Always Hungry? Here’s Why

Always Hungry? Here’s Why:

FOR most of the last century, our understanding of the cause of obesity has been based on immutable physical law. Specifically, it’s the first law of thermodynamics, which dictates that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. via Pocket

Why it makes sense to bike without a helmet — Howie Chong

Why it makes sense to bike without a helmet — Howie Chong:

Over half of all head injuries occur in motor vehicles and more people were hospitalized after walking down the street than riding on a bicycle. Consider another statistic: According to a 2006 French study, pedestrians are 1. via Pocket

The Decline of the Physical Exam in Modern Medicine

The Decline of the Physical Exam in Modern Medicine:

One morning a few years ago, my older brother phoned me in a panic. Our father had been having episodes of numbness and tingling in his left arm. My brother was worried they were transient ischemic attacks, or ministrokes. via Pocket

Cutting off the bees at the knees

A comprehensive story on the continued failure of bee colonies and its potentially fatal impact on American agriculture.

The beauty of zipper merging, or why you should drive ruder

The beauty of zipper merging, or why you should drive ruder:

Of all of the reasons for traffic snarls, impending lane closures bring out a particularly brutal combination of road rage and etiquette confusion. via Pocket

When the Juvenile Justice System Isn’t the Answer

When the Juvenile Justice System Isn’t the Answer:

IF you want to understand just how miserable a childhood can be, 16-year-old “Jane Doe” is a good place to start. That’s what the authorities in Connecticut call her to protect her identity. via Pocket

Darkness

Darkness:

via Pocket

The Best Chef's Knife

The Best Chef's Knife:

After an extremely close voting round, the Wusthof Classic Cooks Knife has cut through the competition as your choice for Best Chef’s Knife. You praised it specifically for its durability, hand-protecting shape, heft, balance, and of course, sharpness. via Pocket

Don't cross the pollinators: Starting July 1, they're protected by law

Don't cross the pollinators: Starting July 1, they're protected by law:

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, Minnesota — Pollinating his zucchini crop by hand has been one of Jonas Hochstetler’s daily chores between roughly 7:30 and 8:30 in the morning during this month of June. via Pocket

Scientists find Achilles' heel of antibiotic resistant bacteria

Scientists find Achilles' heel of antibiotic resistant bacteria:

Scientists at the University of East Anglia demonstrate how the bug responsible for E. coli and salmonella builds an impenetrable wall to keep out drugs The global threat of antibiotic resistance could finally be tackled after British scientists discovered a chink in the armour of deadly bacteria. via Pocket

Religion for $1,000, Alex

Religion for $1,000, Alex:

WITH Easter and Passover freshly behind us, let’s test your knowledge of the Bible. How many mistakes can you find: Noah of Arc and his wife, Joan, build a boat to survive a great flood. via Pocket

The Expendables: How the temps who power corporate giants are getting crushed

The Expendables: How the temps who power corporate giants are getting crushed:

It’s 4:18 a.m. and the strip mall is deserted. But tucked in back, next to a closed-down video store, an employment agency is already filling up. Rosa Ramirez walks in, as she has done nearly every morning for the past six months. via Pocket

Obama’s Game of Chicken

Obama’s Game of Chicken:

The untold story of how the administration tried to stand up to big agricultural companies on behalf of independent farmers, and lost. In May 2010, Garry Staples left his chicken farm in Steele, Alabama, to take part in a historic hearing in Normal, an hour and a half away. via Pocket

On Iraq, let’s ignore those who got it all wrong

On Iraq, let’s ignore those who got it all wrong:

At noon today, President Obama issued his first statement on the deteriorating situation on Iraq. “This is not solely or even primarily a military challenge,” he said. via Pocket

Internet Subversion

Internet Subversion:

In addition to turning the Internet into a worldwide surveillance platform, the NSA has surreptitiously weakened the products, protocols, and standards we all use to protect ourselves. By doing so, it has destroyed the trust that underlies the Internet. We need that trust back. via Pocket

The War on Cancer: Big Pharma Is Keeping Us From Developing Low-Cost Treatments

The War on Cancer: Big Pharma Is Keeping Us From Developing Low-Cost Treatments:

Big Pharma’s focus on blockbuster cancer drugs squeezes out research into potential treatments that are more affordable. Says one researcher: “What is scientific and sexy is driven by what can be monetized.” Michael Retsky awoke from surgery to bad news. via Pocket

"What happens to the Congressional Budget Office if a party that has learned that lying about numbers..."

“What happens to the Congressional Budget Office if a party that has learned that lying about numbers works takes full control of Congress?”

- Inventing a Failure - NYTimes.com

The other downside of antibiotics: Killing the useful bacteria

The other downside of antibiotics: Killing the useful bacteria:

Everyone has a pet theory to explain the rise of modern scourges, things that our forbears rarely had to contend with during their short, brutish lives: obesity, diabetes, celiac disease, autism, asthma, allergies, esophageal cancer, etc. via Pocket

WHO: Without urgent action, world headed toward 'post-antibiotic era'

WHO: Without urgent action, world headed toward 'post-antibiotic era':

This content is made possible by the generous sponsorship support of UCare. via Pocket

One Execution Botched, Oklahoma Delays the Next - NYTimes.com

One Execution Botched, Oklahoma Delays the Next - NYTimes.com:

There really isn’t a way to humanely execute someone, so maybe we should stop trying.

Where the G.O.P. Gets It Right

Where the G.O.P. Gets It Right:

Republicans may seem like ultimate Scrooges. Many want to slash food stamps, unemployment benefits and just about any program that helps the needy. So they know nothing about poverty, right? via Pocket

Fresh looks at 'creeping ecological disaster' of U.S. grassland conversions

Fresh looks at 'creeping ecological disaster' of U.S. grassland conversions:

From the American Prospect comes a fine piece of enterprise journalism on the shocking rates at which native grasslands are being converted to row crops in a region stretching from western Minnesota across the Dakotas, Nebraska and Iowa. “Plowed Under,” written by Jocelyn C. via Pocket

http://ift.tt/1gjxHFf

http://ift.tt/1gjxHFf:

via Pocket

Why Roku Matters More Than Ever

Why Roku Matters More Than Ever

CIA's role in the arrest of Nelson Mandela

CIA's role in the arrest of Nelson Mandela:

When Nelson Mandela died in December, I paid a lot of attention to the coverage. There was a lot about his long imprisonment by the South Afrrican apartheid regime. via Pocket

A Nation of Takers?

A Nation of Takers?:

In the debate about poverty, critics argue that government assistance saps initiative and is unaffordable. After exploring the issue, I must concede that the critics have a point. Here are five public welfare programs that are wasteful and turning us into a nation of “takers.” via Pocket

Matching Color for IKEA Lixtorp cabinets

For all you IKEA hackers out there, Varathane brand stain, Early American, is a spot on match for the brown LIxtorp cabinets from IKEA. 

Listen Up: It’s Time to Turn Down the Sound

Listen Up: It’s Time to Turn Down the Sound:

Ambient noise machines meant to prolong uninterrupted sleep may be doing long-term damage to the ears of infants, kick-starting a cycle of hearing loss that’s almost impossible to break. via Pocket

From Putin, a Blessing in Disguise

From Putin, a Blessing in Disguise:

There are a lot of people who seem intent on restarting the Cold War — in both Moscow and Washington. I am not one of them. But if we’re going to have a new Cold War, then I have one condition: I want a new moonshot. via Pocket

The dirty truth behind Park & Rides

The dirty truth behind Park & Rides:

Park and ride facilities are darling infrastructure of the transit planning profession. By providing “free” parking to lure choice riders out of cars and onto buses and trains, ridership can get a big boost. via Pocket

Insurance Won't Cover Special Needs Toddler Formula

Insurance Won't Cover Special Needs Toddler Formula:

TOPEKA, Kansas (WIBW) — One Topeka family is facing added expenses after their insurance company told them they will not cover a vital formula for their son, who has a rare genetic disorder. via Pocket

The Crimean Exception: Never Before in Autonomy Struggles Has a People Chosen Between Oppressors

The Crimean Exception: Never Before in Autonomy Struggles Has a People Chosen Between Oppressors:

The upcoming Crimea referendum is both ordinary and extraordinary. Ordinary because more than 100 times since World War II geographically concentrated ethnic or linguistic groups have voted on the question of independence. via Pocket

Liberty, Equality, Efficiency

Liberty, Equality, Efficiency:

Most people, if pressed on the subject, would probably agree that extreme income inequality is a bad thing, although a fair number of conservatives believe that the whole subject of income distribution should be banned from public discourse. via Pocket

Best predictor of divorce? Age when couples cohabit, study says

Best predictor of divorce? Age when couples cohabit, study says:

For years, social scientists have tried to explain why living together before marriage seemed to increase the likelihood of a couple divorcing. Now, new research released by the nonpartisan Council on Contemporary Families gives an answer: It doesn’t. And it probably never has. via Pocket

The environmental scandal that’s happening right beneath your feet

The environmental scandal that’s happening right beneath your feet:

BY THE TIME BOB ACKLEY crossed the Harlem River into Manhattan he’d been up for nearly four hours. It was still dark, not yet seven on a Sunday morning: the best time of the week to go sniffing for gas. The back seat of his hatchback was littered with hi-tech equipment. via Pocket

Is it the gluten or is it the glyphosate?

Is it the gluten or is it the glyphosate?:

New evidence points to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup, as the culprit in the rise of gluten intolerance, celiac disease and irritable bowel syndrome. A study just published in the Journal of Interdisciplinary Toxicology (Vol. via Pocket

Schneier on Security

Schneier on Security:

The NSA has become too big and too powerful. What was supposed to be a single agency with a dual mission — protecting the security of U.S. communications and eavesdropping on the communications of our enemies — has become unbalanced in the post-Cold War, all-terrorism-all-the-time era. via Pocket

Comcast’s deal with Netflix makes network neutrality obsolete

Comcast’s deal with Netflix makes network neutrality obsolete:

For the past two decades, the Internet has operated as an unregulated, competitive free market. Given the tendency of networked industries to lapse into monopoly—think of AT&T’s 70-year hold over telephone service, for example—that’s a minor miracle. via Pocket

It Takes How Much Water to Grow an Almond?!

It Takes How Much Water to Grow an Almond?!:

California, supplier of nearly half of all US fruits, veggies, and nuts, is on track to experience the driest year in the past half millennium. Farms use about 80 percent of the state’s “developed water,” or water that’s moved from its natural source to other areas via pipes and aqueducts. via Pocket

Silver bullets that kill bacteria, not werewolves

Silver bullets that kill bacteria, not werewolves

In Secret, Court Vastly Broadens Powers of N.S.A.

In Secret, Court Vastly Broadens Powers of N.S.A.

Britain’s Ministry of Nudges

Britain’s Ministry of Nudges

Who Says Libraries Are Going Extinct?

Who Says Libraries Are Going Extinct?

Mortgage lenders should consider transportation costs

Mortgage lenders should consider transportation costs:

Mortgage lenders turn a blind eye to the transportation costs of homebuyers, and that’s bad for borrowers, banks, and urbanism. via Pocket

'Labor Union Decline, Not Computerization, Main Cause of Rising Corporate Profits'

'Labor Union Decline, Not Computerization, Main Cause of Rising Corporate Profits':

I haven’t read this paper, so I can’t say a lot about how much confidence to place in the results, but it did grab my attention (and I believe it’s in one of the top journals for sociology): Labor union decline, not computerization, main cause of rising corporate profits, EurekAlert: A new study su via Pocket

10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science

10 Simple Things You Can Do Today That Will Make You Happier, Backed By Science:

Happiness is so interesting, because we all have different ideas about what it is and how to get it. It’s also no surprise that it’s the Nr.1 value for Buffer’s culture, if you see our slidedeck about it. So naturally we are obsessed with it. via Pocket

Trouble ahead: Justices’ rulings on gun rights raise thorny questions

Trouble ahead: Justices’ rulings on gun rights raise thorny questions:

Last of three parts. Former Chief Justice Warren Burger (who was so devoted to the U.S. via Pocket

The NRA's End : A Real Gun-Control Movement Has Arrived

The NRA's End : A Real Gun-Control Movement Has Arrived:

O buyers failed in the Senate, and the fatalistic shrugs in Washington were so numerous they were nearly audible. The legislation had been a modest bipartisan compromise, supported by 90 percent of the public and lobbied for hard by the president. via Pocket

Gun rights in the 1780s and today

Gun rights in the 1780s and today:

Second of three articles. The original U.S. Constitution, as drafted in 1787, made no mention of gun rights and guaranteed relatively few other rights. via Pocket

The Second Amendment is a mess

The Second Amendment is a mess:

First of three articles. Obama, who taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago, surely has a more informed and nuanced view of this than I could ever hold, but he can’t possibly be as confident of that statement as he sounds because the Second Amendment is a mess. via Pocket

Piikki Organizes and Uploads Receipts From Your Phone

Piikki Organizes and Uploads Receipts From Your Phone:

iOS: Receipts are ridiculously easy to lose, so I always try to snap a picture of important ones with my phone. From now on, I’ll be taking those pictures with Piikki. There are plenty of apps and methods to store receipts on your smartphone, but I have yet to encounter a faster option than Piikki. via Pocket

Going off the rails with the Second Amendment

Going off the rails with the Second Amendment:

Blog Cabin contributor Paul Udstrand has started publishing on his blog, Thoughtful Bastards, a six-part series on the interpretation of the Second Amendment especially as it relates to permitting private possession of semi-automatic assault weapons. via Pocket

In Defense of Genetically Modified Crops

In Defense of Genetically Modified Crops:

Genetically modified Bt crops get a pretty bad rap. The pest-killing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) bacteria protein these plants are bioengineered to make has been accused of harming monarch butterflies, honey bees, rats, and showing up in the blood of pregnant women. via Pocket

Sleight of the ‘Invisible Hand’

Sleight of the ‘Invisible Hand’:

Much has been made of Paul Ryan’s devotion to, and timely disavowal of, Ayn Rand and her work, but little has been said about the Scottish philosopher he and Mitt Romney have cited as the ideological embodiment of what’s at stake in this election. via Pocket

Lawfare › Catalog of the Snowden Revelations

Lawfare › Catalog of the Snowden Revelations:

This page catalogs various revelations by Edward Snowden, regarding the United States’ surveillance activities. via Pocket

What Happens When the Poor Receive a Stipend?

What Happens When the Poor Receive a Stipend?:

Growing up poor has long been associated with reduced educational attainment and lower lifetime earnings. Some evidence also suggests a higher risk of depression, substance abuse and other diseases in adulthood. via Pocket

Heart surgeon declares on what really causes heart illness

Heart surgeon declares on what really causes heart illness:

We physicians with all our experience, know how and authority often acquire a rather large selfishness that tends to make it hard to accept we are wrong. So, here it is. I openly admit to being mistaken. via Pocket

Should Pope Francis Rethink Abortion? - NYTimes.com

Should Pope Francis Rethink Abortion? - NYTimes.com:

A Notre Dame philosopher weighs in.

FDA's New Rules on Factory Farm Antibiotics Are Flawed—and Voluntary

FDA's New Rules on Factory Farm Antibiotics Are Flawed—and Voluntary

Encouraging Corporate Crime

Encouraging Corporate Crime

Leaf-bagging under scrutiny as a wasteful expense and pointless chore

Leaf-bagging under scrutiny as a wasteful expense and pointless chore

Women Relax, Men Mountaineer: What Backpacks Reveal About Gendered Marketing of Outdoor Sports

Women Relax, Men Mountaineer: What Backpacks Reveal About Gendered Marketing of Outdoor Sports:

stupid sexist companies strike outdoor gear

Serving Life for This?

Serving Life for This?

Airline Deregulation : A Triumph of Ideology Over Evidence : Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Airline Deregulation : A Triumph of Ideology Over Evidence : Institute for Local Self-Reliance

Why Elizabeth Warren baffles pundits: “Economic populism” isn’t just a campaign slogan

Why Elizabeth Warren baffles pundits: “Economic populism” isn’t just a campaign slogan

Our Democracy Is at Stake

Our Democracy Is at Stake

Slow Ideas

Slow Ideas:

bedside manner matters as much as facts

David Morris: What’s Good for Bill Gates Turns Out To Be Bad For Public Schools

David Morris: What’s Good for Bill Gates Turns Out To Be Bad For Public Schools

An insecticide-infection connection in bee colony collapses | Ars Technica

An insecticide-infection connection in bee colony collapses | Ars Technica:

Was bee death caused by infection or insecticide?  Turns out, the insecticide weakens the bee’s immune system, allowing infection to run rampant. 

Make $377,000 trading Apple in one day

Make $377,000 trading Apple in one day:

Socially useless activity that makes BIG money.  I know it’s politically popular to do things like drug tests for welfare recipients, but these high-frequency traders are exploiting latency for profit.  Total. Fscking. Wankers.

The world reacts to the crisis in Syria - The Oatmeal

The world reacts to the crisis in Syria - The Oatmeal:

If only real journalists provided this kind of context.

What Works In Education: Scientific Evidence Gets Ignored - Slashdot

What Works In Education: Scientific Evidence Gets Ignored - Slashdot:

We already know what works.  What need to apply what we’ve learned.

NSA Officers Spy on Love Interests - Washington Wire - WSJ

NSA Officers Spy on Love Interests - Washington Wire - WSJ

Who is Your Favorite President (v2) (by FairVote MN) An...

Who is Your Favorite President (v2) (by FairVote MN)

An excellent, brief description of ranked-choice voting, a better method to elect people.

Let Me Explain Why Miley Cyrus’ VMA Performance Was Our Top Story This Morning | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Let Me Explain Why Miley Cyrus’ VMA Performance Was Our Top Story This Morning | The Onion - America's Finest News Source:

The disappointment in this story is that it’s from the Onion, but it’s true.

No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops” - Salon.com

No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops” - Salon.com:

He uses a lot of big words, but the general notion is that we should think carefully about who ‘the troops’ are and what we are ‘supporting’.  A seemingly apolitical slogan actually has a lot of political baggage.

A City Invokes Seizure Laws to Save Homes - NYTimes.com

A City Invokes Seizure Laws to Save Homes - NYTimes.com:

Summary: rich bankers get angry when people decide to ask for a square deal.

A Shuffle of Aluminum, but to Banks, Pure Gold - NYTimes.com

A Shuffle of Aluminum, but to Banks, Pure Gold - NYTimes.com:

Activity of no value, costing consumers billions.  Big banks are the enemy of the common (wo)man.

'Ban the box': a major milepost on a long road | MinnPost

'Ban the box': a major milepost on a long road | MinnPost

"a run-up in housing prices that is artificial, fueled by speculation from Wall Street investors,..."

“a run-up in housing prices that is artificial, fueled by speculation from Wall Street investors, setting up the affected regions for yet another crash.”

- Will Rising Mortgage Rates Put an End to the Housing Recovery? -

How Long Can You Wait to Have a Baby? - Jean Twenge - The Atlantic

How Long Can You Wait to Have a Baby? - Jean Twenge - The Atlantic:

A very good, evidence-based analysis of how long a woman can wait - biologically - to have children. 

It might be worth pointing out that raising children requires a lot of physical and emotional stamina, and that those things also decline with age. 

It may be possible to conceive children at 40, but how will you feel about still raising them in your late 50s?

Monopolistic Too-Big-to-Fail Banks Try to Crush Credit Unions as Competition by Removing Tax Exemption

Monopolistic Too-Big-to-Fail Banks Try to Crush Credit Unions as Competition by Removing Tax Exemption

Workaround for Disk Utility "Unable to write to the last block of the device"

I got a new Mushkin solid state disk (SSD) for my 2011-era Macbook Pro running OS X 10.7.5 and when I went to format the thing, Disk Utility kept returning: “Unable to write to the last block of the device".

I got the same error when I booted up in recovery mode (holding Option and then picking the Recovery HD). 

However, when I put the SSD in a USB enclosure and connected it to a 2007-era Macbook (running the exact same version of the OS, however), Disk Utility worked just fine.  I was able to format the disk, partition it (for a Recovery partition) and then use Carbon Copy Cloner back in the Macbook Pro to clone over my existing hard drive. 

So if anyone else out there runs into this problem, find yourself an old Macbook?  Not a great solution, but it’s out there.

Schneier on Security: Preventing Cell Phone Theft through Benefit Denial

Schneier on Security: Preventing Cell Phone Theft through Benefit Denial

Inequality Is

Inequality Is:

A powerfully interactive analysis of economic inequality in the U.S.  Data-rich and yet very accessible.

'Superbugs' push effort to approve new antibiotics

'Superbugs' push effort to approve new antibiotics:

It’s embarrassing that we’re willing to give drug companies more money for antibiotics when we really need to stop feeding them to pigs day and night.

Obamacare’s Other Surprise

Obamacare’s Other Surprise:

Interesting ways that open data will improve health care

The Excel Depression - NYTimes.com

The Excel Depression - NYTimes.com:

I think it’s what psychologists call confirmation bias.  We like to believe in research/data that defends our own point of view.  Governments have slashed spending to cut deficits because politicians wanted to, but the economists that defended that position were actually wrong.  Sigh.

The case of the poison potato - Boing Boing

The case of the poison potato - Boing Boing:

Fascinating look at potato hybrids and how GM crops can actually result in fewer unexpected side effects than traditional cross breeding (since you know which genes you’re messing with).

Soaring Bee Deaths in 2012 Sound Alarm on Malady - NYTimes.com

Soaring Bee Deaths in 2012 Sound Alarm on Malady - NYTimes.com

Government and Medical Costs, Continued - NYTimes.com

Government and Medical Costs, Continued - NYTimes.com

Adding (Multiple) File Attachments to iPad or iPhone emails

For a device that replaces a computer for many (iPad) or that can use cloud-based file syncing (both), it’s amazing that you can’t attach files easily to email in iOS.  But with this $0.99 app – iAttachment – and Dropbox, it’s actually pretty easy.

I’d imagine it also works with apps from other cloud syncing services where you can choose “Open In…” with your files.  If so, leave a comment!

Once you have iAttachment and a cloud file app (Dropbox in this example), here’s what you do:
1) go to Dropbox and find the file you want to attach.  The bottom right option is a little icon with an arrow going into a box.  Tap that and pick “Open In…” and select iAttachment.

Do this for each file you want to send.  It’ll take you to iAttachment after each one, so you’ll have to go back to Dropbox for each additional file.

2) Once you’ve imported all the files you want, open iAttachment.  The files will be in the Imported Files folder. Tap the folder to open it, then check each file you want to attach. 

3) Tap the “attach & mail” icon along the bottom.  It will open a Mail compose window with those files in there.  You can delete the text that says they were attached with iAttachment.

Is Vegetarianism Worth It? - Sierra Daily

Is Vegetarianism Worth It? - Sierra Daily

The inside story of Aaron Swartz’s campaign to liberate court filings | Ars Technica

The inside story of Aaron Swartz’s campaign to liberate court filings | Ars Technica:

Should Americans have to pay to access public court records?  A compelling case made by a man who may have been driven to suicide by a government focused on secrecy.

Electoral College Changes Would Pose Danger for Democrats - NYTimes.com

Electoral College Changes Would Pose Danger for Democrats - NYTimes.com:

I really don’t see how this kind of policy proposal can seem like anything less than election fraud.  It deliberately skews presidential election results AWAY from reflecting the national popular vote.

The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

The Best Birth Control In The World Is For Men

(via A Politician Loses It On The State House Floor, Says What...

(via A Politician Loses It On The State House Floor, Says What All Of Us Are Thinking)

'Lincoln': Injustice did not end when credits rolled

'Lincoln': Injustice did not end when credits rolled

Choose your own fiscal cliff adventure!

Choose your own fiscal cliff adventure!

No amendment allowed: A constitutional problem we’re stuck with | MinnPost

No amendment allowed: A constitutional problem we’re stuck with | MinnPost:

Do you know the one part of the U.S. Constitution that cannot be amended?  I didn’t.  And what a problem it has become!