Category: Of Random Interest

Wow.

Freakonomics » Speaking Ill of the Dead Apparently Okay if the Dead Worked for Chick-fil‑A

Sysco is the latest food giant—it’s the largest food distributor in the country—to come out against gestation crate confinement of pigs. The National Pork Producers Council’s communications director w…

I love the idea of a dinner for the top taxpayers. That’s brilliant. If donations buy access, then why not taxes?

Sentences to ponder

…I find it remarkable that I have yet to receive a thank you note for paying my taxes. When I fill out my taxes, I notice that even receipts for $25 donations have thank you notes attached. But for t…

The bit about amnesia made me laugh out loud. Wow.

Do sleeping pills like Ambien work because of the placebo effect? — Barking up the wrong tree

Join 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: Sleeping pills on average only make people fall asleep 12 minutes faster and sleep 11 minutes longer during the night. The placebo effect m…

Very interesting — and contrary to what you normally hear. Be sure to read the pieces linked to in the addendum.

Racism by Political Party

It is undeniably the case that racist Americans are almost entirely in one political coalition and not the other. Chris Hayes, Up w/ Chris Hayes, August 18, 2012. Here is data asking whites the quest…

Osborne brings his usual wisdom — especially point 3.

SLOW DOWN – YOU MOVE TOO FAST!

Because North Coast Church has been somewhat innovative over the years and successfully made lots of changes, I’m often asked by other pastors and leaders about the best way to go about making majo.…..

It is difficult to overstate my pessimism about the trajectory of China’s economy.…  I hope I am wrong but I deeply fear another big blow to the global financial system. Google for “Chinese Ghost Cities” to have your socks scared off.

To the point (Austro-Chinese business cycle theory)

“There is persuasive evidence to conclude that the Chinese economy is actually growing at just 4 or 5 per cent right now based on a composite of other indicators,” says Patrick Chovanec, a business pr…

Interesting way to think about it.

Does new information slow down your life?

From William Reville, here is a speculation: Finally, here is a “guaranteed” way to lengthen your life. Childhood holidays seem to last forever, but as you grow older time seems to accelerate. “Time” …

Yet another reason to view divorce (and the societal systems that make it easy) negatively. Marriage matters.

What’s the single strongest predictor you will die an early death? — Barking up the wrong tree

Barking up the wrong tree. I want to understand why we do what we do and use the answers to be awesome at life. About. Eric Barker; First visit? Start here. Bakadesuyo.com is proud to be listed on blo…

The growing disconnect between those who make decisions about the use of military force and those who are called upon to fulfill their decisions has been disturbing me for a while. But this fact caught me off guard.

Tweets to ponder

Also: no military service among either prez/VP nominees, Scotus justices, Senate leader and (save 8 weeks) House speaker. That thought has a legacy through David Leonhardt and Sarah Wilcox.

Wait. What? I need more information.

Is less violent TV and more educational TV the answer to better behaved kids? — Barking up the wrong tree

Join 25K+ subscribers. No spam, ever. Enter your email here: No. Educational TV increased physical aggression at school almost as much as violent TV. And the more educational TV a kid watched, the cru…