Archive for February, 2008
Oil Hits Inflation-Adjusted Record High
February 29th, 2008Via: Reuters: U.S. oil surged to a new inflation-adjusted record high on Thursday, surpassing the previous record of $102.53 set in 1980, according to the International Energy Agency. The following table from the BP Statistical Review of Energy picks out key moments in oil market history. It gives average annual dollar-denominated oil prices in money […]
Google Reveals Plans for Health Database
February 29th, 2008Oh sure. A convenient new service for the undead hordes, while the mind boggles at what it will actually be used for. Must Read: Pookie’s Comment Via: Financial Times: Google on Thursday laid out plans for one of its most anticipated new services, a digital health records system meant to give users more control over […]
Record-High Ratio of Americans in Prison
February 29th, 2008They hate us for our freedom. Via: AP: For the first time in U.S. history, more than one of every 100 adults is in jail or prison, according to a new report documenting America’s rank as the world’s No. 1 incarcerator. It urges states to curtail corrections spending by placing fewer low-risk offenders behind bars. […]
Is Depression Good for You?
February 29th, 2008I’ve written about this before. The key is to use the depression as a signal to take action before it paralyzes you. I experienced the paralysis phase and it was… not good. Via: BBC: Pills aren’t the answer to helping many people recover from depression, says a report out this week. But there’s growing evidence […]
RICIN FOUND AT LAS VEGAS MOTEL
February 29th, 2008UPDATE 2: AP: Guns, ‘Anarchist Book’ Found With Ricin: Firearms and an “anarchist type textbook” were found in the same motel room where several vials of the deadly toxin ricin was found, police said Friday. The room was most recently occupied by a 57-year-old man who has been in critical condition with breathing problems at […]
Indian Biogas Digester
February 28th, 2008Outstanding! I’d like to order one. Via: Fortune: Sintex Industries, a plastics and textiles manufacturer in Gujarat, India, is betting it can find profit in human waste. Its new biogas digester turns human excrement, cow dung, or kitchen garbage into fuel that can be used for cooking or generating electricity, simultaneously addressing two of India’s […]
EMERGENCY: U.S. DOLLAR INDEX CRASHES THROUGH 74
February 28th, 2008WARNING: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. 73.88. Remember what I said—about a thousand times—about 74.50!? And now… Bush Says He Believes in Strong Dollar: President George W. Bush on Thursday said he believes in a strong dollar and that the U.S. economy is fundamentally sound. “We believe […]
Euro and Swissy: Fresh All Time Highs
February 28th, 2008I still have to milk the cow later, but it’s nice to see the blinking numbers and squiggly lines going my way. Via: Wall Street Journal: The euro and the Swiss franc rocketed to fresh all-time highs against the dollar Thursday morning after U.S. data showed a rising number of workers filing for jobless benefits. […]
Dollar Drops Off the Cliff
February 28th, 2008Warning: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. Weeeeee! 74.09 on the USDX… I love it when a plan comes together. Congratulations to all Cryptogon crash traders! Now, don’t get decapitated. Via: Market Watch: Gold futures edged higher to trade near $964 an ounce Thursday, getting a boost from […]
New Propulsion System for Boats Ditches the Diesel
February 28th, 2008Via: Popular Science: This month, 69-year-old Japanese sailor Ken-ichi Horie will attempt to captain the world’s most advanced wave-powered boat 4,350 miles from Hawaii to Japan. If all goes as planned, he’ll set the first Guinness world record for the longest distance traveled by a wave-powered boat and, along the way, show off the greenest […]
