July 2008
19 posts
3 tags
1 tag
“People use text messaging a lot, or not at all. In the United States, 82 percent...”
– According to a worldwide survey by Ipsos MediaCT, as reported in the N.Y. Times
Feats of Death-Defying Spandex →
Best headline of the year! (N.Y. Times)
2 tags
“If all inmates and arrestees who need treatment [for drug abuse] received it and...”
– Joseph A. Califano Jr., chairman and president, National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in a letter to the N.Y. Times.
2 tags
American Energy Policy, Asleep at the Spigot →
The government should have raised gas taxes in the 90’s when gas was cheap and the car companies could absorb the change.
European countries have huge gas taxes — some at $5 per gallon — to encourage conservation and build world-class mass transit systems.
1 tag
Why Can't Sports Commentators Talk About, You...
Last week, I recorded about 10 hours of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials that took place in Omaha, Nebraska. Last night, I gorged myself on the video, but I had to fast forward through much of it.
It quickly became apparent that the commentators were directed to talk about almost anything except the actual swimming itself. NBC went out of its way to make the comments as inane as possible.
The...
1 tag
Elaborate Recreation of "The Shining" Looks Like... →
Channel 4 goes through elaborate pains to recreate The Shining for a promo of its Kubrick season. Then, it masterfully screws up the video’s aspect ratio so that it looks like shiite on the web. (guardian.co.uk)
1 tag
Cheapest Way to Run Windows Apps on Macs and Linux...
If you’re looking for a cheap way to run Microsoft Windows applications on an Apple Mac or Linux PC, I recommend CrossOver from CodeWeavers.
I use CrossOver to run the Windows version of Quicken Premier on my Mac. I bought Quicken before my switch from Windows to Mac so I wanted to save money by using the same software on my new iMac. Plus, Quicken Premier for Windows has a lot of...
1 tag
Study shows Spiritual effects of mushrooms last a... →
The “spiritual” effects of psilocybin from mushrooms may last for more than a year and may offer a way to help patients with fatal diseases or addictions, U.S. researchers reported.
1 tag
1 tag
“Drug abuse must be seen as a public health concern and not primarily a law...”
– Not Winning the War on Drugs, an editorial in the N.Y. Times
1 tag
1 tag
No Babies? →
This is a fascinating analysis of declining birthrates, their impact on urban planning, and whether we should resist or encourage them. (N.Y. Times Magazine)
1 tag
“Living at home with your parents is a very powerful contraception.”
– British politician, David Willetts, comments on the declining birthrate in Europe (from No Babies? - Declining Population in Europe in the N.Y. Times)
1 tag
1 tag
Can Hookworms Can Protect Against Allergies? →
A scientist infects himself with hookworms to see if they can reduce allergy symptoms.
1 tag
How the FBI Botched the Anthrax Case →
This is what happens when the Bush administration starts putting politics into public service hiring practices.