The EPA is considering adding letter grades to auto emissions placards on new cars. Read the full article on the wapo or check out the design. Of course, another option is a boring revision of the current placard. Me personally, I’d like to see a big F on a Hummer.
NO. NOW GO TO THIS SITE NOW: http://www.thewildernessdowntown.com/
You can read about it afterwards here.
If you use to follow fivethirtyeight.com and wonder now where it went, Nate inked a deal with the NYTimes to incorporate the blog. Ok, interesting enough.
In his latest post, Silver argues that all of the inflated journalism surrounding the lowered GDP estimates is more playing to the double dip narrative and less fact. If you haven’t followed the news, the latest estimate for GDP quarter growth was reported as less than stellar. In fact, some looked at it and said it was indicative of a double dip recession. Reporters were practically drooling to release the news as it played to the Obama isn’t doing enough story. What Silver argues though, is that the numbers are skewed by two factors. Overall, demand is up and most factors are positive.
So what is the truth behind the revision.
1) State and local government spending is down. This we knew.
2) Imports are up dramatically. In fact, most of the increase in domestic demand is being fed by imports, which are cheaper. And imports minus exports is an adjustment to GDP. But why the surge in imports? US manufacturers have been trimming their inventories and their capacities in the wake of the Great Recession. And foreign importers are lowering prices to keep and attract buyers. So with cheap foreign goods available, distributors are looking overseas to restock their inventories.
What this means is that gross domestic product might be down, but demand is healthy.
So don’t panic yet. And say something nice to a geek today. And make sure you check behind the curtain.
Next time you find yourself with cash in your wallet or purse, imagine this concept from designboom. They even thought out each denomination. Anyways, it’s not going to remotely happen but designboom puts together a cool case. I’ll take 1,000 please.
Apparently, it’s not.
Anyways, here’s who’s pushing sugary water. Three companies. Check out this amazingly detailed look at the beverage industry. And then drink more water.
While we’re on the subject, here’s a BBQ sauce recipe for the Southerners out there who can’t get enough of their Coca-Cola.
http://theweekendgrillers.com/Coca-Cola-BBQ-Sauce.php
And just to round out the post, here’s an interesting site that shows us how many sugar cubes are in a Coke (it’s not good). http://www.sugarstacks.com/breakfast.htm
Pop tarts too … man, nothing is sacred anymore.
Of course, this being the moogaz, we return to politics. Keep an eye out in September for the House to take up Michelle Obama’s Hunger Free Kids Act. The Senate quickly passed it before the August recess. The House will probably look to make it meatier, adding to the amount spent per meal by 6 cents when what’s really needed is $1-2. But either way, a bill passed that gives the Agricultural Department the ability to get rid of vending machines from schools and adds to the quality of 30 million meals a day while taking aim at the obesity of our kids is a good bill in my book. The Senate and the House reconvene on September 13th.
On an overcast September morning, there was a blast. Windows were blown out and walls collapsed. The work of a group of terrorists would be exposed. Thousands of mourners would gather to hear national leaders speak. Songs would be written. National laws soon after changed.
Some years after, members of the same religion as the terrorists would try to build a community center downtown, only a couple of streets away from the horrible act.
But no one revolted. No one protested. It wasn’t considered “bad taste” or “an affront to the victims” In fact the community center would be supported by the Governor. And by the 1990’s, this center would be heralded for its value to students. (article)
The blast was the September 1963 16th Street church bombing in Birmingham Alabama. And it was carried out by an extremist organization, the United Klans of America (history here and here). They screamed for the take down of American Jews. They terrorized their neighbors into silence and spoke in the name of Christianity.
In fact no one associated these terrorists with Christianity. No one assumed they were a bulwark of Christian values. They were a hate group. And the country gathered to mourn its people’s losses and fight for its people rights. Martin Luther King inspired us to dream.
Today, my dental hygienist said she thought it was an affront to the honor of the 9-11 victims that “they” would build a mosque near the WTC. She didn’t mean any harm, and in fact she said she wanted to learn more by reading Three Cups of Tea. But the winds of intolerance seem to be blowing (article). I don’t blame her. I blame the lack of Martin Luther Kings.
Today is the 100th day since our first posting on the moogaz. I thought maybe we were around that benchmark and needed a blog post title and then sure enough, I went to Excel and popped in a formula and well, today is exactly 100 days. Weird.
With most of our authors either having a baby or getting married, content’s been a little dry this past week (get on that Jim). Alas though, we received our first cross-blog promotional bit from a site called Team Scrappy. I can’t possibly do justice to these spedo wearing idiots, so you’ll just have to go there and read their post “Why you Shouldn’t Fart in a Wetsuit”.
There are some really dumb infographics out there on the first 100 days (see this and this if you want really crappy infographics). I decided instead to choose a meaningless image to adorn our 100 days celebratory post.
