08.10.07
8:45 am - Jason G. - Commentary
From Bloomberg:
Air pollution is choking Beijing as economic growth of 10 percent a year drives a building boom and increases demand for cars. Construction spending increased 13 percent last year, and new car sales jumped sixfold in the past five years, according to government statistics.
The U.S., which won the most medals in each of the past three Olympics, will base athletes in South Korea, 75 minutes away by plane, so they spend as little time as possible in Beijing, says Randy Wilber, senior sports physiologist for the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Beijing’s air contains the second-highest level of tiny particles that can trigger asthma attacks, according to a ranking of 20 Asian cities in the United Nations Environment Program’s 2006 Year Book. Only New Delhi had worse air quality.
07.31.07
8:49 am - Jason G. - Commentary
From About.com:
The choice of the Peregrine Falcon for the main design device on the Idaho Quarter strikes most people as being odd, and with good reason. The Peregrine Falcon isn’t even the Idaho State Bird; the Mountain Bluebird has this honor.
I was surprised when I saw the quarter… but then when I hear the other two finalists were “a tapestry of farmland” or the lyrics to the state song, I think the best of three mediocre choices was taken…
I guess a drawing of a potato would be pretty boring… other missed gems might include outlines of trees, or mountains, maybe the face of JR Simplot, or even Napoleon Dynamite… Yeah, I guess a generic bird is probably the best choice after all.
04.13.07
6:21 am - Jason G. - Commentary
The news is that Kurt Vonnegut has shuffled off this mortal coil. We will miss him.
I remember going to a guest lecture by Mr. Vonnegut back in college, where he was impressive and irreverent at the same time. Duke would only grant guest lectures to speakers who agreed to have a question and answer period after their speech, and he agreed to those terms.
After his speech, he got to the question and answer period… he offered up, “does anyone have any questions?” Barely a second later he continued, “No? Thank you, and good night.”
Irreverent all the way.
03.25.07
6:35 am - Jason G. - Commentary
Those folks over at Second Empire sure know how to make a great steak… And hey, they have a new website too!
03.18.07
6:21 am - Jason G. - Commentary
Letterman has his stupid pet tricks, and usually you can get a good laugh out of stupid criminals, but here’s a stupid newspaper trick for you…
Lottery Post:
Maine’s Morning Sentinel newspaper appears to have revealed a lottery winner’s address and social security number in a published photo.
In a story that ran in the February 27 edition of the Sentinel, Newport resident Venison Turner Jr. was pictured together with his son, holding a copy of a winning ticket worth $300,000 and the paperwork filed with the Maine Lottery. The man’s personal information is clearly visible.
(I found this from the Freaknomics Blog…)
01.27.07
6:24 am - Jason G. - Commentary
From Bloomberg:
While Bono was making his appeal [to support charity], U2 was racking up $389 million in gross ticket receipts, making Vertigo the second-most lucrative tour of all time…
Murphy points to the band’s decision to move its music publishing company to the Netherlands from Ireland in June 2006 in order to minimize taxes… (more…)
01.01.07
8:54 am - Jason G. - Commentary
You saw the stories that dominated the headlines in 2006: the war in Iraq, North Korea’s nuclear tests, and the U.S. midterm elections. But what about the news that remained under the radar? From the Bush administration’s post-Katrina power grab to a growing arms race in Latin America to the new hackable passports, FP delivers The Top Ten Stories You Missed in 2006.
12:00 am - Jason G. - Commentary
Welcome to 2007. This year is going to be even more exciting than last year, and a lot more fun!
Whatever you chose to do tonight or in the new year, may 2007 surpass your most optimistic expectations, and may this year be the best one yet!
Happy new year! Good night, and good luck.
12.31.06
11:59 pm - Jason G. - Commentary
Oh my goodness… only one minute left to go. I’m so nervous I have to go to the bathroom… I’ll be back in about 5 minutes… Oh, wait… I’ll wait until 2007 to go…
Only one minute left to finalize those resolutions for the next 365 days of your life. Better be conservative, this is not a leap year, and you’ll have to accomplish your resolutions in only 365 days this year.
Ok, really, you have to accomplish your resolutions in the first 12 days of the new year… by the second weekend of January, you’ll be off buried in work or chasing something shiny… Better set the bar low — in fact, if you can put your resolution in terms of something you’ve already accomplished, you’ll really be in line for success…
11:58 pm - Jason G. - Commentary
Two more minutes left in 2006, and I can tell you’re paying attention. Good blog audience… Sit! Stay! Don’t be distracted by that big glittering ball that is starting to fall on your TV, it’s not as tasty as the countdown-goodness here on this website!
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