October 2006
Tuesday, 31 October 2006
Energy drinks wire youths, and experts see trouble
Energy drinks wire youths, and experts see trouble: “They attract fan mail on their own MySpace pages. They spawn urban legends. They get reviewed by bloggers. And they taste like carbonated cough syrup.”
Food-borne bacteria evolving, becoming more dangerous
Food-borne bacteria evolving, becoming more dangerous: “a perfect storm of dangerous produce”
Proof that Internet porn prevents rape. - By Steven E. Landsburg - Slate Magazine
Proof that Internet porn prevents rape.: “What happens when a particularly violent movie is released? Answer: Violent crime rates fall. Instantly.”
Saturday, 28 October 2006
An Elephant Crackup?
An Elephant Crackup?: “As Nelson Okello and I sat waiting for the matriarch and her calf to pass, he mentioned to me an odd little detail about the killing two months earlier of the man from the village of Katwe, something that, the more I thought about it, seemed to capture this particularly fraught moment we’ve arrived at with the elephants. Okello said that after the man’s killing, the elephant herd buried him as it would one of its own, carefully covering the body with earth and brush and then standing vigil over it.”
New York Isn’t the World’s Undisputed Financial Capital
New York Isn’t the World’s Undisputed Financial Capital: “The Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which imposed stricter rules on corporate controls, ‘is just one problem of many,’ said Alan Yarrow, vice chairman of the German bank Dresdner Kleinwort, who is based in London. Others include the Patriot Act, the Department of Homeland Security and the perception that America does not welcome outsiders, he said.”
Tuesday, 24 October 2006
Early-Adopter Fans Kill “Studio 60”! (Maybe.)
Early-Adopter Fans Kill “Studio 60”! (Maybe.): “But we’ve got a theory brewing about the discrepancy between Studio 60’s chatter and its ratings – and it concerns those pesky alpha consumers. NBC has been offering full episodes, with skippable single-sponsor commercials, on its Website.” – I also wonder how many people are buying it from iTunes.
Battle of the New Atheism
Battle of the New Atheism: “There are plenty of would-be prophets in the world, vainly peddling their provocative claims. Most of them just end up lecturing to undergraduates, or leading little Christian sects, or getting into Wikipedia edit wars, or boring their friends. An unsuccessful prophet is not a martyr, but a sort of clown.”
Sunday, 22 October 2006
Concordes “left to rot on the runway”
Concordes “left to rot on the runway”
Wednesday, 18 October 2006
TV might cause autism.
TV might cause autism.: “as cable television became common in California and Pennsylvania beginning around 1980, childhood autism rose more in the counties that had cable than in the counties that did not”
Omega-3, junk food and the link between violence and what we eat
Omega-3, junk food and the link between violence and what we eat: “Here too you have one possible factor in cycles of deprivation (again, no one is suggesting diet is the only factor) and why criminal behaviour is apparently higher among lower socio-economic groups where nutrition is likely to be poorer.”
Can You Tell a Sunni From a Shiite?
Can You Tell a Sunni From a Shiite?: “How can they do their jobs without knowing the basics?”
Tuesday, 17 October 2006
MercuryNews.com | 10/15/2006 | Tower Records’ inferno: liquidation order in bankruptcy court
Tower Records’ inferno: liquidation order in bankruptcy court: “Those trying to save Tower had one last card to play. Bloom, representing the record companies, argued that even if Trans World’s bid was lower, it was in everyone’s best interests to sell to the Albany chain. The judge disagreed. He signed an 11-page order – with last-minute corrections hastily scribbled in the margins – sealing Tower’s fate. The order authorized Great American to begin holding going-out-of-business sales the following morning.”
Saturday, 14 October 2006
CBGB’s, epicenter of live punk, closing its doors
CBGB’s, epicenter of live punk, closing its doors: “When Kristal opened his doors in December 1973, CBGB’s stood for country, bluegrass and blues – three musical styles that wound up in short supply.”
Friday, 13 October 2006
China Drafts Law to Empower Unions and End Labor Abuse
China Drafts Law to Empower Unions and End Labor Abuse: “Hoping to head off some of the rules, representatives of some American companies are waging an intense lobbying campaign to persuade the Chinese government to revise or abandon the proposed law.”
Tuesday, 10 October 2006
Nearest Planet Beyond Solar System Might Be Photogenic
Nearest Planet Beyond Solar System Might Be Photogenic: “Astronomers think enough starlight might be reflected off the planet when it makes its nearest approach to Epsilon Eridani in 2007 for Hubble and other telescopes to image it. The Hubble observations also revealed that the planet orbits Epsilon Eridani on the same plane as the star’s disk of gas and dust. The finding marks the first time that the two objects have been observed at the same inclination around the same star and supports the theory that planets form from such disks.”