Brian Gongol
A far better system for terrorist alerts
While the domestic government continues to use a stupid color-coded system that doesn't work, the military's been using a system that assumes a constant threat that occasionally gets worse.
After borrowed government spending and inefficient "incentive" programs, GDP didn't really grow
So now we're simultaneously destroying wealth (by borrowing heavily against the future earnings of the American public) and failing to create any jobs. A sustainable economy requires that we stop faking our way to growth.
Fox sends NFL broadcast team to Afghanistan
Podcast: Guinness at 250 years old
Podcast: Safety on WiFi networks
Nebraska's best-tasting water comes from Lincoln this year
Good news on economic productivity
The government is reporting that we're producing lots more economic activity per person than last quarter -- almost 10% more, on an annualized rate
Something to say about institutional memory
Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway will buy Burlington Northern
It's a huge proposed transaction -- tens of billions of dollars. But Berkshire Hathaway has so much cash sitting around that Buffett is looking to bag some pretty big elephants.
Another step forward for a South Dakota oil refinery
AP report: Government overstates stimulus job figures
No kidding
Child stars of "Slumdog Millionaire" aren't going to school
They have to attend school regularly in order to be eligible for monthly stipends from the film and a lump-sum trust fund later. Never trust a windfall.
Ayn Rand "wouldn't have liked Glenn Beck"
Even though he occasionally says some libertarian-leaning things, he spends more time and energy promoting populism
Minesweeper: The Movie
(Video)
Podcast: Did the economy really grow?
Podcast: On the awarding of the Netflix Prize
Is air quality more important than water quality?
Union at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics blocks H1N1 flu-vaccine mandate
The H1N1 flu is not a normal seasonal flu -- it's far more dangerous to certain patients, especially the young, who have never established immunity to certain novel flu strains. If hospital staff contract the flu and pass it along to patients who might be in for other reasons altogether, some of them could be put in very serious danger. The union is asserting its power here in a way that puts patients at risk.
Iowa's slowest crop harvest in 50 years
We've had too much rain, and that means 88% of the state's corn is still in the fields. In a normal year, most of the corn would have been harvested by now.
The Internet could literally look a bit different in about 18 months
Instead of relying upon the fonts you already have loaded on your browser, websites may be able to embed their own fonts -- just like what happens with an Adobe PDF document. That could make a lot of sites look quite different from how they appear today.
Britain takes a big step backwards towards state control
The government is going to create three new banks to set up a new sort of competition within the industry. Curiously, it's also setting up the arrangement so that foreigners are likely to buy out a bank or two in the process. Ostensibly, the decision is intended to help the British taxpayers recoup their losses from bank bailouts, but one of the banks is going to be completely government-owned. The British and American governments alike have dealt with some of the recent economic problems in ways that have largely served to disrupt the entire market for risk.
The President needs to learn more about trade
Not only has he held on to a "jobs first" economic focus that will hurt the country in the long run ("job creation" is transitory, but we're destroying wealth at a record pace in the process), but now he's calling the debate between trade protectionism and free trade a "false choice." That's hardly the case. Protectionism always ends up hurting all sides over the long term, by keeping efficient producers from being able to concentrate on what they're good at, and by raising prices for consumers in a way that only subsidizes the inefficient producers.
Small-town city council election draws huge number of candidates
(Video) The town of Palo was hit hard by the 2008 floods in eastern Iowa, and now there are 15 people running for three spots on the city council. Elected officials often don't get a lot of credit for showing a lot of foresight when preparing for things like natural disasters -- but the Palo example seems to suggest they will be punished if a disaster occurs and they weren't ready.
Debt crushes another newspaper
This one's the East Valley Tribune in metro Phoenix
Congress is set to give the EPA a much bigger budget than last year's
Podcast: Government big enough to change the weather is big enough to mess up your day
Podcast: Giving your phone a RAM dump
Everyone complains about the weather, but when Communists try to do something about it, they screw up
China's "weather modification office" may have created an early, heavy snowstorm by seeding clouds in an effort to ease a drought. When government is big enough to give you everything you want, it's big enough to screw up titanically, too.
Absurdly huge cruise ship barely clears bridge in Denmark
The Oasis of the Seas is a 225,000-ton ship