Robert F. Worth, writing in the NYT:
The Saudis have long been a force for moderation in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, arguing that soaring prices simply promote conservation and fuel-switching strategies that could ultimately hurt oil producers the most. As the former Saudi oil minister, Sheik Ahmed Zaki Yamani, likes to say, the Stone Age did not end because we ran out of stones.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
A tree fell. No-one heard it.
Canada condemns Zimbabwe's 'illegal' election, imposes sanctions
The following sanctions will immediately take effect:
- Restricting travel, work and study of senior members of Zimbabwe's government within Canada.
- Banning Zimbabwe-registered aircraft from landing in or flying over Canada.
- Summoning the ambassador of Zimbabwe to Canada to convey Canada's position.
Dis shud finally end it...
The Future Belongs to the Weeds
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/magazine/29weeds-t.html?pagewanted=all
Apparently, in high CO2 environments, weeds grow faster, bigger, stronger than food crops and grazing grasses...
Apparently, in high CO2 environments, weeds grow faster, bigger, stronger than food crops and grazing grasses...
Developing techniques for managing weeds in a time of global climate change
will be essential to the world’s agricultural future, and the U.S.D.A.
researchers, though they have been starved of essential financing, lead the
world in this field. (There is one exception, Ziska admits; his Web searches
have revealed that marijuana growers have an amazingly detailed knowledge of how
CO2 enrichment affects their crop. But as Ziska points out, they don’t publish
in scientific journals.) Possession of this expertise could be a great economic
asset to the United States, both for the protection it could provide to our own
harvests and as an intellectual export that is sure to be much in demand in
other countries.
Should have been me
Father Figure: The Children of Donor 401
I wanted to buy a car with the money from sperm donation... Instead, I ended up with a black 1991 VW Corrado with a white hood.
I should have put a Sox logo on it. Fungai could have helped. Maybe a little Ozzy Guillen decal on the back.
I wanted to buy a car with the money from sperm donation... Instead, I ended up with a black 1991 VW Corrado with a white hood.
I should have put a Sox logo on it. Fungai could have helped. Maybe a little Ozzy Guillen decal on the back.
For those of you too snooty or lazy to go the Suntimes
Logan Square man dies after accidentally falling from apartment building.
I think they used to call this a Darwin Award winner.
I think they used to call this a Darwin Award winner.
For those of you too lazy or too wary to go to nytimes.com
Solution, or Mess? A Milk Jug for a Green Earth
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
Published: June 30, 2008
NORTH CANTON, Ohio — A simple change to the design of the gallon milk jug, adopted by Wal-Mart and Costco, seems made for the times. The jugs are cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher when it arrives in stores, and it costs less.
Amy Wise, of Ohio, said the gallon jug spilled milk everywhere.
Greg Soehnlen, who helps run the company that designed the newfangled jugs, with a pallet at Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio.
What’s not to like? Plenty, as it turns out.
The jugs have no real spout, and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk.
“I hate it,” said Lisa DeHoff, a cafe owner shopping in a Sam’s Club here.
“It spills everywhere,” said Amy Wise, a homemaker.
“It’s very hard for kids to pour,” said Lee Morris, who was shopping for her grandchildren.
But retailers are undeterred by the prospect of upended bowls of Cheerios. The new jugs have many advantages from their point of view, and Sam’s Club intends to roll them out broadly, making them more prevalent.
The redesign of the gallon milk jug, experts say, is an example of the changes likely to play out in the American economy over the next two decades. In an era of soaring global demand and higher costs for energy and materials, virtually every aspect of the economy needs to be re-examined, they say, and many products must be redesigned for greater efficiency.
“This is a key strategy as a path forward,” said Anne Johnson, the director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of the nonprofit group GreenBlue. “Re-examining, ‘What are the materials we are using? How are we using them? And where do they go ultimately?’ ”
Wal-Mart Stores is already moving down this path. But if the milk jug is any indication, some of the changes will take getting used to on the part of consumers. Many spill milk when first using the new jugs.
“When we brought in the new milk, we were asking for feedback,” said Heather Mayo, vice president for merchandising at Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart. “And they’re saying, ‘Why’s it in a square jug? Why’s it different? I want the same milk. What happened to my old milk?’ ”
Mary Tilton tried to educate the public a few days ago as she stood at a Sam’s Club in North Canton, about 50 miles south of Cleveland, luring shoppers with chocolate chip cookies and milk as she showed them how to pour from the new jugs.
“Just tilt it slowly and pour slowly,” Ms. Tilton said to passing customers as she talked about the jugs’ environmental benefits and cost savings. Instead of picking up the jug, as most people tend to do, she kept it on a table and gently tipped it toward a cup.
Mike Compston, who owns a dairy in Yerington, Nev., described the pouring technique in a telephone interview as a “rock-and-pour instead of a lift-and-tip.”
Demonstrations are but one of several ways Sam’s Club is advocating the containers. Signs in the aisle laud their cost savings and “better fridge fit.”
And some customers have become converts.
“With the new refrigerators with the shelf in the door, these fit nice,” said April Buchanan, who was shopping at the Sam’s Club here. Others, even those who rue the day their tried-and-true jugs were replaced, praised the lower cost, from $2.18 to $2.58 a gallon. Sam’s Club said that was a savings of 10 to 20 cents a gallon compared with old jugs.
The new jug marks a sharp break with the way dairies and grocers have traditionally produced and stocked milk.
Early one recent morning, the creators and producers of the new tall rectangular jugs donned goggles and white coats to walk the noisy, chilly production lines at Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio. It was founded in 1922 by a man who was forced to abandon the brandy business during Prohibition. Five generations of the founder’s family, the Soehnlens, have worked there.
Today, they bottle and ship two different ways. The old way is inefficient and labor-intensive, according to members of the family. The other day, a worker named Dennis Sickafoose was using a long hook to drag plastic crates loaded with jugs of milk onto a conveyor belt.
The crates are necessary because the shape of old-fashioned milk jugs prohibits stacking them atop one another. The crates take up a lot of room, they are unwieldy to move, and extra space must be left in delivery trucks to take empty ones back from stores to the dairy.
They also can be filthy. “Birds roost on them,” said Dan Soehnlen, president of Superior Dairy, which spun off a unit called Creative Edge to design and license new packaging of many kinds. He spoke while standing in pools of the soapy run-off from milk crates that had just been washed. About 100,000 gallons of water a day are used at his dairy clean the crates, Mr. Soehnlen said.
But with the new jugs, the milk crates are gone. Instead, a machine stacks the jugs, with cardboard sheets between layers. Then the entire pallet, four layers high, is shrink-wrapped and moved with a forklift.
The company estimates this kind of shipping has cut labor by half and water use by 60 to 70 percent. More gallons fit on a truck and in Sam’s Club coolers, and no empty crates need to be picked up, reducing trips to each Sam’s Club store to two a week, from five — a big fuel savings. Also, Sam’s Club can now store 224 gallons of milk in its coolers, in the same space that used to hold 80.
The whole operation is so much more efficient that milk coming out of a cow in the morning winds up at a Sam’s Club store by that afternoon, compared with several hours later or the next morning by the old method. “That’s our idea of fresh milk,” Greg Soehnlen, a vice president at Creative Edge, said.
Sam’s Club started using the boxy jugs in November, and they are now in 189 stores scattered around the country. They will appear soon in more Sam’s Club stores and perhaps in Wal-Marts.
The question now is whether customers will go along.
As Ms. Tilton gave her in-store demonstration the other day at the Sam’s Club here, customers stood around her, munching cookies and sipping milk. “Would you like to take some home today?” she asked.
A shopper named Jodi Kauffman gave the alien jugs a sidelong glance.
“Maybe,” she said.
By STEPHANIE ROSENBLOOM
Published: June 30, 2008
NORTH CANTON, Ohio — A simple change to the design of the gallon milk jug, adopted by Wal-Mart and Costco, seems made for the times. The jugs are cheaper to ship and better for the environment, the milk is fresher when it arrives in stores, and it costs less.
Amy Wise, of Ohio, said the gallon jug spilled milk everywhere.
Greg Soehnlen, who helps run the company that designed the newfangled jugs, with a pallet at Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio.
What’s not to like? Plenty, as it turns out.
The jugs have no real spout, and their unorthodox shape makes consumers feel like novices at the simple task of pouring a glass of milk.
“I hate it,” said Lisa DeHoff, a cafe owner shopping in a Sam’s Club here.
“It spills everywhere,” said Amy Wise, a homemaker.
“It’s very hard for kids to pour,” said Lee Morris, who was shopping for her grandchildren.
But retailers are undeterred by the prospect of upended bowls of Cheerios. The new jugs have many advantages from their point of view, and Sam’s Club intends to roll them out broadly, making them more prevalent.
The redesign of the gallon milk jug, experts say, is an example of the changes likely to play out in the American economy over the next two decades. In an era of soaring global demand and higher costs for energy and materials, virtually every aspect of the economy needs to be re-examined, they say, and many products must be redesigned for greater efficiency.
“This is a key strategy as a path forward,” said Anne Johnson, the director of the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of the nonprofit group GreenBlue. “Re-examining, ‘What are the materials we are using? How are we using them? And where do they go ultimately?’ ”
Wal-Mart Stores is already moving down this path. But if the milk jug is any indication, some of the changes will take getting used to on the part of consumers. Many spill milk when first using the new jugs.
“When we brought in the new milk, we were asking for feedback,” said Heather Mayo, vice president for merchandising at Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart. “And they’re saying, ‘Why’s it in a square jug? Why’s it different? I want the same milk. What happened to my old milk?’ ”
Mary Tilton tried to educate the public a few days ago as she stood at a Sam’s Club in North Canton, about 50 miles south of Cleveland, luring shoppers with chocolate chip cookies and milk as she showed them how to pour from the new jugs.
“Just tilt it slowly and pour slowly,” Ms. Tilton said to passing customers as she talked about the jugs’ environmental benefits and cost savings. Instead of picking up the jug, as most people tend to do, she kept it on a table and gently tipped it toward a cup.
Mike Compston, who owns a dairy in Yerington, Nev., described the pouring technique in a telephone interview as a “rock-and-pour instead of a lift-and-tip.”
Demonstrations are but one of several ways Sam’s Club is advocating the containers. Signs in the aisle laud their cost savings and “better fridge fit.”
And some customers have become converts.
“With the new refrigerators with the shelf in the door, these fit nice,” said April Buchanan, who was shopping at the Sam’s Club here. Others, even those who rue the day their tried-and-true jugs were replaced, praised the lower cost, from $2.18 to $2.58 a gallon. Sam’s Club said that was a savings of 10 to 20 cents a gallon compared with old jugs.
The new jug marks a sharp break with the way dairies and grocers have traditionally produced and stocked milk.
Early one recent morning, the creators and producers of the new tall rectangular jugs donned goggles and white coats to walk the noisy, chilly production lines at Superior Dairy in Canton, Ohio. It was founded in 1922 by a man who was forced to abandon the brandy business during Prohibition. Five generations of the founder’s family, the Soehnlens, have worked there.
Today, they bottle and ship two different ways. The old way is inefficient and labor-intensive, according to members of the family. The other day, a worker named Dennis Sickafoose was using a long hook to drag plastic crates loaded with jugs of milk onto a conveyor belt.
The crates are necessary because the shape of old-fashioned milk jugs prohibits stacking them atop one another. The crates take up a lot of room, they are unwieldy to move, and extra space must be left in delivery trucks to take empty ones back from stores to the dairy.
They also can be filthy. “Birds roost on them,” said Dan Soehnlen, president of Superior Dairy, which spun off a unit called Creative Edge to design and license new packaging of many kinds. He spoke while standing in pools of the soapy run-off from milk crates that had just been washed. About 100,000 gallons of water a day are used at his dairy clean the crates, Mr. Soehnlen said.
But with the new jugs, the milk crates are gone. Instead, a machine stacks the jugs, with cardboard sheets between layers. Then the entire pallet, four layers high, is shrink-wrapped and moved with a forklift.
The company estimates this kind of shipping has cut labor by half and water use by 60 to 70 percent. More gallons fit on a truck and in Sam’s Club coolers, and no empty crates need to be picked up, reducing trips to each Sam’s Club store to two a week, from five — a big fuel savings. Also, Sam’s Club can now store 224 gallons of milk in its coolers, in the same space that used to hold 80.
The whole operation is so much more efficient that milk coming out of a cow in the morning winds up at a Sam’s Club store by that afternoon, compared with several hours later or the next morning by the old method. “That’s our idea of fresh milk,” Greg Soehnlen, a vice president at Creative Edge, said.
Sam’s Club started using the boxy jugs in November, and they are now in 189 stores scattered around the country. They will appear soon in more Sam’s Club stores and perhaps in Wal-Marts.
The question now is whether customers will go along.
As Ms. Tilton gave her in-store demonstration the other day at the Sam’s Club here, customers stood around her, munching cookies and sipping milk. “Would you like to take some home today?” she asked.
A shopper named Jodi Kauffman gave the alien jugs a sidelong glance.
“Maybe,” she said.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
2 da track
Corporal and I will have a view like this in a few hours. Only it will be dark, the stands will be full, and there will be 26 open-wheel cars doing 15-second lap times. Report to follow...
Here you go Fungster
http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/27/investing_in_zimbabwe/
There it is. Where my dollars will be going...
Maybe I can invest in Chinese companies doing business in Zimbabwe?
There it is. Where my dollars will be going...
Maybe I can invest in Chinese companies doing business in Zimbabwe?
Elderly man beaten to death at nursing home
http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1030063,nursinghome062808.article
Luckily, with the new Supreme Court ruling in effect, future nursing home residents will be able to arm themselves and even the odds.
Luckily, with the new Supreme Court ruling in effect, future nursing home residents will be able to arm themselves and even the odds.
Friday, June 27, 2008
life imitates Dr. Strangelove (cont'd)
Found this while reading the story with Sarge's photo...
Profs Urge Louisiana Gov: Veto Fluoridation Bill
Many professionals world-wide are calling on Louisiana Governor Jindal to veto a bill which would force fluoridation on almost the whole state. SB 312 was quietly pushed through the legislature by PR firms without most Louisianans knowing it was happening. The professionals are asking Jindal to use his veto in the interest of fairness. Citizens should have been part of this discussion but they were not.
Fluoride is added to water ostensibly to reduce tooth decay but according to many professionals contacting Jindal, recent evidence indicates that fluoride poses many health dangers (NRC, 2006).
General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Lord, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Uh, Jack, Jack, listen, tell me, tell me, Jack. When did you first... become... well, develop this theory?
General Jack D. Ripper: Well, I, uh... I... I... first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women uh... women sense my power and they seek the life essence. I, uh... I do not avoid women, Mandrake.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No.
General Jack D. Ripper: But I... I do deny them my essence.
Profs Urge Louisiana Gov: Veto Fluoridation Bill
Many professionals world-wide are calling on Louisiana Governor Jindal to veto a bill which would force fluoridation on almost the whole state. SB 312 was quietly pushed through the legislature by PR firms without most Louisianans knowing it was happening. The professionals are asking Jindal to use his veto in the interest of fairness. Citizens should have been part of this discussion but they were not.
Fluoride is added to water ostensibly to reduce tooth decay but according to many professionals contacting Jindal, recent evidence indicates that fluoride poses many health dangers (NRC, 2006).
General Jack D. Ripper: Mandrake, do you realize that in addition to fluoridating water, why, there are studies underway to fluoridate salt, flour, fruit juices, soup, sugar, milk... ice cream. Ice cream, Mandrake, children's ice cream.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Lord, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: You know when fluoridation first began?
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: I... no, no. I don't, Jack.
General Jack D. Ripper: Nineteen hundred and forty-six. Nineteen forty-six, Mandrake. How does that coincide with your post-war Commie conspiracy, huh? It's incredibly obvious, isn't it? A foreign substance is introduced into our precious bodily fluids without the knowledge of the individual. Certainly without any choice. That's the way your hard-core Commie works.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Uh, Jack, Jack, listen, tell me, tell me, Jack. When did you first... become... well, develop this theory?
General Jack D. Ripper: Well, I, uh... I... I... first became aware of it, Mandrake, during the physical act of love.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: Yes, a uh, a profound sense of fatigue... a feeling of emptiness followed. Luckily I... I was able to interpret these feelings correctly. Loss of essence.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: Hmm.
General Jack D. Ripper: I can assure you it has not recurred, Mandrake. Women uh... women sense my power and they seek the life essence. I, uh... I do not avoid women, Mandrake.
Group Capt. Lionel Mandrake: No.
General Jack D. Ripper: But I... I do deny them my essence.
Resident Evil 4 Is Reality
http://weltderwunder.de.msn.com/mensch-und-natur-article.aspx?cp-documentid=8565831&imageindex=1
In case you don't know, in Resident Evil 4, a cult is using a parasite to turn people into easily-influenced zombies.
The article points towards research that toxoplasmosis could be influencing our decision-making and moods. Facinating. Does it matter? Well, around a third of the world's population is infested, and probably always has been, so it's difficult to say.
In case you don't know, in Resident Evil 4, a cult is using a parasite to turn people into easily-influenced zombies.
The article points towards research that toxoplasmosis could be influencing our decision-making and moods. Facinating. Does it matter? Well, around a third of the world's population is infested, and probably always has been, so it's difficult to say.
Let's Move to Mars
First, they found water on Mars, now they're saying that the soil could support growth of, well in this article, asparagus. (Germans love asparagus, but they bury the plants so they're white, not green. Sorry for the digression.)
http://wissen.de.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8729221
I remember reading that the difficulties in building a manned Mars explorer could be overcome by making the trip one-way. Apparently, the spaceship would have to be so big to carry more fuel for the return trip. Now one-way doesn't mean suicide...
Anyone care to join me? With a big enough antenna, I'm sure we could continue posting to the LoC from Mars after tending to the asparagus fields.
I added this link so Fungai won't complain. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/science/space/27MARS.html
http://wissen.de.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=8729221
I remember reading that the difficulties in building a manned Mars explorer could be overcome by making the trip one-way. Apparently, the spaceship would have to be so big to carry more fuel for the return trip. Now one-way doesn't mean suicide...
Anyone care to join me? With a big enough antenna, I'm sure we could continue posting to the LoC from Mars after tending to the asparagus fields.
I added this link so Fungai won't complain. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/science/space/27MARS.html
Damned Grandkids
Spoiling it for the rest of us...
North Carolina is offering 10,000 vehicle owners whose licence plates contain the "potentially offensive" combo of letters "WTF" the chance to replace them for free.
According to WXII12.com, the state's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) was tipped off to the outrage by a 60-year-old technology teacher from Fayetteville who in turn had been alerted to the TLA by her teenage grandchildren.
The DMV has now notified those affected, and "anyone who has an issue with their plate can contact their local DMV office to request a new one". ®
North Carolina is offering 10,000 vehicle owners whose licence plates contain the "potentially offensive" combo of letters "WTF" the chance to replace them for free.
According to WXII12.com, the state's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) was tipped off to the outrage by a 60-year-old technology teacher from Fayetteville who in turn had been alerted to the TLA by her teenage grandchildren.
The DMV has now notified those affected, and "anyone who has an issue with their plate can contact their local DMV office to request a new one". ®
Sypgate Update
Am I the only one who is annoyed by how all scandals now have the suffix -gate?
Is this Nixon's only legacy?
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/confiscated_patriots_videotapes
Is this Nixon's only legacy?
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/confiscated_patriots_videotapes
DC Gun Control Overturned
I'm sure this will make DC a safer place.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/washington/27scotuscnd.html?em&ex=1214712000&en=56e91cf1bf9e8c71&ei=5087%0A
You know, this town doesn't even have a fricken bait and tackle store! Who wants to buy these guns anyway? Lunacy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/27/washington/27scotuscnd.html?em&ex=1214712000&en=56e91cf1bf9e8c71&ei=5087%0A
You know, this town doesn't even have a fricken bait and tackle store! Who wants to buy these guns anyway? Lunacy.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Stud.
Jun 26 The Associated Press reports Chicago Cubs SP Carlos Zambrano (shoulder) said he wants to pitch in the All-Star game to help his team gain homefield advantage in the World Series. Zambrano will likely be activated from the disabled list July 4.
My photo is powering a story...
So I got this email today:
:: Your NYC photo
Hi adecker31,
Here's a personal note from m.s.:
___________________________________________________________
My name's M-- and I'm an intern at NowPublic.com. Just
to let you know, NowPublic is running a news story on New
York getting veggie stands in order to make city more
healthy and your photo would be an excellent addition.
If you're interested in sharing it, please follow the links
below and feel free to add your own comment as well. Looking
forward to seeing your work on the site!
In case you haven't heard of us, NowPublic.com is a
participatory news website. Please let me know if you have
any questions. The requested photos will appear as
thumbnails when you follow the link....
Take care,
M--
So you know - that was kind of nifty - and the picture is here...
They found it from my flickr - where I'm adecker31...
:: Your NYC photo
Hi adecker31,
Here's a personal note from m.s.:
___________________________________________________________
My name's M-- and I'm an intern at NowPublic.com. Just
to let you know, NowPublic is running a news story on New
York getting veggie stands in order to make city more
healthy and your photo would be an excellent addition.
If you're interested in sharing it, please follow the links
below and feel free to add your own comment as well. Looking
forward to seeing your work on the site!
In case you haven't heard of us, NowPublic.com is a
participatory news website. Please let me know if you have
any questions. The requested photos will appear as
thumbnails when you follow the link....
Take care,
M--
So you know - that was kind of nifty - and the picture is here...
They found it from my flickr - where I'm adecker31...
there is more s#i+ blowing up directly behind this s#i+ blowing up
If the fragile 1991 settlement that enabled the former Soviet Union to break relatively peacefully into 15 countries starts to unravel, the flash point may well be right here. But the antagonists would not be ragtag irregulars of the 1993 war but real armies, probably backed on one side by a resurgent Russia, on the other by NATO. (Yay! - Ed.)
And when you're tired of it, you can club it
Robotic Baby Seal Coming to U.S. Shores
With this kind of technology available, who needs electric cars?
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