Banning August

"August is the Mississippi of the calendar. It's beastly hot and muggy. It has a dismal history. Nothing good ever happens in it. And the United States would be better off without it. Here is a framework for compromise. Cede the first 10 days of August back to July, thus extending holiday revelry for more than a week. September would claim the last 10 days of August, mollifying the folks who can't wait to get back to serious work. Labor Day would come 10 days earlier, the school year would run longer, and the rush of fall activity could get jump-started. August itself will keep 10 days."

August
by David Plotz
http://www.slate.com/id/2224073/

The End of War?

"Of course, all human behavior ultimately stems from our biology. But the sudden emergence of war around 10,000 BCE and its recent decline suggest it's primarily a cultural phenomenon and one that culture is now helping us to overcome. There have been no international wars since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 and no wars between major industrialized powers since the end of World War II. Most conflicts now consist of guerilla wars, insurgencies, and terrorism—or what the political scientist John Mueller of Ohio State University calls the remnants of war... At least part of the decline, he says, can be attributed to a surge in the number of democracies since World War II, from 20 to nearly 100 (depending on how democracy is defined). Since democracies rarely, if ever, wage war against each other, we may well see a continuing decline in the magnitude of armed conflict."

Steven Pinker identifies several other cultural factors contributing to the modern decline of violence, both between and within states:

1. The creation of stable states with effective legal systems and police forces has eliminated the endless feuding that plagued many tribal societies.

2. Increased life expectancies make us less willing to risk our lives by engaging in violence.

3. As a result of globalization and communications, we have become increasingly interdependent on—and empathetic toward—others outside of our immediate "tribes."

Does Peace Have a Chance?
by John Horgan
http://www.slate.com/id/2224275/

The Death of CNBC?

Basically, people like to watch exciting things and the markets tanking is exciting. Now that things appear to be stabilizing, CNBC is not as exciting to watch for many...

"Just as most people don't buy Playboy to read the articles, most people don't watch CNBC to listen to analysis. In fact, in many places—corporate offices, health clubs, bars, trading floors—the volume is generally muted. People keep CNBC on to see what stocks and bonds are doing and to see whether there's any news—especially to see whether there's any bad news. Standard business news such as quarterly earnings reports and Federal Reserve testimony isn't particularly exciting. CNBC gets its best ratings when the markets are tanking."

Why You've Stopped Watching CNBC
by Daniel Gross
http://www.slate.com/id/2224257/

Traveling to North Korea

"If Bill Clinton can visit North Korea, does that mean I can, too? Yes. If you're feeling adventurous and wish to visit beautiful Pyongyang, the U.S. State Department recommends getting a visa through North Korea's U.N. representative. But it's far easier to travel with an approved tour company, like Asia Pacific Travel (the only American company officially sanctioned by the North Korean government) or the British company Koryo Tours."

Dear Trip Leader
by Christopher Beam
http://www.slate.com/id/2224346/

How is America Going to End?

Click the link and then begin clicking around to find a whole series on America's end...

"In the American end times, our government will take one of two forms. One possibility is that federalism will give way to an all-powerful central government. The other option is decentralization—in the absence of a unifying national interest, the United States of America will fragment and be supplanted by regional governance."

How is America Going to End?
by Josh Levin
http://www.slate.com/id/2224104/

Chose Your Own Apocolypse
http://sdn.slate.com/features/endofamerica/default.htm

Are Organic Veggies Better for You?

"Last week the United Kingdom's Food Standards Agency published an extensive report on organic food that concluded with this bombshell: "There is no evidence of a difference in nutrient quality between organically and conventionally produced foodstuffs."

Are Organic Veggies Better for You?
by James McWilliams
http://www.slate.com/id/2224342/

Falacies of the Physics of a Coin Toss

"Coin tosses are a classic metaphor in econoics for randomness yet research into coin flips has discovered that the laws of mechanics determine the outcome of coin tosses: The startling finding is that they aren't random. Instead, for natural flips, the chance of a coin landing in the same position as it started is about 51 percent...the outcome of flips is not reandom. The reason real flips are less certain isn't just that the force can vary, it's that coins flipped manually tend to rotate around several axes at once...the dynamics of the coin flip, and its outcome, are determined not by the lack of balance in the coin but instead by the physics of spinning and flipping."

A Reliable Randomizer, Turned on Its Head
by David Adler
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/31/AR2009073104170.html

*Heads You Win, Tails...You Win. You Can Beat the Toss of a Coin and Here's How
by Victoria Moore
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1239823/Heads-win-tails--win-You-beat-toss-coin-heres-.html?ITO=1490

Hand Reflexology Charts

I wonder how much various hand/foot reflexology charts differ...It appears quite a lot...

Here is one:
http://www.thereikimaster.com/images/handreflex.gif

And another:
http://selfhelpreflexology.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/newhands.jpg

Personal Umbrella Holders

I wonder what other responsibilities most personal umbrella holders have and I wonder how much they get paid. I also wonder what type of umbrellas are used. Also, I wonder the history behind the job - who was the first personal umbrella holder?

"You know you've made it in Hollywood (or musicland) when you have a personal umbrella holder...I wonder how you find someone to be your personal umbrella holder. Or is it somebody already on your staff? Then how do you ask that person to be your personal umbrella holder? Hey, do you mind getting wet while holding my umbrella so I can stay dry?"

http://celebritystyle.about.com/b/2008/12/14/personal-umbrella-holders.htm

Learning How to Text

Quick! Tell Us What KUTGW Means
by Stephanie Rapaso
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203674704574328920789548170.html?mod=yhoofront

How Netflix Sends Movies So Fast

"Six nights a week, a truck leaves for the post office and picks up cartons full of these return-address envelopes; pickup is at 3 a.m. (It's also the reason that the time of day you mail your DVD back has no effect on when you receive your next one.) "

How Netflix Gets Your Movies to Your Mailbox so Fast
by Christopher Borrelli
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0804-netflixaug04,0,6424990.story

Map: Spread of the Amish

http://blogs.ngm.com/blog_central/2009/07/spread-of-the-amish.html

The "Shadow Fed"

The hardest invitation to get?

"At the end of next week, Peter Demirali and John Mousseau will join us at another sweet spot, in the village of Grand Lake Stream, Maine at Leen’s Lodge for the annual Shadow Fed fishing retreat (nicknamed Camp Kotok by Becky Quick). CNBC will be broadcasting live on Friday, August 7, starting very early in the morning and running for much of the day. We are 34 attendees, plus Steve Liesman, Matt Greco (a Squawk Box producer), and the CNBC crew. The attendees are by invitation only and have traveled from as far east as Abu Dhabi to as far west as Vancouver and Newport Beach and from as far south as Dallas. We have booked the entire camp and will be testing its capacity."

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/07/being-in-the-sweet-spot-twice/

Are the French Abandoning Topless Sunbathing?

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/07/when-to-stop-reading-a-book.html

When to Stop Reading a Book

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/07/when-to-stop-reading-a-book.html

Why are Manhole Covers Round?

http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2009/08/the_shape_of_man_hole_covers_r.php

Map: Life Expectancy in the US by Region

http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2009/07/dont-blame-canada.php

Which Vacation Model is Best?

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/08/which-vacation-model-is-best.html

Educational Opportunity of the Week: Wine

University of California-Davis has one of the best wine programs in the world...

http://wineserver.ucdavis.edu/

How Many Wineries in Your State?

Here is the 2007 count...

http://www.wine-road.com/education/articles/state-winery-rankings.php

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About

100 Things Your Kids May Never Know About
by Nathan Barry
http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/07/100-things-your-kids-may-never-know-about?npu=1&mbid=yhp

Iberico de Bellota

"D.C. based Wagshal's Market has become the only place in the country where you can purchase fresh Iberico de Bellota pork, chiefly the pork loin. While the cured stuff will run you close to $100 per pound, Wagshal's will retail the loin products for between $23.99 and $29.99 per pound, depending on the specific cut."

Andres, Wagshal's bring fresh Iberico de Bellota to U.S.
by Missy Frederick
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/top_shelf/2009/07/andres_wagshals_bring_fresh_iberico_de_bellota_to_us.html?ana=e_du_pub

Cash for Clunkers Pollution Impact

Not great, but still a start...

"'Cash for clunkers' could have the same effect on global warming pollution as shutting down the entire country — every automobile, every factory, every power plant — for an hour per year. That could rise to three hours if the program is extended by Congress and remains as popular as it is now."

'Cash for Clunkers' Effect on Pollution? A Blip.
by Seth Borenstein
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090805/ap_on_sc/us_cash_for_clunkers_pollution

Cost of a Baby

Obvisouly, the number is quite deceptive, but you get the idea...At that rate, one baby costs $13,000/year. If a baby costs $500,000 to raise until 17, it would be about $30,000/year.

Middle-Income Family Spends $221,000 to Raise Baby
by Betsy Taylor
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_us/us_fea_parenting_cost

Appetizers vs. Mains

Excerpt from a recent food discussion with Todd Kliman --

Vienna, VA: Hi Todd, I eat out a fair amount and I've noticed that the appetizers are always much more appealing and end up being much better tasting than the entrees. I've started to order 3 appetizers and one entree when i go out with my husband.Have you noticed this? Why do you think that is?

Todd Kliman: You're right. In fact, if I were paying my own way, I would do exactly as you do -- tilt the balance toward appetizers. They're generally more interesting and more rewarding.In fact, when I travel and I'm footing my own bill, that's what I generally do. Unless something really grabs me on the entrees list.Why do I think that is? Here's a thought ... Just as some writers are short story writers, others are novelists. The short story writers work best when they're working within strict parameters, when they have to rely on compression and really zero in on details. Novelists are novelists because they need to stretch out and weave strands and achieve their effects by layering and multiplication, etc.I think a lot of chefs are short story writers. Some chefs can do both stories and novels. But a lot of chefs tend to lose their way when they move from a smaller form to a larger form.

A/C Wars

"Women generally are far more sensitie to feelings of cold. Studies among several species of mammals hae shows the same results. Given a choice between two chambers on either side of their comfort range, males prefer one that is 'too cold' and females one that is 'too hot.' The difference in temperature preference between men and women is explained by several factors including women's lower ratio of body mass to surface area, lesser muscle mass and a slower resting metabolism. Further, women have a lower tolerance for cold than men."

Also, another interesting quote from the article:

"Happily married couples, the ones who make it all the way to the rocking chairs, argue pretty much nonstop about an average of 10 'irreconcilable differences,' said Diane Sollee, head of the Washington-based Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education."

A/C Setting Can Push Couples to Boiling Point
by Steve Hendrix
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/01/AR2009080101839.html

Labuan = Tax Haven Capital of the World?

"Last year 6,868 offshore companies from 85 countries registered in Labuan [Malaysia], up from 2,211 companies a decade ago. Labuan does not tax offshore holding companies, and it remains a struggle for nosy authorities from abraod to learn your business there. Push down hard on the likes of Switzerland and the Cayman Islands, and postboxes are likely to pop up in havens like Labuan."

Hot Haven
by Richard Morais
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0803/taxes-labuan-offshore-hot-tax-haven.html

How Do You End Your Email?

How do you sign off on your emails? Best? Sincerly? Cheers? Read some thoughts on closings with the following link...

'Best' For Last?
by Ruth McCann
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/02/AR2009080202073.html

Quote of the Week: Domain Sitting

"I own 906090.com, which represents the 'perfect' female form in Europe (36-24-36 in America). You can appreciate its potential."

-Amir M. (From August 2009 issue of Maxim Magazine)

Quote of the Day: Female Dress

"She was dressed to make men panic."

-Chris Cooley of the Washington Redskins referring to wife on the first day they met

Marketing Fish

"Some of the worst-hit (i.e., overfished) were fish that have been renamed to make them more marketable. For threatened animals on land, a more attractive name might be a blessing. But for these creatures - slimeheads, goosefish, rock crabs, Patagonian toothfish, whore's eggs - it was a curse."

Popular examples include:

*Patagonian toothfish (i.e., Chilean sea bass)
*Goosefish (i.e., Monkfish)
*Slimehead (i.e, Orange roughy)
*Rock crab (i.e., Peekytoe crab)

Tastier Names Trouble for Seafood Stocks
by David Fahrenthold
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/30/AR2009073002478.html

On Crabmeat

"The local Jerry's Seafood chain stopped using Chesapeake Bay crabmeat years ago in favor of a more reliable source of blue crabmeat from Venezuela. Chefs I spoke with generally preferred domestic crab, which comes from the Gulf, the Carolines and, of course, the Chesapeake Bay. But all agreed that Venezuelan crab is a good product...The crabs are larger than their domestic counterparts and provide great chunks of meat. Venezuelan crab also arrives fresh by air. Most crab from the Philippines and Indonesia is pasteurized and shipped by boat...Indeed, some diners find they prefer imported crabmeat. As soon as I started serving local crabmeat, people started sending it back, saying this tastes fishy...I think for the least 15 years, alost every crab cake you've had in every restaurant has been Southeast Asian crabmeat. It's washed and bleached. That takes away a lot of the flavor."

The Lump Sum
by Jane Black
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/28/AR2009072800394.html

Do You Like Your Food?

I would probably just say "it's fine." The word satisfactory sounds too proper and negative...

Q: My wife and I frequently eat at restaurants. It is common for waiters - or even the manager - to ask during or after the meal whether we like the food. Sometimes, when the food is not good, I say so. What usually follows is an overblown show of concern that I find disingenuous and unproductive. Eager to avoid this sort of scene, I often lie and say "everything is fine," even when it isn't. This works well, but my wife and I are expecting our first daughter soon, and I don't like the idea of casually lying in front of her once she is old enough to understand. What is a polite, truthful way of answering the question of "How do you like the food?" without instigating an overblown response?

A: "It is satisfactory, thank you." Presumably this is truthful, because you are eating the food, and if it were unsatisfactory, you should have sent it back. Such a tepid comment will expose the question for what it is - brazen fishing for compliments.

-From WPost's Miss Manners (July 29, 2009)

The Death of SATs and GREs?

Probably not, but an interesting new test nonetheless...

"The Educational Testing Service (ETS) developed a tool to rate students across a braod sweep of traits - creativity, teamwork, integrity - that admission tests don't measure. An applicants personality is distilled into six traits, and the applicant is rated on each of them by various professors and former supervisors on a scale of 1 to 5. The Personal Potential Index marks the first large-scale attempt to codify the elusive, subjective attributes that make up a successful grad student."

New Index Will Score Graduate Students' Personality Traits
by Daniel De Vise
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/09/AR2009070902085.html

Fact of the Day: Portuguese

How many countries speak Portuguese? The answer is 10 (according to one source that needs to be verified). Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Portugal, and São Tomé and Príncipe.