Brian Gongol
(2006.06.28)
"Around the World in 80 Ideas"
80 examples of private markets solving problems government couldn't
(2006.06.28)
The US has been without a VP for a total of 38 years
Since it makes for political intrigue, that plotline has worked its way into both "The West Wing" and "Commander in Chief"
(2006.06.28)
Is there room for many portal sites on the Internet?
Some suggest not, but in all probability, there's room for at least three majors
(2006.06.28)
Old advertising posters
Guinness, BOAC, and plain old vegetables
(2006.06.28)
Who says air power isn't important?
Israel buzzes the home of Syria's president in order to send a message
(2006.06.28)
Electronic voting probably not safe enough
Experts run simulation and conclude that an entire state election could be thrown by one person with the right technical skills and access
(2006.06.28)
NBC to cooperate with YouTube on fall promotions
Demand for Internet video is huge
(2006.06.28)
How spyware puts unwanted porn on home computers
(2006.06.28)
Chinese government plans rule to prohibit reporting on natural disasters and riots
This is what makes people into First Amendment fundamentalists -- when public officials think they know better than the people they are supposed to serve
(2006.06.28)
Newspapers -- not dead, but definitely morphing
Strong online work has turned the Washington Post into a national paper and the Guardian into a global news source
(2006.06.28)
Charlie Rose interview with Gates and Buffett
(2006.06.28)
Crook robs 1,400 people of $26 each in concert ticket scam
Everyone involved in the concert thought it was legitimate -- from the radio stations to the music stores to the local sheriff. But the concert promoter was a fraud.
Demand for ethanol could turn food supply on its head
30-second analysis: As demand for ethanol increases, so does demand for corn (currently the major input to ethanol). As that demand increases, the price of corn will rise. The effect on prices of other outputs from corn will vary: Corn syrup (a widely-used substitute for sugar) will likely become more expensive, while beef (from livestock fed by the distiller's grains left-over from ethanol production) may become cheaper to produce. Naturally, there will be contra-forces, too: Ethanol production requires lots of water, which could make it more difficult to manage large livestock feeding operations and which may force them to face much tougher environmental regulations. Sustained higher corn prices will tend to cause the price of farmland to rise, since more profit can be had per acre. In seeking to make ourselves more energy-independent, the US may simultaneously be increasing the costs of some basic needs (especially food) -- so the attendant benefits to energy independence had better expand the economy in their own right.
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