Frontline reports on the tricky issues

Frontline reports on the tricky issues

Frontline is one of PBS’s greatest gift to media. They have a great new show on derivatives and it gives a good overview of the recent economic collapse:

The Warning

In an era where all the major news organizations are either afraid to criticize a sitting administration (or even a past one) or are politically motivated rather than motivated by seeking the truth, Frontline can be a breath of fresh air.

Although the show generally has somewhat of a liberal bias, it’s interesting to note they had the courage to air another great program on the war in Afghanistan and give it an accurate, yet provocative name:

Obama’s War… READ THE REST

Steal this idea

Steal this idea

About 10 years ago or so, I thought of creating a website called Steal This Idea, inspired by the classic book by Abbie Hoffman called Steal This Book. Not being a web designer and lacking time, the idea never became reality.

The basic concept was very simple: the world is full of people with great ideas, but few become reality, but rarely because the person with the idea doesn’t want it to be, but because they lack the resources or know-how or even time to make it real. Ironically, this is reason my site never became a reality!

  • People could post their ideas for products (intangible or otherwise) that they would like to become reality
  • Others that have resources or time, but lack ideas, could use the site to mine for good ideas
  • Hopefully, in the spirit of cooperation, should the idea become reality and bring financial or other success to the implementer, it could be shared with the person that came up with the idea

Basically the crux of the idea is that it’s better to have a great idea become reality and not profit from it than to have it forgotten forever.… READ THE REST

Ranking places to live

Ranking places to live

There are a lot of surveys and reports that rank countries on various criteria, but here’s one I especially like:

Global Peace Index Map

Global Peace Index (full report)

Instead of ranking countries by GDP or per capita income, it’s not to see a thoughtful survey that ranks countries by something more meaningful.

It’s interesting to see the mix of countries traditionally thought of as rich/stable versus those considered poor/unstable countries.

In the end, happiness can be found anywhere if people are left alone to pursue their dreams instead of getting sucked into the cross-fire between governments waving their masculinity in the air.… READ THE REST

Asking better questions

Asking better questions

I was reading this story today about kids in Arkansas mistakenly drinking windshield wiper fluid:

10 kids drink windshield wiper fluid at daycare

The comments are filled with:

  • How could someone be so incompetent as to put windshield wiper fluid in the fridge?
  • How could someone not notice the difference between kool-aid and wiper fluid?
  • Why is such a dimwit working in a daycare center?
  • Why don’t we have laws to protect against stuff like this happening?
  • Why was windshield wiper fluid allowed within 5 miles of a daycare center?

But the question no one is asking is:

  • Why do we have to have toxic chemicals in our windshield wiper fluid?

I think we need to ask questions like this more often instead of being outraged at the result of something bad happening. I watch a great show on Discovery called Dirty Jobs, which explores the most disgusting jobs people have around the country.… READ THE REST

Avoiding chain stores in the Bay Area

Avoiding chain stores in the Bay Area

No matter where you live in the USA, chain stores are everywhere, especially in the suburbs. There are hidden negatives to spending your money there:

  • Homogeneous shopping experience such that where you live has no unique character.
  • Money leaves the community, which lowers tax revenues. Money going into the pocket of local entrepreneurs that are likely to put that money back into other local businesses.
  • Difficult for local entrepreneurs to compete, especially due to municipalities giving subsidies and tax breaks to large national chains.
  • Stores commonly understaffed with people that lack knowledge and motivation, usually due to low pay and poor benefits.
  • Less local jobs due to lower staffing by chain stores.
  • Local businesses can be a social experience as they live in the community and they stay with the business for a very long time. Fast turnover at chains means you can’t build these relationships.
  • While a chain may have better prices (although you’d be surprised), consider how you spend less time in smaller, better staffed stores, with knowledgable employees.
… READ THE REST
How I lost 65 pounds

How I lost 65 pounds

Surprisingly few people have noticed, but I lost 65 pounds in the last 7 years! It was pretty evenly distributed so I didn’t look horrifying but I was unhappy about it.

I saw so many people I know fail so I decided to experiment and do things a little differently. A lot of it was common sense but some of it was unconventional. Here’s what I did:

  • I avoided fad diets altthough I did try to go easy on the carbs
  • I abandoned low-fat food entirely and ate fat with no restrictions. Whole fat dairy, fattier meats, cooking with butter, and so on.
  • I limited anything with added sugar, especially soft drinks and desserts.
  • I avoided fruit juice but not fruit
  • I focused on keeping off the weight rather than losing it quickly. Note that I lost weight at less than 1 pound per month.
  • I tried to avoid processed foods.
… READ THE REST
Our rules for trips (new and improved!)

Our rules for trips (new and improved!)

When traveling, the following things sometimes used to happen:

  • We feel rushed and get tired
  • We drive too much
  • We have stomach issues
  • We don’t feel connected to where we are visiting
  • It’s too crowded where we are visiting
  • Not feeling like we are getting a good value for our money
  • Feeling overburdened with carrying so much stuff

We made some rules before our 2007 New Zealand trip that worked well and we’ve refined them with each trip we’ve taken and here’s what we now follow.

  • Minimum overnight stay in one location of 4 days

This cuts down on so much driving, feeling rushed packing and unpacking so often. Also, you get more immersed in your local area and make more of a connection.

  • No chain store food

Fast food makes everyone feel bad but even chain store food is essentially fast food that takes longer and costs more. You’ll feel better and more connected to go to a local restaurant.… READ THE REST

Kinder, gentler healthcare

Kinder, gentler healthcare

The upside of catching a nasty flu bug on my last week in New Zealand was getting a genuine glimpse inside a health care system outside the USA for the first time. Without getting into the pros and cons of socialized medicine, the experience was profoundly more humane and comfortable than I’m used to:

  • When I walked into the medical facility, they simply asked me if I would like to see a doctor and I said yes. I didn’t have to explain my medical condition in detail in front of a waiting room full of people.
  • I was asked to fill out a form with my name, address, and phone number, along with a checkbox asking if I was a citizen or resident. There was no clipboard with 15 pages of forms.
  • The waiting room was quiet, with no TV blaring, and with comfortable seats. There was a seriously hard-core ventilation system to help keep the air fresh and to help keep everyone from catching everyone else’s germs.
… READ THE REST