go Bump in the Night: Hampshire College
*Fly Fishing: Montana State U.
*Physics for Future Presidents: UC Berkeley
*Cyborg Anthropology: Lews & Clark
*Popular Flops: Bad Movies
*Tightwaddery or the Good Life on a Dollar a Day: Alfred U.
*Biology of Jurassic Park: Hood College
*The Phallus: Occidental College
*The Textual Appeal of Tupac Shakur: University of Washington
*California Culture: San Franscisco State
*Restaurant Entreprenuership: Cornell University
*Spine, Sweat Experience: Indiana University
Also, here is a good list of 30 cool science-related labs/courses:
http://www.popsci.com/awesomelabs
*Culinary physics taught by Ferran Adria and Jose Andres: Harvard University
*Cyberporn & Society: State University of New York at Buffalo (surveys Internet porn sites)
*Anthropology of the Unconscious: NYU (discusses x-rated Japanese comic books)
*Cinema and the Sex Act: University of California, Berkeley (view clips of NC17 releases like Showgirls and underground stag reels)
*Pornography in Popular Culture: University of Iowa
*Sociology of Hip-Hop - Urban Theodicy of Jay-Z: Georgetown University
*Philosophy & Star Trek: Georgetown University
*The Joy of Garbage: Santa Clara University
*Learning From YouTube: Pitzer College
*Underwater Basket Weaving: Reed College
*Tree Climbing: Cornell University
*Queer Musicology: University of California, Los Angeles
*Maple Syrup, the Real Thing: Alfred University
*The Science of Harry Potter: Frostberg State University
*The Art of Walking: Centre College
*iPhone Application Programming: Standford University
*The American Vacation: University of Iowa
*White Collar and Corporate Crime: University of California, Irvine
*Airline Emergency Cabin Training: Lynn University
*Biology of AIDS & STDs: Northeastern College
*Disney in America: University of Iowa
*Rock Music From 1970 to Present: University of Minnessota
*Psychology of Facebook: Standford
*From Elvis to Lady Gaga: American Pop Culture 1950-2010: Saint Leo University
*Video Games: History, Theory, & Social Impact: Lebanon Valley College
*Beyond Hollwood - The Sundance Film Festival: Eckerd College
*Perception: Meredith College
*The 1960s in Fiction, Film, & Song: Birmingham-Southern College
*Baseball Statisitcs: Birmingham-Southern College
*End Times: Lebanon Valley College (doomsday predictions)
*Creating Sustainable Societies: Saint Leo University
*Food Science 550 - Food Fermentations: University of Wisconsin, Madison (brew beer)
*History 107 - Pornography & Prostitution in History: Vanderbilt
*Psychology 445 - Psychology of Video Games and Entertainment: UMD
*Arts & Science E105 - Read My Lips: Indiana University
*History of Electronic Dance Music - UCLA
*Eco-Shakespeare: Brown
*Bad in a Good Way: Brown
*Financial Panic 2007-2009: Yale
*Monstrosity & Otherness: Kenyon
*Ghosts & Machines: Harvey Mudd
*Consuming Drug Foods: Chocolates, Sugar, and Coffee: Georgetown
*Ecology of Eating: Wesleyan
*Techniques of Surveillance: Brown
*The Twiligh of the Gods: Ragnarok and the Apocalytic Traditions: Harvard
*Total Noise: Going Deaf in the Information Age: Smith
*Theory of Comedy: Kenyon
*Sexuality: Columbia
*Consuming Passions: Harvard
*Practical Malting & Brewing: University of California, Davis
*Exceptional Children: William & Mary
*The Broadcast Commercial: Marist
*Alien Sex: University of Rochester
*American Pro Wrestling: MIT
*Beer Appreciation: Wellesly; University of Washington
*Brothel Management: UNLV
*Dirty Pictures: RISD
*Find Dates Worth Keeping: University of Sioux Falls
*History of Surfing: UCSB
*How to Watch TV: Montclair State University
*Invented Languages Klingon & Beyond: UT Austin
*Looking at Animals: Evergreen State University
*Mail Order Brides: Johns Hopkins University
*Muppet Magic Jim Henson's Art: UC Santa Cruz
*Naked & Nude: University of Chicago
*Philosophy of Time Travel: University of Delaware
*Stupidity: MIT
*The Future is Lost: Tufts
*The Lucifer Effect - Understanding How Good People Turn Evil: MIT (I think)
*The Science of Superheroes: UC Irvine
*Arguing with Judge Judy - Popular Logic of TV Judge Shows: UC Berkeley
*Science of Harry Potter: Frostburg State
*Simpsons & Philosophy: UC Berkeley
* Far Side Entomology: Oregon State
*History298 - Oprah Windfrey the Tycoon: University of Illinois
*Getting Dressed: Princeton
*The Colbert Report - American Satire: Boston University
*Puppetry: Emerson College
*The Supernatural in Music, Literature, and Culture: MIT
*The Universe: Massachusetts College of Art and Design
*Down, Dirty & Dimensional: Museum School of Fine Arts
*Broadway Musicals: Suffolk University
*Soul, Funk, and Civil Rights - Simmons College
*Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Chaka Khan: Berkeley College of Music
*Sociology of Fame & Lady Gaga: University of South Carolina
*Wordplay: A Wry Plod from Babel to Scrabble: Princeton (play games)
*Oh Look, a Chicken! Embracing Distraction as a Way of Knowing: Belmont U.
*Things That Go Bump in the Night: Hampshire College
*Fly Fishing: Montana State U.
*Physics for Future Presidents: UC Berkeley
*Cyborg Anthropology: Lews & Clark
*Popular Flops: Bad Movies
*Tightwaddery or the Good Life on a Dollar a Day: Alfred U.
*Biology of Jurassic Park: Hood College
*The Phallus: Occidental College
*The Textual Appeal of Tupac Shakur: University of Washington
*California Culture: San Franscisco State
*Restaurant Entreprenuership: Cornell University
*Spine, Sweat Experience: Indiana University
Monday, November 7, 2011
Shopping on the Right Day Can Lead to Savings
Best to go for shopping for:
*Groceries: Sunday
*Appliances: Sunday
*New book: Saturday
*Clothes: Thursdays
*Cars: Monday
*TV, digital camera, or computer online: Mondays
*Plane tickets: Tuesday
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=675&sid=2622377
*Groceries: Sunday
*Appliances: Sunday
*New book: Saturday
*Clothes: Thursdays
*Cars: Monday
*TV, digital camera, or computer online: Mondays
*Plane tickets: Tuesday
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=675&sid=2622377
Spending vs. Saving
A Politico interview with Erin Burnett:
Q: What do you know now that you wish someone had told you 10 years ago?
A: Saving money if you are able isn't always the smartest move. Currently our money is worth less every day, so all tha tsacrifice isn't going to buy me as much retirement. Sometimes spending the little extra - not borrowing - is OK.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67449.html
Q: What do you know now that you wish someone had told you 10 years ago?
A: Saving money if you are able isn't always the smartest move. Currently our money is worth less every day, so all tha tsacrifice isn't going to buy me as much retirement. Sometimes spending the little extra - not borrowing - is OK.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1111/67449.html
On "Experts"
Recently I've been thinking about how bad people are at making predictions. The WSJ article below takes aim at weathermen, economists, sports experts, and political experts. But one could probably pick almost any profession and find that many (most?) predictions are wrong in that field. Yet somehow, everyone still gets paid. Will online prediction markets take over where humans fail? Will people still get paid generously to make many less-than-accurate predictions? When will more people take notice of this?
Some Expert Advice: Get a Clue
by Joe Queenan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204528204577011842524257440.html
Some Expert Advice: Get a Clue
by Joe Queenan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204528204577011842524257440.html
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
World's Most Powerful People
The 2011 list was just released from Forbes...Here are the Top 10:
1. Barack Obama
2. Vladimir Putin
3. Hu Jintao
4. Angela Merkel
5. Bill Gates
6. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud
7. Pope Benedict XVI
8. Ben Bernanke
9. Mark Zuckerberg
10. David Cameron
http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/
1. Barack Obama
2. Vladimir Putin
3. Hu Jintao
4. Angela Merkel
5. Bill Gates
6. Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al Saud
7. Pope Benedict XVI
8. Ben Bernanke
9. Mark Zuckerberg
10. David Cameron
http://www.forbes.com/powerful-people/
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Chef Masaharu Morimoto on Kitchen Knives
"Three core knives are versatile enough for most purposes...he [Morimoto] relies on three basic Japanese-style knives: the butcher's knife known as a deba, in two sizes, and a yanagi, which is designed for slicing sashimi."
For a Cutting Edge, Care For Your Knives
by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203633104576625312068011704.html
For a Cutting Edge, Care For Your Knives
by Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203633104576625312068011704.html
World Power Swings Back to America
World Power Swings Back to America
by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8844646/World-power-swings-back-to-America.html
by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/ambroseevans_pritchard/8844646/World-power-swings-back-to-America.html
Monday, October 31, 2011
On How to Look Like a Hard Worker
"Studies show that people think you'll work 30 percent harder if you carry a briefcase."
-WPost jobs section October 30, 2011
-WPost jobs section October 30, 2011
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Fear of Flying
"Psychologists say phobias often take root when people are in their late 20s and typically affect those with above-average intelligence."
Flying With The Greatest of Ease
by Scott McCartney
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303970604576401860548340494.html
Flying With The Greatest of Ease
by Scott McCartney
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303970604576401860548340494.html
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Think Tank Spies
Chinese Think Tank Also Serves as Spy Arm
by Bill Gertz
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/28/chinese-think-tank-also-serves-as-spy-arm/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
by Bill Gertz
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/28/chinese-think-tank-also-serves-as-spy-arm/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
On How to Have a Good Meal at a Bad Restaurant
Can You Eat Decently in an Indecent Restaurant?
by Tyler Cowen
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/02/magazine/29mag-food-issue.html#/restaurants
by Tyler Cowen
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/10/02/magazine/29mag-food-issue.html#/restaurants
Why Do Sandwiches Taste Better When Someone Else Makes Them?
When you make your own sandwich, you anticipate its taste as you’re working on it. And when you think of a particular food for a while, you become less hungry for it later. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, for example, found that imagining eating M&Ms makes you eat fewer of them. It’s a kind of specific satiation, just as most people find room for dessert when they couldn’t have another bite of their steak. The sandwich that another person prepares is not “preconsumed” in the same way.
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/10/why-do-sandwiches-taste-better-when-someone-else-makes-them.html
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/10/why-do-sandwiches-taste-better-when-someone-else-makes-them.html
Is May the Best Month to Sell Your Stocks?
My colleague says sell June-August and buy November-January...
Is May the best month to sell your stocks?
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/all-other-things-being-equal-is-may-the-best
Is May the best month to sell your stocks?
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/all-other-things-being-equal-is-may-the-best
Does More Money Make You Fat?
"The relationship between obesity and economic development follows that is knows as the 'Kuznets curve,' the inverted U-shape relationship between development and inequality. As people become richer, obesity will first increase, and then decrease, over time."
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/neudc/papers/paper_286.pdf
http://mitsloan.mit.edu/neudc/papers/paper_286.pdf
Txokos
On all-male cooking clubs in Spain called Txokos (CHOKE-ohs)...
Members Only (Most of the Time)
by J.S. Marcus
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204138204576603010494659344.html
Members Only (Most of the Time)
by J.S. Marcus
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204138204576603010494659344.html
5 Steps To Becoming an Expert
"Malcolm Gladwell popularized the concept of the 10,000 hour rule -- it takes about 10,000 hours of 'deliberate practice' to become an expert in a field."
Based on that figure, if one were to practice 24 hours a day, it would take about 416 days to master something, or a little over one year. If one were to practice for 8 hours a day for five days a week for 50 weeks, it would take about 5 years to master something.
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/5-steps-to-becoming-an-expert
Based on that figure, if one were to practice 24 hours a day, it would take about 416 days to master something, or a little over one year. If one were to practice for 8 hours a day for five days a week for 50 weeks, it would take about 5 years to master something.
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/5-steps-to-becoming-an-expert
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
50 Ways to Leave Your Lawyer
On "unconventional" or "alternative" law firms...
Bargain Briefs; Economist Magazine
http://www.economist.com/node/21525907
Bargain Briefs; Economist Magazine
http://www.economist.com/node/21525907
Best Age for Making a Financial Decision?
"People seeking investment advice probably should be suspicious of anyone under 50. A study titled 'What is the Age of Reason?' conclused that middle-aged people make fewer mistakes with finances than those who are younger or older. The study even pegged the optimal point in life for handling money-related decisions: 53...anyone between 43 and 63 is really in their cognitive sweet spot."
Older but Wiser: Middle Age is a Prime Time for Finance
by Jonathan Burton
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204831304576594713008754264.html
But this article kind of disproves some of the points made:
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-older-investors-make-better-investment-dec
Also, here is an interesting and somewhat related article on choosing a surgeon/doctor based on age...
"Surgeons in their first five years of practice had a higher-than-average incidence of complications - but so did surgeons over 50. The sweet spot of performance was ages 35 to 50."
How Old Is Your Surgeon
by Christopher Shea
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2012/01/12/aging-surgeons-rising-error-rates/
Older but Wiser: Middle Age is a Prime Time for Finance
by Jonathan Burton
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204831304576594713008754264.html
But this article kind of disproves some of the points made:
http://www.bakadesuyo.com/do-older-investors-make-better-investment-dec
Also, here is an interesting and somewhat related article on choosing a surgeon/doctor based on age...
"Surgeons in their first five years of practice had a higher-than-average incidence of complications - but so did surgeons over 50. The sweet spot of performance was ages 35 to 50."
How Old Is Your Surgeon
by Christopher Shea
http://blogs.wsj.com/ideas-market/2012/01/12/aging-surgeons-rising-error-rates/
On Possessions
"Billionaire Nicolas Berggruen harbors a distaste for baggage, real and emotional. At 50, Berggruen is without a house, a car or even a wristwatch. He never married, nor does he have any children. He hopscotches around the globe living out of hotels. As Berggruen's wealth grew, he became disillusioend with what it could buy. A decade ago, he began paring down his lifestyle, selling an island estate in Florida and an apartment in New York. His somewhat limited wardrobe is now scattered across the world, stored at his favorite hotels. He loaned his art collection to museums - a move that left him free to drift from one city to the next aboard his private jet, the one item he deems too 'practical' to discard."
Man Without a Country
by Stacy Meichtry
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904836104576556982258399652.html
Man Without a Country
by Stacy Meichtry
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904836104576556982258399652.html
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Question of the Day: Think Tanks & the Executive Branch
Can someone who just left the executive branch and now works for a think tank have contact with the agency they just left? Can they raise funds and gather information using those connections? If they were a registered lobbyist, they'd have to wait two years, but as a non lobbyist at a think tank, are there any written rules? What if the think tank is considered an advocacy group and actively lobbies the Hill on the executive branch?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
What Value Do You Put on Your Digital Assets?
McAfee values them at around $37,000. That figure includes music libraries, family photos, and personal information.
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=256&sid=2566816
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=256&sid=2566816
Monday, September 26, 2011
Who Will be the First Trillionaire?
Based on her brief predictions, the first trillionaire could come as early as 50 years from now.
As Rich Flourish, Who'll be the First Trillionaire?
by Annie Lowrey
http://www.slate.com/id/2304124/
As Rich Flourish, Who'll be the First Trillionaire?
by Annie Lowrey
http://www.slate.com/id/2304124/
The Ethic Dining Scene in Washington, DC
Ethnic Goes Exurban
by Tyler Cowen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090101416.html
by Tyler Cowen
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/01/AR2006090101416.html
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Don't Always Buy on Down Days in the Market
On why to not always buy on down days/weeks in the market.
Think Twice Before You Buy on the Dips
By Jason Zweig
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904563904576589134168081092.html?mod=ITP_businessandfinance_0
Think Twice Before You Buy on the Dips
By Jason Zweig
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904563904576589134168081092.html?mod=ITP_businessandfinance_0
World's Best Matzoh Ball Soup
Where is the world's best matzoh ball soup? My guess is that it is somewhere on either on the East Coast or West Coast of the US.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Reading Speed
What should be read slowly and what should be read quickly?
Perhpaps books, which often take longer to write (and thus are presumably more thought out) should be read more slowly to enjoy the diction as opposed to newspapers, magazines, and online articles which are often writen quickly and to sell as much as possible.
More specifically on books, perhaps poetry and classics should be read more slowly than things such as romance novels, travel tales and other types of books where comprehensive absoprtion and lingering is not necessary.
Any thoughts?
Perhpaps books, which often take longer to write (and thus are presumably more thought out) should be read more slowly to enjoy the diction as opposed to newspapers, magazines, and online articles which are often writen quickly and to sell as much as possible.
More specifically on books, perhaps poetry and classics should be read more slowly than things such as romance novels, travel tales and other types of books where comprehensive absoprtion and lingering is not necessary.
Any thoughts?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
On Masskrugstemmen
"Masskrugstemmen is an enduance competition in which athletes try to hold onto an enormous beer for as long as they can. Contestants line up, extend one arm parallel to the ground, grip a one-liter beer, and try not to pill. Drop any brew, and you're eliminated."
A Toast to a Real Strongman
Jason Gay
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904060604576570882341095292.html
A Toast to a Real Strongman
Jason Gay
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904060604576570882341095292.html
Are Alpha Males Healthy?
"...While alpha males got the best food and the most mates, they experienced far more stress than the beta males just beneath them in the hierarchy, based on the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in fecal samples. The beta males had almost as many mates and got just as much grooming from others, but they didn't have to spend as much time fighting or following females around to keep other males away."
Are Alpha Males Healthy?
By Melinda Beck
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903532804576566553268698820.html
Are Alpha Males Healthy?
By Melinda Beck
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903532804576566553268698820.html
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Maximize Happiness
Should the goal of everything be to maximize happiness? (Without infringing on other people's happiness)
The Myth of Japan's Lost Decade
"If the average living Japanese person is better off now than 20 years ago (as measured by GDP per capita), then why fixate on the aggregate output of the Japanese economy? Asking the Japanese economy to produce goods at a rate that keeps pace with economies of growing populations seems unnecessary and even impossible."
http://seekingalpha.com/article/288071-the-myth-of-japan-s-lost-decade
http://seekingalpha.com/article/288071-the-myth-of-japan-s-lost-decade
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Measuring a Storm's Fury: The Waffle House Index
"When a hurricane makes landfall, the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency relies on a couple of metrics to assess its destructive power..one of them is the Waffle House Index. Green means the restaurant is serving a full menu, a signal that damage in an area is limited and the lights are on. Yellow means a limited menu, indicating power from a generator, at best, and low food supplies. Red means the restaurant is closed, a sign of severe damage in the area or unsafe conditions...Waffle House Inc. has 1,600 restaurants stetching from the mid-Atlantic to Florida and across the Gulf Coast, leaving it particularly vulnerable to hurricanes."
Hose to Measure a Storm's Fury One Breakfast at a Time
by Valerie Bauerlein
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904716604576542460736605364.html
Hose to Measure a Storm's Fury One Breakfast at a Time
by Valerie Bauerlein
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904716604576542460736605364.html
Post Vacation Syndrome (PVS)
Sounds a bit like leisure sickness...
"Post Vacation Syndrome is characterized by a combination of irritability, anxiety, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, and a feeling of emptiness that lasts up to a few weeks after returning to work. Some people get a mild version every Sunday night after getting the weekend off. Surveys suggest that 35% to 75% of workers in Spain, where many businesses close for the month of August, suffer from PVS."
The Post-Labor Day Letdown
by Melinda Beck
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903648204576552652359497910.html
"Post Vacation Syndrome is characterized by a combination of irritability, anxiety, lack of motivation, difficulty concentrating, and a feeling of emptiness that lasts up to a few weeks after returning to work. Some people get a mild version every Sunday night after getting the weekend off. Surveys suggest that 35% to 75% of workers in Spain, where many businesses close for the month of August, suffer from PVS."
The Post-Labor Day Letdown
by Melinda Beck
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111903648204576552652359497910.html
Dumpling Consumption in Japan
"Utsunomiya has the highest per capita gyoza-consumption rate in Japan and spends the most on the dumplings. Government data show the average city household spent 479 yen on ready-to-eat gyoza bought at supermarkets in December 2010. Tokyoites spent less than half that. Utsunomiya's unofficial mascot is a version of Botticelli's Venus, emerging not from a seashell but from a gyoza wrapper. Last fall, the city's annual gyoza festival drew 120,000 people from around Japan."
City in Japan Tires New Tack on Old Problem
by Mariko Sanchanta
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576315324222775488.html
City in Japan Tires New Tack on Old Problem
by Mariko Sanchanta
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703730804576315324222775488.html
Spying on Embassies
"Former counterintelligence officials describe Israeli intelligence operations in the United States as quite extensive, ranking just below those of China and Russia, and F.B.I. counterintelligence agents have long kept an eye on Israeli spying."
Leak Offers Look at Efforts by the US to Spy on Israel
by Scott Shane
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/us/06leak.html?_r=1&hp
Leak Offers Look at Efforts by the US to Spy on Israel
by Scott Shane
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/06/us/06leak.html?_r=1&hp
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
You Are What You Eat
Photographs of the insides of refrigerators...great idea...
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/07/you-are-what-you-eat.html
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/07/you-are-what-you-eat.html
Data From Match.com
"That is, when it comes to looking for love, conservatives are more open-minded than liberals."
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/08/data-from-match-com.html
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/08/data-from-match-com.html
Friday, August 19, 2011
On Tejo
"Generations of Colombia men have played tejo, the country's curious national sport, in which competitors, often drunkenly, lob disks at boxes filled with mud, hoping to strike a paper triangle stuffed with gunpowder 60 feet away."
The National Sport, Macho Tejo Becomes a Pastime for Women
by Adam Liebendorfer
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/tejo-colombias-macho-game-becomes-a-pastime-for-women/2011/08/11/gIQANNRoIJ_story.html
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Most Beautiful Place in America
The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan.
http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/most-beautiful-place-in-america-revealed-26314500.html
http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/most-beautiful-place-in-america-revealed-26314500.html
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
How The Average US Consumer Spends Their Income
I've always wondered how much one "should" spend on travel and food. As income goes up, I assume much more is spent on those items, but I wondered if the chart levels off or it it is directly proportional to income.
According to this (BLS stats), the average person spends about 10% of their income on food and 4.4% of their income on "entertainment." (Which I believe includes travel)
http://www.billshrink.com/blog/1204/consumer-income-spending/
According to this (BLS stats), the average person spends about 10% of their income on food and 4.4% of their income on "entertainment." (Which I believe includes travel)
http://www.billshrink.com/blog/1204/consumer-income-spending/
Happiness Facts of the Day
*The pursuit of happiness can actually backfire, say experts at the Universitiy of Denver. People who place a high value on happness have, on average, 17 more symptoms of depression than those who don't.
*A week of vacation is nice, but the eleation you get from it is mostly in the anticipation, say Dutch researchers. They found that planning a vacation can improve your mood for up to two months before the actual trip. Unfortunately, the moment you get home, you're no more or less content than someone who hadn't gone away.
*According to research, happiness is about 50 percent genetic, 10 percent influenced by life circumstances, and 40 percent influenced by how you think and act every day.
Sunny Side Up (August 2011; Parade Magazine)
By Colleen Oakley
*A week of vacation is nice, but the eleation you get from it is mostly in the anticipation, say Dutch researchers. They found that planning a vacation can improve your mood for up to two months before the actual trip. Unfortunately, the moment you get home, you're no more or less content than someone who hadn't gone away.
*According to research, happiness is about 50 percent genetic, 10 percent influenced by life circumstances, and 40 percent influenced by how you think and act every day.
Sunny Side Up (August 2011; Parade Magazine)
By Colleen Oakley
Monday, August 8, 2011
Bard Prison Initiative
Good idea...BPI was featured on 60 Minutes recently...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bard_Prison_Initiative
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bard_Prison_Initiative
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Holiday Happiness Curve & "Leisure Sickness"
*Do vacations make us happy for long? According to studies published in recent years, not really. Not only are the positive effects of holidays on our well-being weak, they also fade very fast. Once the traveling was over, those who had gone away didn't feel any better than those who had stayed home.
*Jeroen Nawijn of NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands found a holiday happiness curve: Our mood tends to be lowest through the first 10 percent of a holiday and quite high during the 'core phase,' which spans about 70 percent of the vacation time. Our spirits soar on the day before going home.
*Leisure sickness - the inability to relax and adapt to the pace of life outside work - is apparently more prevalent in people living in big cities.
*How to we squeeze more happiness out of vacations? First, take more short trips instead of a few long ones: Research shows that additional days don't bring us additional happiness. Nawijn in his 2010 study concluded that two to six-day vacations are the most beneficial to our well-being.
*If you want to avoid a post-holiday mood crash, don't come back home on a Sunday. A study published in the Journal of Leisure Research shows that if we return on a Thursday or a Friday, we can insulate ourselves from the shock of job demands and prolong the holiday happiness boost.
Should You Just Stay Home?
by Marta Zaraska
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/vacations-dont-keep-people-satisfied-for-long-once-they-return-home/2011/07/05/gIQAyQw1YI_story.html
*Jeroen Nawijn of NHTV Breda University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands found a holiday happiness curve: Our mood tends to be lowest through the first 10 percent of a holiday and quite high during the 'core phase,' which spans about 70 percent of the vacation time. Our spirits soar on the day before going home.
*Leisure sickness - the inability to relax and adapt to the pace of life outside work - is apparently more prevalent in people living in big cities.
*How to we squeeze more happiness out of vacations? First, take more short trips instead of a few long ones: Research shows that additional days don't bring us additional happiness. Nawijn in his 2010 study concluded that two to six-day vacations are the most beneficial to our well-being.
*If you want to avoid a post-holiday mood crash, don't come back home on a Sunday. A study published in the Journal of Leisure Research shows that if we return on a Thursday or a Friday, we can insulate ourselves from the shock of job demands and prolong the holiday happiness boost.
Should You Just Stay Home?
by Marta Zaraska
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/vacations-dont-keep-people-satisfied-for-long-once-they-return-home/2011/07/05/gIQAyQw1YI_story.html
Psychology of Dining & Utensils
"The restaurant diners felt that the small fork gave them 'a feeling that they are not making much progress' towards their goal, and this resulted in them eating more of the food on their plate than the large-fork group, the researchers reasoned."
Diners Who Use Big Forks Eat Less: Study
http://news.yahoo.com/diners-big-forks-eat-less-study-164030784.html
Diners Who Use Big Forks Eat Less: Study
http://news.yahoo.com/diners-big-forks-eat-less-study-164030784.html
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Travel Deals That Might Not Be
The number of travel/hotel sites online (and general discount sites) is amazing, but often, they do not provide that great of a deal due to price psychology and hidden "costs."
Travel Deals That Might Not Be
by Kelli Grant
http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/travel/travel-deals-that-might-not-be/
Travel Deals That Might Not Be
by Kelli Grant
http://www.smartmoney.com/spend/travel/travel-deals-that-might-not-be/
Judging an Internet Site
"In just a brief one-twentieth of a second - less than half the time it takes to blink - people make aesthetic judgments that influence the rest of their experience with an Internet Site."
Internet Users Judge Web Sites in Less Than a Blink
by Kamakshi Tandon
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/107822/Internet_users_judge_Web_sites_in_less_than_a_blink
Internet Users Judge Web Sites in Less Than a Blink
by Kamakshi Tandon
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/107822/Internet_users_judge_Web_sites_in_less_than_a_blink
On "Blue Laws" & Religion
"Blue laws are statutes that prohibit the sale on Sunday of certain nonessential items, such as appliances, furniture and jewelry, typically sold in shopping malls as well as liquor and cigarettes. Jonathan Gruber and Daniel Hungerman found that when states eliminated blue laws, church attendance declined while drinking and drug use increased significantly among young adults. Even more striking, the biggest change in bad behavior mostly occurred among those who frequently attended religious services."
When Malls Stay Open on Sundays, the Pious Party
by Richard Morin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091301759.html
When Malls Stay Open on Sundays, the Pious Party
by Richard Morin
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/13/AR2006091301759.html
Idea of the Week: Incentivizing Voting
"Here's how it would work: Each person's vote would count as a lottery ticket. At the end of each election, one ticket would win $1 million. If two million people vote, the odds of winning (1 in 2 million) would be far better than the current Powerball odds (1 in 146 million). The voting jackpot would come from the state's unclaimed lottery fund. With money remaning after the jackpot, he proposes thousands of prizes of $1,000 each."
Arizona Ballot Could Become Lottery Ticket
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/us/17voter.html
Arizona Ballot Could Become Lottery Ticket
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/17/us/17voter.html
Question of the Day: Hand Washing
Q: The health media advise us to wash our hands for 30 seconds, which seems like quite a long time. If one washes only 10 seconds, is the wash of any use at all?
A: When we wash our hands, we're removing germs mechanically, not killing them. So even a quick wash is far better than none. The most cleansing occurs during the frist 10 or 15 seconds. Every second after that is less effective. And as warm water doesn't kill germs, the temperature doesn't matter. Cool water is fine.
-Ask Marilyn; 8/5/07
A: When we wash our hands, we're removing germs mechanically, not killing them. So even a quick wash is far better than none. The most cleansing occurs during the frist 10 or 15 seconds. Every second after that is less effective. And as warm water doesn't kill germs, the temperature doesn't matter. Cool water is fine.
-Ask Marilyn; 8/5/07
Question of the Day: Creativity
Q: How do you explain the "aha!" moment we've all had in teh shower or the gym - or anywhere but at work?
A: In creativity research, we refer to the three Bs - for the bathtub, the bed and the bus - places where ideas have famously and suddently emerged. When we take time off from working on a problem, we change what we're doing and our context, and that can activate different areas of our brain. If the answer wasn't in the part of the brain we were using, it might be in another."
The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1147152,00.html
A: In creativity research, we refer to the three Bs - for the bathtub, the bed and the bus - places where ideas have famously and suddently emerged. When we take time off from working on a problem, we change what we're doing and our context, and that can activate different areas of our brain. If the answer wasn't in the part of the brain we were using, it might be in another."
The Hidden Secrets of the Creative Mind
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1147152,00.html
Monday, July 18, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Quotes
"There are times in one's life where we either make a frightening change or continue to die a slow death." (Unknown)
"Anyone driving faster than me is reckless, and anyone driving slower than me is an idiot." (George Carlin)
"Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality the cost becomes prohibitive." (William F. Buckley)
"If I've learned one thing in the last twenty years, it's that anyone who claims to be making money - isn't, and anyone who claims not be be making money - is. (Paul Young)
"With every passing hour our solar system comes forty-three thousand miles closer to globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules, and still there are some misfits who continue to insist that there is no such thing as progress." (Rason K. Jerm)
"Apparently, the UN is a school playground. With nukes." (Unknown)
"No two people in any relationship know what's going on in that relationship." (Unknown)
"Infiltrating the hottest shows is essential to building a client list. You have to be seen at this. If you're not seen, you're forgotten." (Unknown)
"Networking has been incredibly important. You've got to develop it where the players are in your field. There are always meetings and conventions of people withs similar interests. Be there, invited or not." (Unknown)
"It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am." (Muhammad Ali)
"It's much better to have your gold in hand than in the heart."
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone." (Reba Mcentire)
"If you don't see it, make it." (Unknown)
"I'm not a businessman; I'm a business, man." (Diamonds from Seirra Leone - Remix 2005)
"Awkwardness passes, regret doesn't. Cheers." (Unkown)
"I love children and old people. It's everyone in between I can't stand. (Unknown)
"If you wait long enough, something that was once bad for you now is good and vice versa." (Unknown)
"The only intrinsic danger is caring what others think." (Unknown)
"Nobody's palate is more important than your own." (Pierre Rovani)
"Anyone driving faster than me is reckless, and anyone driving slower than me is an idiot." (George Carlin)
"Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality the cost becomes prohibitive." (William F. Buckley)
"If I've learned one thing in the last twenty years, it's that anyone who claims to be making money - isn't, and anyone who claims not be be making money - is. (Paul Young)
"With every passing hour our solar system comes forty-three thousand miles closer to globular cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules, and still there are some misfits who continue to insist that there is no such thing as progress." (Rason K. Jerm)
"Apparently, the UN is a school playground. With nukes." (Unknown)
"No two people in any relationship know what's going on in that relationship." (Unknown)
"Infiltrating the hottest shows is essential to building a client list. You have to be seen at this. If you're not seen, you're forgotten." (Unknown)
"Networking has been incredibly important. You've got to develop it where the players are in your field. There are always meetings and conventions of people withs similar interests. Be there, invited or not." (Unknown)
"It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am." (Muhammad Ali)
"It's much better to have your gold in hand than in the heart."
"To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone, and a funnybone." (Reba Mcentire)
"If you don't see it, make it." (Unknown)
"I'm not a businessman; I'm a business, man." (Diamonds from Seirra Leone - Remix 2005)
"Awkwardness passes, regret doesn't. Cheers." (Unkown)
"I love children and old people. It's everyone in between I can't stand. (Unknown)
"If you wait long enough, something that was once bad for you now is good and vice versa." (Unknown)
"The only intrinsic danger is caring what others think." (Unknown)
"Nobody's palate is more important than your own." (Pierre Rovani)
Who Is Impressed by the British Accent?
"The main significant effect found in this study was that people who’d lived at least three months outside the US rated the English accent significantly lower than people who’d only lived in the US. In fact, Americans who had not lived abroad considered the English-accented person to be much more intelligent than themselves, but the people who had lived abroad rated the standard American accent more intelligent than the standard English one. My preferred way of interpreting this (a bit tongue-in-cheek) is that Americans are happy to rate the English as more intelligent than themselves up until they actually start meeting and talking to the English."
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/06/who-is-impressed-by-a-british-accent.html
http://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2011/06/who-is-impressed-by-a-british-accent.html
How Many People Call The Fat Duck Restaurant Each Day?
30,000+!
"The Fat Duck employs three full-time receptionists but its computer system logs the number of calls that fail to get through each day. That figure, he says, is between 28,000 and 31,000, double the figure 18 months ago, although the chef concedes the total number is swollen by prospective diners hitting the redial button. The restaurant only takes bookings two months ahead of time. But with two sittings a day and only 42 seats up for grabs, space is at a premium."
Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck Restaurant Gets 30,000 Calls a Day
by Zoe Wood & Rebecca Smithers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/06/fat-duck-heston-blumenthal
"The Fat Duck employs three full-time receptionists but its computer system logs the number of calls that fail to get through each day. That figure, he says, is between 28,000 and 31,000, double the figure 18 months ago, although the chef concedes the total number is swollen by prospective diners hitting the redial button. The restaurant only takes bookings two months ahead of time. But with two sittings a day and only 42 seats up for grabs, space is at a premium."
Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck Restaurant Gets 30,000 Calls a Day
by Zoe Wood & Rebecca Smithers
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/jul/06/fat-duck-heston-blumenthal
Friday, July 8, 2011
On US Government Bureaucracy
"In a 2005 study, I [Paul C. Light] found an average of 18 layers between, say, the secretary of agriculture and the forest ranger, or the secretary of interior and the oil-rig inspector - up from sevel layers in 1960."
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2004/0723governance_light.aspx
http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2004/0723governance_light.aspx
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Fact of the Day: Rainy Day Fund
Percentage of Americans who said their household couldn't come up with $2,000 in 30 days without selling some possessions: 47%.
-Source: National Bureau of Economic Research
-Source: National Bureau of Economic Research
Cost of Advertising Per Person
"Vitrue, a social-marketing software firm that works with Fortune 1000 brands concluded in a study last year that each person who 'likes' a brand is worth $3.60 - essentially the price of reaching that person through advertisements."
Rockville News Blog Abandons Its Web Site, Goes All Facebook All The Time
by Ian Shapira
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/rockville-news-blog-abandons-its-web-site-goes-all-facebook-all-the-time/2011/05/10/AG1X47iH_story.html
Rockville News Blog Abandons Its Web Site, Goes All Facebook All The Time
by Ian Shapira
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/rockville-news-blog-abandons-its-web-site-goes-all-facebook-all-the-time/2011/05/10/AG1X47iH_story.html
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Who Gets Unspent Campaign Funds?
"Money is spent on bills and debts first. If there is extra money, federal candidates must adhere to the strict FEC rules. Excess public matching funds are returned to the US Treasury. With private money, candidates have a few options, including refunding it, saving it for the next campaign, donating it to their poltical party or to a charity, or giving it to state or local candidates."
Who Gets Unspent Campaign Funds?
Parade.com/intel
Who Gets Unspent Campaign Funds?
Parade.com/intel
Recalling an Email
This article is a bit old, but...
The Problem: You sent an email that you immediately regret and would like to retrieve the message.
The Solution: Hit the recall button. The recall feature in Microsoft Outlook allows the sender to delte the message from the recipient's mailbox before it is read by opening the sent message and choosing "Recall this message" from the Actions menu. But hurry. You can't recall a message if it is moved to a different folder once it reaches teh recipient's inbox. This happens when recipients set up their inbox to automatically move any messages from you into a separate folder. The feature also works only if the recipient is also using a Microsoft Exchange Server account, meaning it won't work on Web-based email like Google's Gmail or Yahoo Mail.
Trying to Recall an Email
by Loretta Chao
WSJ; 1/10/06
The Problem: You sent an email that you immediately regret and would like to retrieve the message.
The Solution: Hit the recall button. The recall feature in Microsoft Outlook allows the sender to delte the message from the recipient's mailbox before it is read by opening the sent message and choosing "Recall this message" from the Actions menu. But hurry. You can't recall a message if it is moved to a different folder once it reaches teh recipient's inbox. This happens when recipients set up their inbox to automatically move any messages from you into a separate folder. The feature also works only if the recipient is also using a Microsoft Exchange Server account, meaning it won't work on Web-based email like Google's Gmail or Yahoo Mail.
Trying to Recall an Email
by Loretta Chao
WSJ; 1/10/06
Toilet Professor
On toilets and their different parts...
A Lesson From The Toilet Professor
by Tim Carter
http://www.silive.com/homegarden/homeimprovement/index.ssf/2009/11/heres_some_advice_that_will_le.html
A Lesson From The Toilet Professor
by Tim Carter
http://www.silive.com/homegarden/homeimprovement/index.ssf/2009/11/heres_some_advice_that_will_le.html
What is the Average Salary of a Lobbyist?
According to Salary.com, the median salary for a typical lobbyist is $98,516.
http://www1.salary.com/Lobbyist-salary.html
http://www1.salary.com/Lobbyist-salary.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
29 Cool Beach Shacks
No Shirt, No Shoes, No Worries
Conde Nast Traveler (July 2011)
http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503769
Conde Nast Traveler (July 2011)
http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503769
Rent an Expert
"A startt-up called Expert Insight is enabling the more famous or distinguished among us to sell their expertise by the hour, from the comfort of their homes, while dressed in their pajamas. Prices vary significantly by level of expertise, by field, and by fame."
Rent an Expert
by Annie Lowrey
http://www.slate.com/id/2296822/
Rent an Expert
by Annie Lowrey
http://www.slate.com/id/2296822/
Cooling The Brain for Better Sleep
"Researchers report that cooling the brain may help some problem sleepers drift off faster and sleep longer. In a study involving 12 insomniacs and 12 healthy sleepers, when the troubled sleepers wore specially designed caps that circulated water at cool temperatures, they fell asleep about as quickly as the normal sleepers did. the chillier the water, the better those with insomnia slept. The results support earlier findings that restless sleepers tend to show higher than nomral brain activity in the frontal cortex while they're trying to doze off. The heightened activity reaises teh brain's temperature just as the body starts to cool off at the end of the day to promote sleep."
Cool Your Head to Fall Asleep
http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/17/tip-for-insomniacs-cool-your-head-to-fall-asleep/
Cool Your Head to Fall Asleep
http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/17/tip-for-insomniacs-cool-your-head-to-fall-asleep/
Monday, June 20, 2011
Lawyer Up
"But getting that lawyer is no easy thing, said Chris Miles, who co-founded a company, LawyerUp, to get lawyers on the case within 15 minutes. He co-founded the company in February, and started full operations this month in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island, having built a roster of criminal lawyers who do not mind getting late-night calls."
Delivering a Lawyer With 15 Minutes (Soda Extra)
by John Schwartz
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/us/17lawyer.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26
Delivering a Lawyer With 15 Minutes (Soda Extra)
by John Schwartz
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/us/17lawyer.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26
Friday, June 17, 2011
On Inheritance
"It is difficult enough to entrust an elderly parent's care to someone you hire. But what do you do when that worker secretly marries their charge - and claims a chunk of your inheritance? Although no one tracks the numbers of such marriages, lawyers who handle estate-related litigation say they are seeing increasing numbers of 'predatory unions,' as life spans increase and dementia becomes more common."
Unholy Matrimony: How to Fight Back
by Kelly Greene
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906004576371470376031108.html
Unholy Matrimony: How to Fight Back
by Kelly Greene
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906004576371470376031108.html
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
It Pays for a Man to be Fat and a Women to be Skinny?
According to this study, skinny women get paid more and so do fat men...
http://www.timothy-judge.com/Judge%20and%20Cable%20%28JAP%202010%29.pdf
http://www.timothy-judge.com/Judge%20and%20Cable%20%28JAP%202010%29.pdf
Friday, June 10, 2011
How do Dust Bunnies Form?
Dust bunnies form from the surprisingly large supply of stuff in the air, including fibers from clothing fabrics and carpeting; hari; animal fur and dander; and especially human skin cells and dust mites that feed on them...Fibers have an electric charge that causes things to stick to them, so dust bunnies are more common in carpeted houses, which have a larger supply of fibers.
Dust Bunnies
by C. Claiborne Ray
http://tv.nytimes.com/learning/students/scienceqa/archive/20060321.html
Dust Bunnies
by C. Claiborne Ray
http://tv.nytimes.com/learning/students/scienceqa/archive/20060321.html
Do Other Animals Alter Food?
Q: Do any animals (besides humans) season or otherwise alter their food to make it taste better?
A: It is a general rule in the animal kingdom that "hunger is the best sauce," and seasonign food is simply not an issue for a voracious animal. Many species are presumed to have evolved along with their food supplies, and there is no easy way to take a survey of animals' taste satisfaction. They usually eat what they like and like what they eat, without salt and pepper. Some animals do show strong food preferences involving things like texture, and in one isolated but intriguing case, a Japanese macaque that was fed sweet potatoes began washing the food in salt water and some of the other monkey emulated her. A few animals alter their food beyond simply cracking nuts or opening shellfish to obtain access to nutrients. Honeybees, which significantly change the nectar they collect and onvert it to honey, are the best known. But this complicated process is believed to be for digestive and storage reasons, not for palatability..."
Sauce for the Goose
by C. Claiborne Ray
http://tv.nytimes.com/learning/students/scienceqa/archive/20060314.html
A: It is a general rule in the animal kingdom that "hunger is the best sauce," and seasonign food is simply not an issue for a voracious animal. Many species are presumed to have evolved along with their food supplies, and there is no easy way to take a survey of animals' taste satisfaction. They usually eat what they like and like what they eat, without salt and pepper. Some animals do show strong food preferences involving things like texture, and in one isolated but intriguing case, a Japanese macaque that was fed sweet potatoes began washing the food in salt water and some of the other monkey emulated her. A few animals alter their food beyond simply cracking nuts or opening shellfish to obtain access to nutrients. Honeybees, which significantly change the nectar they collect and onvert it to honey, are the best known. But this complicated process is believed to be for digestive and storage reasons, not for palatability..."
Sauce for the Goose
by C. Claiborne Ray
http://tv.nytimes.com/learning/students/scienceqa/archive/20060314.html
Fact of the Day: Births & Deaths
Q: About how many people are born and die in a single day?
A: Each day on Earth, about 350,000 people are born and 150,000 die.
-Parade Magazine
A: Each day on Earth, about 350,000 people are born and 150,000 die.
-Parade Magazine
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Do Humans Have White or Dark Meat?
"Dark meat is dark because it contains high amounts of iron-rich moglobin, which helps store oxygen in muscle. White meat has far less myoglobin. That's why chickens can strut around all day without fatiguing but can only fly in short bursts before their muscles tire due to oxygen deprivation. The same is true in humans, but instead of white and dark meat, exercise freaks say their muscles are fast-twitch and slow-twitch. Sprinters have more fast-twitch muscle fibers (white meat), while marathoners have more slow-twitch fibers (dark meat). Since sprinters still need to talk around the mall without collapsing in exhaustion, though, the difference in our dark meat/white meat ratio isn't as pronounced as it is in a bucket of KFC - but that doesn't mean it ain't finger-lickin' good!"
-Maxim?
-Maxim?
How Much Do Dead People Make?
A whole lot, according to Forbes. Last year, look at what these folks made:
Elvis Presley: $45 million
Charles Schulz: $35 million
John Lennon: $22 million
Andy Warhol: $16 million
Dr. Seuss: $10 million
Marlon Brando: $9 million
Marilyn Monroe: $8 million
J.R.R. Tolkien: $8 million
Elvis Presley: $45 million
Charles Schulz: $35 million
John Lennon: $22 million
Andy Warhol: $16 million
Dr. Seuss: $10 million
Marlon Brando: $9 million
Marilyn Monroe: $8 million
J.R.R. Tolkien: $8 million
Question of the Year: Probability
Four identical sealed envelopes are on a table. One of them contains a $100 bill. You select an enveloped at random and hold it in your hand without opening it. Two of the three remaining envelopes are then removed and set aside, unopened. You are told that they are empty. You are given the choice of keeping the envelope you chose or exchanging it for the one on the table. What should you do? A) Keep your envelope. B) Switch it. C) It doesn't matter.
-From Ask Marilyn
Answer is here: http://www.parade.com/askmarilyn/2010/09/Sundays-Column-09-19-10.html
-From Ask Marilyn
Answer is here: http://www.parade.com/askmarilyn/2010/09/Sundays-Column-09-19-10.html
Fact of the Day: Induced Motion
Q: Say you're sitting on a train, waiting to leave the station, and the train begins to move. Then you feel something is wrong, and you realize that your train is not moving at all. Instead, the train on a neighboring track is moving. Does a term exist for this feeling?
A: Yes: The feeling is known as "induced motion." Another misleading feeling is called "motion after-effects." It occurs when you've been watching a moving scene - one studied example is a waterfall - then look away at a stationary scene or object. For a few moments, the object appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Trains cause this feeling too.
-Ask Marilyn
A: Yes: The feeling is known as "induced motion." Another misleading feeling is called "motion after-effects." It occurs when you've been watching a moving scene - one studied example is a waterfall - then look away at a stationary scene or object. For a few moments, the object appears to be moving in the opposite direction. Trains cause this feeling too.
-Ask Marilyn
Fact of the Day: Prune Fingers
"Why do we wind up with prune fingers at the pool? It is because of increased absorption. So your fingertips may look dried out like a prune in the sun, but they actually get creased because they are absorbing a lot of water. They do this because the skin on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet is thicker and tougher than the skin elsewhere on the body. Those skin cells also contain more protein, called keratin, than skin cells elsewhere."
Wrinkled When Wet
by Margaret Webb Pressler
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073100905.html
Wrinkled When Wet
by Margaret Webb Pressler
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/31/AR2006073100905.html
Question of the Day: Love
Q: I say that one can love only living creatures, such as people and animals, or natural creations, such as mountains and oceans. My boyfriend says one also can love objects such as cars and houses. What do you think?
A: I think one can love only sentient creatures, which are conscious. My benchmark: Would you want to hug this "love object" if you could? For example, I think one could want to hug a bear, in theory. Or a firefly or a butterfly, in a way. But I can't imagine anyone wanting to hug a tulip, a painting or a violin.
-Ask Marilyn by Marilyn vos Savant
A: I think one can love only sentient creatures, which are conscious. My benchmark: Would you want to hug this "love object" if you could? For example, I think one could want to hug a bear, in theory. Or a firefly or a butterfly, in a way. But I can't imagine anyone wanting to hug a tulip, a painting or a violin.
-Ask Marilyn by Marilyn vos Savant
Which Sport Has The Most Popular Athletes?
"Americans apparently like their athletes big and dirty. Pro football players as a group edged out their counterparts in baseball and basketball in a national survey to find out which sport has the most popular pros."
-WPpost
-WPpost
On Champagne
Q: What does "brut" means?
A: "Brut" means "dry" and refers to a sparkling wine's sweetness level. The levels, in order from driest to sweetest, are: extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec, and doux. As non-vintage brut accounts for about nine of every 10 bottles of champagne sold, it's no wonder you're so often seeing it labeled that way.
-WPost
A: "Brut" means "dry" and refers to a sparkling wine's sweetness level. The levels, in order from driest to sweetest, are: extra brut, brut, extra dry, sec, demi-sec, and doux. As non-vintage brut accounts for about nine of every 10 bottles of champagne sold, it's no wonder you're so often seeing it labeled that way.
-WPost
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Do Good Restaurant Reviews Cause Price Hikes?
"Of course, some restaurants hike their prices after a rave. But others hike their prices after a bad review, or after no review at all. It turns out there's very little correlation at all between good reviews and price hikes."
Do Good Reviews Cause Restaurant Price Hikes?
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/06/gastronomics_whats_the_value_o.html
Do Good Reviews Cause Restaurant Price Hikes?
http://newyork.grubstreet.com/2011/06/gastronomics_whats_the_value_o.html
How Fish Get Their Unique Flavor
How Fish Get Their Unique Flavor
by Beth Kracklauer
http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Flavor-Factors?cmpid=enews060811
by Beth Kracklauer
http://www.saveur.com/article/Techniques/Flavor-Factors?cmpid=enews060811
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
College Class of the Day: Leadership Through Shakespeare
"Columbia Business School's Executive Eduction program is taking a dramatic turn, as the school introduces a course on leadership through Shakespeare. The course, "Realizing Leadership Potential: Applying Leadership Lessons from Shakespeare's Greatest Characters," will run the last weekend of July, coinciding with a New York visit from England's Royal Shakespeare Company. the program costs $5,550, including materials and some meals."
-WSJ
-WSJ
Friday, June 3, 2011
Fact of the Day: Matzo
Manischewitz estimates its matzo shelf life is about 2.5 years. But stale matzo can be re-crisped in a 250-degree overn for about five minutes.
Fact of the Day: Marriage and Wealth
The percent gain in wealth a married couple accumulates by staying together, according to a study: 93%
Accounting for a 77% drain on finance? Divorce.
Accounting for a 77% drain on finance? Divorce.
Fact of the Day: Price of a 30-second Super Bowl spot
In 2010, they were selling for between $2.5 million and $2.8 million. In 1996, they were going for an average of $1.37 million.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/11/sportsline/main6082591.shtml
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/01/11/sportsline/main6082591.shtml
Shocking Fact of the Day: Americans' Health
The percent of Americans who meet all four areas of health advice to maintain a healthy weight, excercise regularly, eat at least five fruits and vegetables daily, and avoide smoking, according to a study in the Arvhives of Internal Medicine: 3%
Fact of the Day: Estimat of Those Killed in Communist Regimes
Estimates by Goran Lindblad
China: 65 million
Soviet Union: 20 million
North Korea: 2 million
Cambodia: 2 million
Africa: 1.7 million
Afghanistan: 1.5 million
Vietnam: 1 million
Eastern Europe: 1 million
Latin America: 150,000
http://assembly.coe.int/documents/workingdocs/doc05/edoc10765.htm
China: 65 million
Soviet Union: 20 million
North Korea: 2 million
Cambodia: 2 million
Africa: 1.7 million
Afghanistan: 1.5 million
Vietnam: 1 million
Eastern Europe: 1 million
Latin America: 150,000
http://assembly.coe.int/documents/workingdocs/doc05/edoc10765.htm
Fact of the Day: Halloween Candy
Percentage of adults who admit to stealing candy from their kids' Halloween bags: 90%
(I wonder what % of kids suspect or know that their parents are stealing)
(I wonder what % of kids suspect or know that their parents are stealing)
Fact of the Day: Winning the Lottery
Percentage of Americans who say they would continue working at their current job even if they won $10 million in a lottery: 22% (Gallup Poll Social Series on Work and Education, August, 2005)
Percentage of small-business owners who would do so: 47% (Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, August, 2005)
Percentage of small-business owners who would do so: 47% (Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, August, 2005)
Fact of the Day: Circulating Dollars
Q: What percentage of the trillions of dollars in our country exists in the form of actual currency?
A: Less than 10%. The rest is digital or notational 0 it's written down somewhere. And about half of those trillions of digital dollars bounces around between lcoatiosn every business day.
-Marilyn vos Savant
A: Less than 10%. The rest is digital or notational 0 it's written down somewhere. And about half of those trillions of digital dollars bounces around between lcoatiosn every business day.
-Marilyn vos Savant
Q: Are heart attacks more common on Mondays?
A: They occur at their lowest rates on weekends, jump significantly on Mondays, then drop again on Tuesdays.
The Claim: Heart Attacks are More Common on Mondays
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/health/14real.html
A: They occur at their lowest rates on weekends, jump significantly on Mondays, then drop again on Tuesdays.
The Claim: Heart Attacks are More Common on Mondays
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/health/14real.html
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Acceptance of Evolution
"The US has a smaller proportion of people who accept evolution than any other country except Turkey, according to a 34-nation survey by researcher Jon D. Miller of Michigan State University. Iceland had the highest proportion accepting evolution."
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/706-public-acceptance-of-evolution
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/706-public-acceptance-of-evolution
On Telemarketers
"There are 337,662 telemarketers who work at about 4,800 establishments in the country, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Industry wages average $527 per week and about $25,000 per year, according to the bureau."
Calling Back
by Vickie Elmer
Calling Back
by Vickie Elmer
Wasting Time at Work
"Americans while away 2.09 hours in every eight-hour shift on nonwork activities - and that doesn't count lunch or snack breaks - according to research by America Online and Salary.com. This is twice as much time as human resources managers queried by Salary.com expected and represents an estimated $759 billion a year in wasted salaries."
Hey, You! Back to Work
by Vickie Elmer
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1369150.html
Hey, You! Back to Work
by Vickie Elmer
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1369150.html
Steering a Hurricane
Q: If the normal trajectory of weather in the continental US is from west to east, why is the normal trajectory of a hurraince from south to north?
A: A hurricane can go in almost any direction, but its path is subject to belts of wind at different heights and latitudes and to its own itnernal winds...In the Northern Hemisphere, the direction of a hurricane is the result of a combination of the Coriolis force and steering winds five to seven miles up...
Steering a Hurricane
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E6DA1031F93AA2575AC0A9609C8B63
A: A hurricane can go in almost any direction, but its path is subject to belts of wind at different heights and latitudes and to its own itnernal winds...In the Northern Hemisphere, the direction of a hurricane is the result of a combination of the Coriolis force and steering winds five to seven miles up...
Steering a Hurricane
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9403E6DA1031F93AA2575AC0A9609C8B63
Poorest Country in the World
Q: What is the poorest country in the world?
A: Gross national income - the GDP plus money received from other countries minus money paid to other countries - is now commonly used. The sad sacks who tie for lowest GNI - Iraq, Somalia, and Libya - all have a GNI of...$0. But perhaps the best meausrement is the human development index released by the United Nations. 'It takes into account not only economic factors but also social factors such as education, health, and access to water,' explains Lisa Cook, an economist at Michigan State University. According to the 2005 HDI...the lucky winner was Niger."
-From Maxim Magazine (date unkown; but old)
A: Gross national income - the GDP plus money received from other countries minus money paid to other countries - is now commonly used. The sad sacks who tie for lowest GNI - Iraq, Somalia, and Libya - all have a GNI of...$0. But perhaps the best meausrement is the human development index released by the United Nations. 'It takes into account not only economic factors but also social factors such as education, health, and access to water,' explains Lisa Cook, an economist at Michigan State University. According to the 2005 HDI...the lucky winner was Niger."
-From Maxim Magazine (date unkown; but old)
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
How Often Does the Average American Eat Out
I since one statistic that says the average American eats 80 restaurant meals a year. [I do not know what counts as a "restaurant."]
Zagat's says that the average American eats out 3.1 times per week.
Any others?
Zagat's says that the average American eats out 3.1 times per week.
Any others?
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
On Dark, Leafy Greens
There's a Wide World of Spinach Stand-Ins
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1375912.html (WPost; 10/4/06)
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1375912.html (WPost; 10/4/06)
Drinking Alcohol With a Meal Can Prevent Food Poisoning?
"Alcohol with a meal can lower the risk of food poisoning."
The Claim: Drinking Alcohol With a Meal Prevents Food Poisoning
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/health/15real.html
The Claim: Drinking Alcohol With a Meal Prevents Food Poisoning
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/15/health/15real.html
Blind Dining
"Opaque's Dining in the Dark is precisely what the name implies. A three-course meal served in a pitch-black room with an added twist - the entire wait staff is blind or vision-impaired. There are no candles or runway lights, not even an illuminated emergency exit - just 25 or 30 fearless foodies engaged in an experiment of the palate and psyche...Blame it on Jorge Spielmann, a blind minister who in 1999 opened his 60-seat Blindekuh (Blind Cow) restaurant in an abondoned Zurich church. The idea caught on, with spinoffs appearing in Berling, Brussels, paris and London."
Dining Here Brings a Whole New Meaning to the Blind Date
by Arnie Cooper
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113641656074537960.html
Dining Here Brings a Whole New Meaning to the Blind Date
by Arnie Cooper
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113641656074537960.html
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
On Prix Fixe Dining
"Contrary to what some diners might think, going for the prix fixe isn't always a bargain. Indeed, these menus can cost 20% or more than ordering a la carte."
The Prix Fixe Is In
by Mike Spector
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116017187522585348-search.html
The Prix Fixe Is In
by Mike Spector
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116017187522585348-search.html
Gastronauts
"[They] are members of a billowing fraternity in the Americna tourism industry: vacationers who plan their travels primarily - often solely - around food and wine. They are, to coin a term, 'gastronauts.'"
Gastronauts, Shooting for the )Michelin) Stars
by Bryan Miller
http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/travel/02gastro.html
Gastronauts, Shooting for the )Michelin) Stars
by Bryan Miller
http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/01/02/travel/02gastro.html
Mussels Heaven: Ile De Re
"It's local mussels that show up when villages here host big pulbic dinners - the equivalent of pancake breakfasts - in the twon square, like the 'Fete Moules Frites' held in La Couarde-sur-Mer during the Bastile Day holidy weekend."
A Passion for Mussels
by Julia Moskin
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/dining/23france.html
A Passion for Mussels
by Julia Moskin
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/23/dining/23france.html
The French, Food, and Trade
"France's passion for food culture and its policy of coddling farmers lies at the heart of a current deadlock in the World Trade Organization's global trade talks."
French Resistance to Trade Accord Has Cultural Roots
by Scott Miller
http://www.truthabouttrade.org/news/latest-news/7499-french-resistance-to-trade-accord-has-cultural-roots
French Resistance to Trade Accord Has Cultural Roots
by Scott Miller
http://www.truthabouttrade.org/news/latest-news/7499-french-resistance-to-trade-accord-has-cultural-roots
Michelin Stars Translate Into Dollars
"Receiving a Michelin star increases prices in a Parisian restaurant by 20 percent, controlling for measures of quality, decor and location."
In the Language of Gastronomy, Those Michelin Stars Translate as Dollar Signs
by Tyler Cowen
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/business/worldbusiness/13scene.html
and
French Chefs Try To Turn Tables On Star System
by Molly Moore
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-106287.html
In the Language of Gastronomy, Those Michelin Stars Translate as Dollar Signs
by Tyler Cowen
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/business/worldbusiness/13scene.html
and
French Chefs Try To Turn Tables On Star System
by Molly Moore
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-106287.html
Caring for Bananas
"In the summer heat, bananas tend to ripen faster than you can eat them. Slow things down by separating bunches and storing bananas apart from one another, preferably not in a bowl. As they age, bananas, like many fruits and vegetables, emit a gas called ethylene that accelerates ripening."
http://www.eagletribune.com/lifestyle/x1876255139/Kitchen-Tip-Keep-bananas-ripe/print
http://www.eagletribune.com/lifestyle/x1876255139/Kitchen-Tip-Keep-bananas-ripe/print
Is Choclate an Aphrodisiac?
"Research suggests that chocolate's aphrodisiac properties, if any, are limited."
The Claim: Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac
by Anahad O'connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/health/18real.html
The Claim: Chocolate is an Aphrodisiac
by Anahad O'connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/health/18real.html
Sushi Restaurant Tips
*Just a few suppliers stock most of the sushi restaurants in any given city.
*Spicy tuna rolls are often a way to disguise less-than-top quality.
*Most restaurants do not receive fresh fish on the weekend, so it is certain to be less fresh than on other days. In some places, Monday is even worse.
*Unpopular restaurants may not have enough turnover to have fresh fish.
The Raw Truth
by G. Bruce Knecht
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114324388013407970.html
*Spicy tuna rolls are often a way to disguise less-than-top quality.
*Most restaurants do not receive fresh fish on the weekend, so it is certain to be less fresh than on other days. In some places, Monday is even worse.
*Unpopular restaurants may not have enough turnover to have fresh fish.
The Raw Truth
by G. Bruce Knecht
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114324388013407970.html
We're Eating More, and Enjoying it Less
"Why? In a word: guilt...two-thirds of women report they're dieting. One-third of men say they want to lose weight. They're forever checking their conscience before digging into that ice cream sundae."
We're Eating More, and Enjoying It Less
by Candy Sagon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR2006041800378.html
We're Eating More, and Enjoying It Less
by Candy Sagon
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR2006041800378.html
How Much Do Chefs Make?
How Much Do Chefs Really Make?
by Judith Weinraub
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR2006041800376.html
by Judith Weinraub
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR2006041800376.html
Funa Zushi
"A primitive kind of sushi sitll made today is some ruarl areas of Japan, where it is called funa-zushi, 'crucian carp-sushi'. One of the most venerable surving artisan producears of funa-zushi is a small company called Nakajima Shichirobei Shoten, in Katata, in Shiga Prefecture."
http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topics/japanese-traditional-foods/vol.-13-funa-zushi
http://www.tokyofoundation.org/en/topics/japanese-traditional-foods/vol.-13-funa-zushi
Cool Maps: Mark Newman
From University of Michigan physicist Mark Newman...
http://www.worldmapper.org/textindex/text_index.html
http://www.worldmapper.org/textindex/text_index.html
Monday, May 23, 2011
Men/Women & Cheating
"A study set to be published in Psychological Science found that the higher men - or women - rose in a business hierarchy, the more likely they were to consider or commit adultery. With power comes both opportunity and confidence, the authors argue, and with confidence comes a sense of sexual entitlement."
Men Behaving Badly: What is it About Power That Makes Men Crazy?
by Nancy Gibbs
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2072527,00.html
Men Behaving Badly: What is it About Power That Makes Men Crazy?
by Nancy Gibbs
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2072527,00.html
Ever Human Who Ever Lived
"How many people have every walked on the planet? That's what American demographer Carl Haub wanted to find out when, in 1975, he heard someone say that 75 percent of the people who'd ever been born were alive at that time...Using 50,000 B.C. as his starting point, Haub applied crude birthrates - the number of annual births per thousand people - to each population set, then added them. His estimate? In 1975, 103 billion people had lived, but only 4 percent of them were alive at that time. Applied to 2011, says Haub, those numbers are 108 billion, and 6.4 percent."
From National Geographic; June 2011
http://hanovergraphics.tumblr.com/
From National Geographic; June 2011
http://hanovergraphics.tumblr.com/
The 10 Most Common Passwords
1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345678
4. 1234
5. (a vulgar password)
6. 12345
7. dragon
8. qwerty
9. 696969
10. mustang
2. password
3. 12345678
4. 1234
5. (a vulgar password)
6. 12345
7. dragon
8. qwerty
9. 696969
10. mustang
Friday, May 20, 2011
Coverage For When the Vacation is Scrubbed
Coverage for When the Vacation is Scrubbed
by Scott McCartney
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281504576331252643248680.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
by Scott McCartney
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704281504576331252643248680.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
The Rulemaking Process in the US
Good summary of the often misunderstood and underreported part of the US government...
http://www.ombwatch.org/files/regs/rcenter/backgroundpdfs/I.-V..pdf
http://www.ombwatch.org/files/regs/rcenter/backgroundpdfs/I.-V..pdf
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
On Key Lime Pie
Real-Deal Key Lime Pie
by Steve Garbarino
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703864204576313632201708692.html
by Steve Garbarino
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703864204576313632201708692.html
Friday, May 13, 2011
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Eating Food With Your Opposite Hand
Q: I've heard that food tastes a little different when eaten with the hadn opposte the one usually used. My friends and I tried this, and it's true. Why?
A: Taste receptors are arrayed symmetrically, with certain areas sensitive to sweet and salty flavors while others are tuned to sour and bitter flavors. When you use your favored hand to place food inside your mouth - especially with a utensil such as a fork or spoon - you do it the same way again and again. But if you use your other hand, the food arrives from an unfamiliar angel and traverses a somewhat different path of taste buds. The change is unimportant but noticeable.
A: Taste receptors are arrayed symmetrically, with certain areas sensitive to sweet and salty flavors while others are tuned to sour and bitter flavors. When you use your favored hand to place food inside your mouth - especially with a utensil such as a fork or spoon - you do it the same way again and again. But if you use your other hand, the food arrives from an unfamiliar angel and traverses a somewhat different path of taste buds. The change is unimportant but noticeable.
Cynar
Cynar is a bitter, 33-proof liqueur that is distilled from artichokes.
It's Made With WHAT?
by Jason Wilson
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/03/AR2007040300444.html
It's Made With WHAT?
by Jason Wilson
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/03/AR2007040300444.html
Criticizing Chinese Food
The Center for Science in the Public Interest gives tips on how to eat healthier at Chinese restaurants...
Chinese Restaurant Food Draws Criticism
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-21-1675943176_x.htm
Chinese Restaurant Food Draws Criticism
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-03-21-1675943176_x.htm
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Eating Local Honey Cures Allergies?
"There’s no evidence that local honey relieves allergy symptoms. "
Eating Local Honey Cures Allergies
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/health/10really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb3
Eating Local Honey Cures Allergies
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/10/health/10really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb3
Corporate Travel & Health
I wonder if the same is true with travel for pleasure...
A Heavy Load of Corporate Travel Could Take a Toll on Employees' Health
by Linda Searing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health/corporate-travel-could-take-a-toll-on-employees-health/2011/05/04/AFXTAedG_story.html
A Heavy Load of Corporate Travel Could Take a Toll on Employees' Health
by Linda Searing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health/corporate-travel-could-take-a-toll-on-employees-health/2011/05/04/AFXTAedG_story.html
Monday, May 9, 2011
The California Caviar Rush
The Great California Caviar Rush
by Stinson Carter
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703655404576292990600552436.html
by Stinson Carter
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703655404576292990600552436.html
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Earth Without Humans
Q: If human life were to vanish from Earth, leaving only animals and plants, how long would it take for the environment to return to a pristine state?
A: ...The planet would forget about us in maybe 50,000 years...
http://mobile.parade.com/askmarilyn/2011/05/Sundays-Column-05-01-11.html
A: ...The planet would forget about us in maybe 50,000 years...
http://mobile.parade.com/askmarilyn/2011/05/Sundays-Column-05-01-11.html
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Necker Island
The cost of Richard Branson's private island April 1 - December 31, 2011 is currently from $54,500 per night (for up to 28 guests), for a total of $1,946 per person per night. It is $56,000/night starting January 1, 2012 ($2,000 per person per night).
http://www.neckerisland.virgin.com/en/necker_island/how_to_book/exclusive_use
Peter Island is another exclusive (and very expensive) private island nearbye...
http://www.peterisland.com/
http://www.neckerisland.virgin.com/en/necker_island/how_to_book/exclusive_use
Peter Island is another exclusive (and very expensive) private island nearbye...
http://www.peterisland.com/
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Who Makes the Call at the Mall, Men or Women?
"A longstanding marketing adage makes clear who holds most American households' purse strings: Women control 80% or more of spending...In addition to having murky origins, the number appears to be wrong. Several recent surveys suggest that men have nearly equal say on spending..."
Who Makes the Call at the Mall, Men or Women?
bu Carl Bialik
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703521304576278964279316994.html
Who Makes the Call at the Mall, Men or Women?
bu Carl Bialik
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703521304576278964279316994.html
Ode to the Cuba Libre
Rum and Coke's Revolutionary Roots
by Jason Wilson
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/spirits-long-live-the-cuba-libre/2011/04/12/AFwGu9qE_story.html
by Jason Wilson
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/spirits-long-live-the-cuba-libre/2011/04/12/AFwGu9qE_story.html
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Interstate Mullet Toss
"The Interstate Mullet Toss lures huge crowds to Flora-Bama bar in Pensacola, Florida, where patrons try to throw a dead mullet fish as far as they can, from Florida across the sandy state border into Alabama."
Gulf Tourism as Gauged by Flying Fish
by Dionne Searcey
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704613504576268901532674000.html
Gulf Tourism as Gauged by Flying Fish
by Dionne Searcey
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704613504576268901532674000.html
The Importance of Ice
With Ice, Size Matters
by Kimberly Chou
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703789104576273114034005624.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Food
by Kimberly Chou
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703789104576273114034005624.html?mod=WSJ_LifeStyle_Food
Thursday, April 21, 2011
On Deception and Survival
"Deception is a fundamental part of evolution, establishing who eats and who is eaten. Gorillas and chimpanzees routinely lie to obtain food and attract mates. Birds feign a broken wing to lure a raptor away from the nest. Even a tasty species of butterfly deceives about its delectability by emulating another species with a bitter flavor."
Brain on Fire
by Joel Garreau
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900895.html
Brain on Fire
by Joel Garreau
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/29/AR2006102900895.html
A Response to Intelligence Design
"Our inability to comprehend these phenomena that appear 'designed' merely reflects our own limitations as a species. We only recently discovered fire and the wheel and remain a basically savage society. Why not recognize our own limited capacity to understand complexity?"
-Richard W. Grant, MD in an op-ed; Boston, Feb. 7, 2005
-Richard W. Grant, MD in an op-ed; Boston, Feb. 7, 2005
Productivity Holiday
"Productivity drops for an entire month - from this week (Dec. 14) until about January 16, according to a holiday productivity report from Glance Networks. The least work is done the day after Christmas, when productivity is off by 90 percent..."
Productivity Holiday
by Vickie Elmer
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-2796178.html
Productivity Holiday
by Vickie Elmer
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-2796178.html
Singing & Survival
"Music can manipulate people's emotional states."
Caveman Crooners May Have Helped Early Humans Survive
by Sharon Begley
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114376459161112941.html
Caveman Crooners May Have Helped Early Humans Survive
by Sharon Begley
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114376459161112941.html
The Paradox of Our Time
Dr. Bob Moorehead (not George Carlin)
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/paradox.asp
http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/paradox.asp
Wounds Heal Better When Exposed to Air?
"Exposing a wound to the air so it can breathe is a terrible mistake, experts say, because it creates a dry environment that promotes cell death...it is best to keep a wound moist and covered for at least five days...another common mistake is applying antibiotic ointments...these ointments may keep the wound moist, but they can slo lead to swelling and an allergic reaction called contact dermatitis. Plain and simple Vaseline, applied twice a day, works fine."
The Claim: Wounds Heal Better When Exposed to Air
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/health/01real.html
The Claim: Wounds Heal Better When Exposed to Air
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/health/01real.html
Sleep Depreivation: The Great American Myth
"People who get only 6 or 7 hours a night have a lower death rate than those who get 8 hours of sleep."
Sleep Deprivation: The Great American Myth
by Robin Lloyd
http://www.livescience.com/667-sleep-deprivation-great-american-myth.html
Sleep Deprivation: The Great American Myth
by Robin Lloyd
http://www.livescience.com/667-sleep-deprivation-great-american-myth.html
How Are Humans Different Than Animals?
What Makes US Different?
by Michael Lemonick
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1541283,00.html
by Michael Lemonick
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1541283,00.html
You Will Die Having Missed Almost Everything
The Sad, Beautiful Fact That We're All Going to Miss Almost Everything
by Linda Holmes
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/04/21/135508305/the-sad-beautiful-fact-that-were-all-going-to-miss-almost-everything
by Linda Holmes
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2011/04/21/135508305/the-sad-beautiful-fact-that-were-all-going-to-miss-almost-everything
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
"FOMA Disease"
"It’s known as FOMO, or 'fear of missing out,' and refers to the blend of anxiety, inadequacy and irritation that can flare up while skimming social media like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and Instagram."
Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It's Your Facebook Wall
by Jenna Wortham
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/business/10ping.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26
Feel Like a Wallflower? Maybe It's Your Facebook Wall
by Jenna Wortham
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/business/10ping.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha26
Are Allergies and Depression Related?
"Severe seasonal allergies may be a risk factor for depression."
Allergies Can Increase the Risk of Depression?
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/health/12really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4
Allergies Can Increase the Risk of Depression?
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/health/12really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4
Friday, April 15, 2011
Underground Food Markets
"The underground market seeks to encourage food entrepreneurship by helping young vendors avoid roughly $1,000 a year in fees — including those for health permits and liability insurance — required by legitimate farmers markets. Here, where the food rave — call it a crave — was born, the market organizers sidestep city health inspections by operating as a private club, requiring that participants become 'members' (free) and sign a disclaimer noting that food might not be prepared in a space that has been inspected."
They Gather Secretly at Night, and Then They (Shhh!) Eat
by Patricia Leigh Brown
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/us/15rave.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
They Gather Secretly at Night, and Then They (Shhh!) Eat
by Patricia Leigh Brown
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/15/us/15rave.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha23
Betting on Fear
"It's impossible to invest in the VIX directly, because it's a synthetic metric, not an actual basket of assets...For investors who want to bet on volatility, there are futures and options based on the VIX that can be traded..."
Some Investors, Looking for Safety, Bet on Fear
by Jia Lynn Yang
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/with-vix-or-market-volatility-index-investors-looking-for-safety-bet-on-fear/2011/04/01/AFfEE1kC_story.html
Some Investors, Looking for Safety, Bet on Fear
by Jia Lynn Yang
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/with-vix-or-market-volatility-index-investors-looking-for-safety-bet-on-fear/2011/04/01/AFfEE1kC_story.html
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Dictators and Rainfall
"When it comes to the distribution of democracy across the globe, it's mostly about the rainfall, a study suggests...The authors argue that moderate rainfall and arable land create economies in which small farms produce grain and legumes above the subsistence level. In turn, the trading of crops helps a broad swatch of the population to build up financial and educational capital, an important foundation of democracy."
The Rains of Dictators http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576246971301217878.html
The Rains of Dictators http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704013604576246971301217878.html
Buzkashi
"Over the past several years, the ancient sport of buzkashi - Dari for 'goat grabbing' - has turned into a big business in northern Afghanistan."
In Afghanistan's National Pastime, It's Better to Be a Hero Than a Goat
by Maria Abi-Habib http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703841904576256632384932122.html
In Afghanistan's National Pastime, It's Better to Be a Hero Than a Goat
by Maria Abi-Habib http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703841904576256632384932122.html
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Why Clutter & Mess is Good for Business
"Apparently when stuff is piled up and thrown all over stores, shoppers tend to buy more stuff."
Why a Messy, Cluttered Store is Good for Business
by Brad Tuttle
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/04/08/why-a-messy-cluttered-store-is-good-for-business/
Why a Messy, Cluttered Store is Good for Business
by Brad Tuttle
http://money.blogs.time.com/2011/04/08/why-a-messy-cluttered-store-is-good-for-business/
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Can You Get Sunburned Through a Car Window?
"In an enclosed vehicle, sunburn is unlikely, but deeply penetrating UVA rays can cause potentially harmful skin damage."
The Claim: You Can Get Sunburned Through a Car Window
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/health/05really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4
The Claim: You Can Get Sunburned Through a Car Window
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/05/health/05really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4
Can Dental Cavities Be Contagious?
Yes.
The Claim: Dental Cavities Can Be Contagious
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/health/29really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4
The Claim: Dental Cavities Can Be Contagious
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/29/health/29really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4
Crowdsourcing Genhis Khan
"Through a Webs ite called Field Expedition Mongolia, which Lin and his colleagues developed jointly with National Geographic, volunteers are helping sift through 85,000 high-resolution satellite images of Mongolia."
The Cyber-Hunt for Genghis Khan
by Sinday Bhanoo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/science/citizen-scientists-help-search-for-tomb-of-genghis-khan-via-photos-of-mongolia/2011/03/09/AFmhmKcC_story.html
The Cyber-Hunt for Genghis Khan
by Sinday Bhanoo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/science/citizen-scientists-help-search-for-tomb-of-genghis-khan-via-photos-of-mongolia/2011/03/09/AFmhmKcC_story.html
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Proteus Effect
"These researchers are tapping into what is called the Proteus effect, behavioral alterations in the real world that are triggered by changes in how our bodies appear to us in a virtual world. It can be a powerful tool. Experiments have shown that if you are sent into a virtual-reality environment with a particularly good-looking "avatar," or digital self-image, you are likely to become more sociable. Seeing your avatar exercising in a virtual world can spur you to add an hour a day to your exercise routine in the real world; people whose avatars do the dirty work of sawing down a virtual tree use less real paper later in the day. Given a taller avatar, you will act more confident and negotiate more selfishly."
Want to Retire Wealthier? Start by Scanning Your Photo
by Jason Zweig
http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/112444/retire-wealthier-start-by-scanning-your-photo?mod=fidelity-startingout&cat=fidelity_2010_starting_out
Want to Retire Wealthier? Start by Scanning Your Photo
by Jason Zweig
http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/112444/retire-wealthier-start-by-scanning-your-photo?mod=fidelity-startingout&cat=fidelity_2010_starting_out
Norway "Plankers"
"He leads a band of 'Plankers,' as they are known in the local jargon, who have pooled the risk by creating a new fund to pay one another's fines."
Freeloaders United to Fight Subway Fares
by Patrick McGroarty http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580004576180383768578942.html
Freeloaders United to Fight Subway Fares
by Patrick McGroarty http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703580004576180383768578942.html
Why Escalators Bring Out the Best in People
Why Escalators Bring Out the Best in People
by David Schroeder
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-escalators-brings-out-best-in-people
by David Schroeder
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=why-escalators-brings-out-best-in-people
Just Relax
1. Take a deep breath or two
2. Think of the good stuff
3. Slow down
4. Change the tape
5. Let it go
Just Relax!
by Frderic Luskin
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2006/edition_09-24-2006/Just_Relax
Make Time for Yourself
by Dianne Hales
http://www.parade.com/health/spring-health-guide/slideshow/how-to-make-time-for-yourself.html
2. Think of the good stuff
3. Slow down
4. Change the tape
5. Let it go
Just Relax!
by Frderic Luskin
http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2006/edition_09-24-2006/Just_Relax
Make Time for Yourself
by Dianne Hales
http://www.parade.com/health/spring-health-guide/slideshow/how-to-make-time-for-yourself.html
Iatrogenic Disease
"I often tell patients that the definition of a well patient is one who hasn't seen enough doctors or had enough tests done."
Heart Valves: Like a Saloon's Swinging Doors
by W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. Iatrogenic Disease
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iatrogenesis
Heart Valves: Like a Saloon's Swinging Doors
by W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. Iatrogenic Disease
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iatrogenesis
Monday, March 28, 2011
The Shadow Government
"They're the shadow government - the millions of private-sector contractors doing everything from Homeland Security-related IT projects here to interrogations in Iraq. Estimates vary, burt Paul Light of the Brookings Institution puts the number of such workers at 5.6 million - roughly double the size of the federal workforce."
Fortune Magazine, May 30, 2005;
by Peronet Despeignes
Fortune Magazine, May 30, 2005;
by Peronet Despeignes
Fact of the Day: Foreign Products
13 million = The number of foreign products that entered the US in 2005, up from 8 million in 2002.
Is Something Better Than Nothing?
Q: My friend believes that if you take a single vitamin, you will be just a little healthier than if you never had taken one. Or if you park a car inside a garage only two or three times, its body will be in better condition than if you hadn't, even if the difference is so small you can't see it. His reasoning is that something is always better than nothing. I disagree. What do you think?
A: I think he's wrong. The difference must be large enough to matter in some way - any way - or nothing is "better." Something has been lost: time. Whether your friend is taking a vitamin or parking his car, he is spedning precious time - which is a limited resource - and maybe money. Too many people spend time and money pursuing lots of goals just a little.
-Ask Marilyn
A: I think he's wrong. The difference must be large enough to matter in some way - any way - or nothing is "better." Something has been lost: time. Whether your friend is taking a vitamin or parking his car, he is spedning precious time - which is a limited resource - and maybe money. Too many people spend time and money pursuing lots of goals just a little.
-Ask Marilyn
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