According to the latest issue of Time magazine, the cost of raw materials, distribution, and production of a penny adds up to 1.3 cents. The New York Times puts the cost at 1.4 cents; The Washington Post pegs it at 1.2 cents. So let’s split the difference and take the average. Doesn’t sound like fiat …
Category Archives: Culture at large
Gun buyback gets you more Target time
Today’s Boston Globe reports on the launch of a program to get guns off of Boston city streets. Each gun turned in gets a $200 Target gift card. Officials cited the use of gift cards rather than cash given that funds are often used to buy newer guns. Good thing it’s not a Wal-Mart gift …
Inflation-adjusted game console prices
Great information from Curmudgeon Gamer. The pic at left shows inflation-adjusted game console prices from the past thirty years. Thinking about dropping around $600 an xbox hd dvd 360 or ps3? Just think about that Atari 2600 you used to play pitfall and yar’s revenge on – $659.41 – and rationalize away. Tags: atari 2600, …
Commercial-Free Revolutionary Holidays
While you’re probably at work today (like me actually), today is Patriot’s Day, a state holiday in Massachusetts, commemorating the battle that started the American Revolutionary War. Paul Revere rode around town 231 years ago and a bunch of people woke up early this morning to re-enact battles in Lexington and Concord. Taxpayers in Maine, …
Who’s Who…the analog antithesis of LinkedIn
I remember back in high school, every year I’d get mail about "Who’s Who Among American High School Students." I guess it must have been more of an honor than I realized as, according to their website, "only 5% of all students are included." WOW! Then again, when you think of all the kids in …
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Been on vacation in Portland (Oregon)
Have been on vacation in Portland, Oregon. The city was named after Portland, Maine after two guys from back East flipped for the rights. The other choice: Boston. For more pictures, check out my Flickr photostream at right. Includes the Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, International Rose Test Garden, Newport & Yaquina Bay, Oregon Coast Aquarium …
Help Wanted: Tribe for Fijian Island
Here’s a new example of an integrated (online/offline) social community: TribeWanted: Adventure Island. They’re creating a "virtual tribe" with a physical home on an island in Fiji, which will launch once the membership goal is reached. As of lunch time today, they’re looking for 4,963 more members to join (meaning $1 million minimum in total …
New MBA rankings – why they matter to schools
The new 2007 US News MBA rankings are out. Great quotes from the "winners" in this Bloomberg article. HBS: "The way we look at this is that there is no such thing as a No. 1 school. What matters is that the school is a match for the student.” Sloan: "For some students, we are …
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Why coffee at conventions tastes bad
Have you ever wondered why the coffee you get at conferences and conventions usually tastes a bit off? The night I flew in to Vegas, I read an article at USA Today about a taste test between Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald’s, 7-11, and Starbucks – which reminded me of a WSJ article from last …
Super Bowl fine upheld – we lose
The FCC upheld the $550,000 fine levied against CBS for the 2004 Super Bowl halftime incident. Two years later, what’s the fallout? Well, the Super Bowl ads definitely changed and were pretty widely panned by everyone for the past couple of years. I took a quick look at Blogpulse and compared the buzz on Justin, …