The Global Food Crisis, The End of Plenty – by Joel K. Bourne Jr. “It is the simplest, most natural of acts, akin to breathing and walking upright. We sit down at the dinner table, pick up a fork, and take a juicy bite, oblivious to the double helping of global ramifications on our plate.… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: May 2009
First Filly in 85 Years Wins 134th Running of Preakness
WSJ: “The best 3-year-old in the land just happens to be a filly named Rachel Alexandra. Jockey Calvin Borel all but guaranteed victory in the Preakness Stakes and, boy, did she deliver, becoming the first filly in 85 years to win the second leg of the Triple Crown.” Continue Reading
NYT: What Does Your Credit-Card Company Know About You?
New York Times Magazine: “Today companies are focusing on those customers most likely to honor their debts. And they are looking for ways to convince existing cardholders that if they only have enough money to pay one bill, its wiser to pay off their credit card than, say, the phone. Put another way, credit-card companies… Continue Reading
Introduction to Wolfram|Alpha Computational Knowledge Engine
Screencast demonstrates new engine’s capabilities: Wolfram|Alpha Screencast See the FAQ here Continue Reading
Librarians' Group Responds to Pharma Marketing Promoted as Peer Reviewed Science
Progressive Librarians Guild Calls for Elsevier to End Corrupt Publishing Practices and for Library Associations to Take Advocacy Role on Behalf of Scientific Integrity Continue Reading
EPA Hearing on Proposed Endangerment Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under the Clean Air Act
News release: “EPA will hold the first of two public hearings on Monday, May 18 regarding the agencys proposed findings that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. The proposed findings identify six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat.” More information on the proposed finding Related postings on… Continue Reading
NYT: Minorities Hit Hardest by Foreclosures in New York
“Late to arrive in the Northeast, the foreclosure crisis has swept through the New York region at an explosive pace in the past two years, destroying billions of dollars in housing wealth, according to a New York Times analysis of foreclosures filed since 2005 and federal mortgage data.” Mapping Foreclosures in the New York Region… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Congressional Award Foundation, Military Housing Privatization
Financial Audit: Congressional Award Foundation’s Fiscal Years 2008 and 2007 Financial Statements, GAO-09-652, May 15, 2009 Military Housing Privatization: DOD Faces New Challenges Due to Significant Growth at Some Installations and Recent Turmoil in the Financial Markets, GAO-09-352, May 15, 2009 Continue Reading
Treasury Releases March Monthly Bank Lending Survey
News release: “The U.S. Department of the Treasury today released results from its monthly bank lending survey for March with data from the top 21 recipients of government investments through the Capital Purchase Program (CPP). Overall, balance sheets continued to contract. Outstanding loan balances at these banks slipped 1 percent in March. The survey also… Continue Reading
FTC: Judge Orders Halt to Illegal Robocalls Selling Deceptive Warranties
Follow up to May 14, 2009 posting, FTC Files Suit to Stop Illegal Robocalls Pushing Vehicle Warranty Extensions” – “Today Judge John F. Grady of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a temporary restraining order stopping telemarketing company Voice Touch, Inc., its principals James and Maureen Dunne, its business… Continue Reading
WSJ Charts Closing of Chrysler Dealerships
Follow up to previous postings on Chrysler, this WSJ article, downloadable list, and graphic chart: “Chrysler will close one-quarter of its dealerships in the United States…see names, location details of the 789 dealers the embattled auto maker is seeking to drop from its retail network, according to documents filed Thursday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court… Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Military Depot Maintenance, Aviation Security
Depot Maintenance: Actions Needed to Identify and Establish Core Capability at Military Depots, GAO-09-83, May 14, 2009: “DOD, through its biennial core process, has not comprehensively and accurately assessed whether it has the required core capability to support fielded systems in military depots. Although DOD internally reported that its maintenance workload of 92.7 million hours… Continue Reading
