July 2009
72 posts
Organic food not healthier, study finds →
Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over conventionally produced food, according to a major study published on Wednesday.
Its conclusions were challenged by organic food campaigners.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers paid higher prices for organic food in part because of its perceived health benefits, creating a global organic...
(UPDATE) When your own wing disappoints you.
Remember that letter I wrote to Newsbusters’ Executive Editor? Today he responded and he agreed the writer of that post was out of line, and he’s “taken some action for the future.” The post was pulled and is no longer up on the site.
When your own wing disappoints you.
I usually don’t comment on blogs. I see no real value in it. If I feel compelled enough to respond to a blog post, I generally just do it on my own blog. I read blogs to keep up with the times.
Last night I had to comment on a post made over at one of my favorite blogs: Newsbusters. I love Newsbusters so much that despite their 20-30 posts a day, I still keep them on my Google Reader.
That’s why...
“To the extent that we could, we looked into the substantive side of these...”
– Trevor Potter, McCain campaign lawyer - McCain Lawyers Investigated Obama Citizenship
Can we put this birthing business to rest? It’s been disproved a number of times.
Public support for his policies is quickly fading and his approval rating is plummeting. In fact, his six-month approval...
Correcting follower and following counts
twitterstatus:
For some time, the follower and following counts we display have been incorrect for some folks. We’re soon to push a change that will address this issue. This means that the count you see in your sidebar should match what you see on your follower and following pages.
However, a consequence of this change is that follower counts will drop for some people. In particular, those with...
AP: Non-embryonic stem cells pass major hurdle in... →
Two teams of Chinese scientists have made a major advance in mice in the development of a new kind of stem cell that doesn’t involve destroying embryos.
AP: Bill to decide Puerto Rico's status moves... →
A U.S. congressional committee approved a proposal Wednesday that would let Puerto Ricans decide their island’s political status. It was unclear whether the full Congress would consider the bill.
The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee approved the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, which was submitted by the island’s resident commissioner, Pedro Pierluisi.
...
Racism and Abortion are Evil Twins, Part 2
Racism springs from the lie that certain human beings are less than fully human. It’s a self-centered falsehood that corrupts our minds into believing we are right to treat others as we would not want to be treated. So it is with abortion. Racism oppresses its victims, but also binds the oppressors, who sear their consciences with more and more lies until they become prisoners of those lies....
Reuters: Obama concedes health plan needs work →
President Barack Obama said on Tuesday the healthcare overhaul plan working its way through the U.S. Congress needs more work amid signs his top policy initiative, already rejected by Republicans, was running into deeper trouble with his own Democrats.
Obama "Not Familiar" With Key Provision In Health... →
During the call, a blogger from Maine said he kept running into an Investors Business Daily article that claimed Section 102 of the House health legislation would outlaw private insurance. He asked: “Is this true? Will people be able to keep their insurance and will insurers be able to write new policies even though H.R. 3200 is passed?” President Obama replied: “You know, I...
Parcbench →
Just a note.
I’ll be blogging some music stuff over at Parcbench.
AP: White House putting off budget update →
The White House is being forced to acknowledge the wide gap between its once-upbeat predictions about the economy and today’s bleak landscape.
The administration’s annual midsummer budget update is sure to show higher deficits and unemployment and slower growth than projected in President Barack Obama’s budget in February and update in May, and that could complicate his...
Starting to get crowded in 100-year-olds' club →
It’s starting to get crowded in the 100-year-olds’ club. Once virtually nonexistent, the world’s population of centenarians is projected to reach nearly 6 million by midcentury. That’s pushing the median age toward 50 in many developed nations and challenging views of what it means to be old and middle-age.
The number of centenarians already has jumped from an estimated...
Exposure to Two Languages Carries Far-Reaching... →
People who can speak two languages are more adept at learning a new foreign language than their monolingual counterparts, according to research conducted at Northwestern University. And their bilingual advantage persists even when the new language they study is completely different from the languages they already know. “It’s often assumed that individuals who’ve learned multiple languages simply...
Larry Summers cites Google search as progress -... →
Of all the statistics pouring into the White House every day, top economic adviser Larry Summers highlighted one Friday to make his case that the economic free-fall has ended.
The number of people searching for the term “economic depression” on Google is down to normal levels, Summers said.
LOL
Update: “economic depression” is now #2 in Google’s Hot Trends.
AP: Rising unemployment accelerates foreclosure... →
Relentlessly rising unemployment is triggering more home foreclosures, threatening the Obama administration’s efforts to end the housing crisis and diminishing hopes the economy will rebound with vigor.
In past recessions, the housing industry helped get the economy back on track. Home builders ramped up production, expecting buyers to take advantage of lower prices and jump into the...
Committee to vote on status bill next week →
The four-page HR-2499, also known as the Puerto Rico Democracy Act of 2009, authorizes the island government to hold a referendum in which voters will choose whether they think Puerto Rico should continue its current status. If voters choose that Puerto Rico keep the same status, then the local government is authorized to hold a vote every eight years to determine if public opinion has changed.
...
Chasing Terrorists (and TV Ratings) - NYTimes.com →
A production company thinks it has found a dramatic new television format for the so-called age of terror: conducting international manhunts for suspected terrorists and war criminals, filming them and selling the finished product to television networks around the world. Its first bidder is NBC News.
I’m surprised it took this long.
Drudge Report Links: CNN Tops Fox News and MSNBC →
AP: All-pet airline hits skies →
Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities—New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet fees at the largest U.S. airlines.
For owners the big difference is service. Dogs and cats will fly in the main cabin of a Suburban Air Freight plane, retooled and lined with carriers in place of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) will be...
Obama: Unemployment likely to keep ticking up →
President Barack Obama on Tuesday declined to predict how high unemployment will climb but made clear he expects it to keep worsening for a while as hiring lags behind other signs of economic recovery.
This is probably the only bit of truth the man has spoken in a while. It’s a shame the MSM hasn’t been harder on Obama about his “unemployment won’t be higher than 8...
