The story of Eileen Loiacono, a mortgage underwriter – deciding who her firm should lend to – at the height of the subprime lending bonanza, is a sad tale of fear and greed. She finally left the industry which had “no morals at all”. Has anything changed? Have those people suddenly gained integrity? What are …
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Category:7 Holonics and Life
Will the new Japan stop barbaric imprisonment and death?
There are 100 people on death row in Japan. Many of them are elderly and have spent decades in near isolation. Conditions are primitive. The new government will be able to abolish the death penalty. Will Japanese people call for it? Will they allow it? It would be a healthy step towards cultural maturity if …
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History Commons
Chatting with a friend about current events and 9/11 prompted me to look at Loose Change – Final Cut, a documentary about 9/11. An eponymous Colonel is mentioned in the first 15 minutes, so I looked up Colonel Steve Butler on the web, which led to a comprehensive reference on History Commons and a 9/11 …
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Do you want to live without trees?
An article in today’s news suggests that we can turn back the tide of carbon by installing thousands of artificial carbon capture trees. OK, it might help. But it’s just the wrong kind of thinking and a tremendous waste of materials. It is real trees that we need. Building steel structures with solar panels and …
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Getting real about the high price of cheap food
An informative story from Time magazine. Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won’t bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics. The …
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Videos in magazines – another step beyond extravagant consumption
Video advertisements will be published in a traditional paper magazine in September. The video-in-print ads will use slim-line screens, around the size of a mobile phone display, which also have rechargeable batteries. The chip technology used to store the video – described as similar to that used in singing greeting cards – is activated when …
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The problem with PowerPoint
25 years of power point presentations and its almost become a part of our vocabulary. “Let’s see the powerpoint” or “Send me the ppt”. Here’s a potted history and some tips on making it work well for you. BBC: The problem with PowerPoint – 25 years of PowerPoint
Body and mind are one : DNA = IT
The headline drew my attention: DNA ‘organises itself’ on silicon. The idea that genetic material is now being used in computing hardware is exciting. It illustrates the direct connection between the elements of existence and the analogue complexity of life. It seems almost natural that IT design must seek answers and solutions in biology. Future …
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America votes for cocaine with dollar bills.
95% of dollar bills in Washington DC bear traces of cocaine. The lowest proportion is 77% in Salt Lake City. Many are obviously contaminated as they ciculate through banks, ATM and pockets. But it seems like such a big number that a majority of people would condone legalisation. That day will come when as a …
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Beer for osteoporosis? Not quite.
Spanish researchers found that moderate consumption of beer can help improve bone density. Unfortunately, it appears that it is phytoestrogens in the beer that are good for bones, not alcohol. In fact, more than two units of alcohol a day is know to harm bone health. So it’s better to just eat your veg 🙂 …
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