It’s Friday. By now you know what that means: clearing the links of the accumulated news chum of the week. So, with out further adieu,….
- Giving Me a Headache. If you remember, earlier this week there were stories about Michelle Bachmann and her migraines. No, not the migraines she causes, but the migraines she has. Bachmann has claimed that her migraines are caused by her high-heel shoes. Well, that has New Yorkers up-in-arms defending their heels. I know it isn’t heels, because I wear sneakers and have migraines. Related to this is a nice CNN article on how migraines are not just headaches.
- Political Seasons. People say Los Angeles doesn’t have seasons, but we do: Fire, Smoke, Mud, Fog. Politics also has seasons, and just as we have censii, we know we have redistricting. Well, the redistricting game in California has raised a number of interesting questions, centering around: “What makes a community of interest?” It’s actually quite an interesting debate: do you use ethnicity, religion, common work, common concerns, geography, politics. There’s no good answer, and no matter what answer you choose, you’re bound to get a lawsuit.
- Stealing an Election. Although the furor has died down, the birthers are still out there claiming Obama stole the election. He didn’t, it is looking more and more like his predecessor did (although at this point there’s not much we can do about it). An interesting blog post is circulating look at the various ways that the GOP tampered with the results in Ohio, which gave the election to Bush over Kerry. The problem was bad computer design combined with a man in the middle attack.
- Out, Damn Stain. As you know, I write these while I eat lunch. As I normally eat a salad… with a dressing of balsamic, olive oil, and mustard, I invariably get spots. That’s why I found this article on Dry Cleaners interesting, especially the new chemicals they are using. It does note the problem I face: “Bruce Barish, owner of New York City’s Ernest Winzer Cleaners, cites balsamic vinaigrette as “very hard to get out.” It’s a mix of both water-based and oily stains with a dark dye that is hard to remove—especially since most customers accidentally rub it in.” Of course, it doesn’t tell me what to do…
- Doing The Right Thing. For a change Congress is doing something right: Looking into a national requirement for online retailers to collect state sales taxes. I think this is a great idea: it levels the playing field (which is good for brick and mortar merchants), and it helps bring money into beliegured state coffers without increasing a tax rate. There is a risk that internet retailers would move out of the US, but I think that’s less likely with shipping costs and other aspects.
- 10, 2, 4. Interesting article on the Dr Pepper Museum in Waco TX. This allows you to visit the drugstore where Dr P (originally “Waco”) was invented. The drugstore is long gone, but a life-size animatronic re-creation of its pharmacist can greed you instead.The educational mission of the museum is free enterprise. The museum believes that if children are taught that they can invent things and take them to market, innovation will remain strong. They don’t state, however, the reaction of children to the animatronic pharmacist.
