Follow up to postings on the Gulf Coast oil spill, this news release: “On May 27, the Plume Modeling Team, which analyzed video obtained from BP, provided an initial lower bound estimate of 12,000 to 25,000 barrels of oil per day, but at that point were continuing their work to provide an upper bound estimate.”… Continue Reading
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Monthly Archives: June 2010
Productivity and Costs by Industry: Manufacturing, Mining, and Selected Service-Providing Industries, 2008
News release: “Labor productivity — defined as output per hour — rose in 46 percent of the 138 detailed manufacturing, mining, and service-providing industries studied in 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. This was down from the 62 percent that recorded productivity increases the previous year. Unit labor costs, which reflect the… Continue Reading
Census Bureau Releases 2009 National and State Characteristics Population Estimates
News release: “The U.S. Census Bureau today released population estimates as of July 1, 2009, for the nation, each state and the District of Columbia by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin. The new estimates are not 2010 Census population counts. Rather, they are based on 2000 Census data and updated by using administrative records… Continue Reading
Pew Internet Report: Neighbors Online
Neighbors Online by Aaron Smith, June 9, 2010: “One in five Americans use digital tools to communicate with neighbors and monitor community developments.” Continue Reading
New GAO Reports: Gov't Agencies and Conference Locations, Defense Inventory, Aviation Safety
Selected Federal Agencies’ Policies for Choosing Conference Locations, GAO-10-677R, June 10, 2010 Defense Inventory: Defense Logistics Agency Needs to Expand on Efforts to More Effectively Manage Spare Parts, GAO-10-469, May 11, 2010 Aviation Safety: Improved Data Quality and Analysis Capabilities Are Needed as FAA Plans a Risk-Based Approach to Safety Oversight, GAO-10-414, May 06, 2010 Continue Reading
Pew Study: When to Buy Your Child a Cellphone
When to Buy Your Child a Cellphone, Stefanie Olsen, New York Times, Jun 9, 2010: “About 75 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds in the United States own a mobile phone, up from 45 percent in 2004, according to an April study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, part of the Pew Research Center.… Continue Reading
Aquatic Life Declines at Early Stages of Urban Development
Aquatic Life Declines at Early Stages of Urban Development. Released: 6/3/2010. U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey Office of Communication “The number of native fish and aquatic insects, especially those that are pollution sensitive, declines in urban and suburban streams at low levels of development levels often considered protective for stream communities,… Continue Reading
Commentary: Orientation in technological space
Orientation in technological space by Albert Borgmann: “Like addiction, cyber disorientation is the restless pursuit of the unobtainable. The Internet inflames and disappoints the desire for news in an endless cycle of ever more diverse and seductive news. Disorienting addiction can have grave consequences when a youngster gets lost in video games or the global… Continue Reading
Oil Spill Disaster Impacts Pelican Population Recovery
Follow up to postings on the Gulf Coast oil spill, via NPR: “That pelicans have become such a visible victim of the BP spill is particularly poignant because the pesticide DDT almost drove them to extinction in the 1960s. Last year, they finally graduated from the endangered species list…Nearly 400 oil-covered live birds have been… Continue Reading
Census Bureau Report Documents Rapid Expansion of Gulf Coast Population in Recent Decades
News release: “Between 1960 and 2008, the population in coastline counties along the Gulf of Mexico soared by 150 percent, more than double the rate of increase of the nation’s population as a whole. On the eve of hurricane season, this area now is home to nearly 14 million residents, according to a U.S. Census… Continue Reading
Google Announces New Search Index – Caffeine
Official Google Blog: “…we’re announcing the completion of a new web indexing system called Caffeine. Caffeine provides 50 percent fresher results for web searches than our last index, and it’s the largest collection of web content we’ve offered. Whether it’s a news story, a blog or a forum post, you can now find links to… Continue Reading
Digitizing the past and present at the Library of Congress
Gallery: Digitizing the past and present at the Library of Congress, Rob Beschizza: “The Library of Congress has nearly 150 million items in its collection, including at least 21 million books, 5 million maps, 12.5 million photos and 100,000 posters. The largest library in the world, it pioneers both preservation of the oldest artifacts and… Continue Reading
