Fiction: If you fall into quicksand, you’ll be sucked under and die.
Fact: You’ll only sink up to your waist.

Fiction: Sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes.
Fact: It causes fatigue but no permanent damage.

Fiction: Earth’s rotation causes bathtubs, sinks, and toilets to drain clockwise in the northern hemisphere, counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere.
Fact: They can go either way in either hemisphere. The shape of the basin and the direction of the incoming flow overwhelm the minuscule effect of planetary spin.

Fiction: Benjamin Franklin’s kite was struck by lightning.
Fact: The kite picked up electricity from the air, causing an arc between Franklin’s hand and a key tied to his end of the string.

Fiction: A penny dropped from the top of a skyscraper can kill someone.
Fact: It could never pick up enough velocity to kill, just to bang you up a little.

Fiction: Swimming after you eat will cause cramps and lead to drowning.
Fact: There is a very slight risk of cramps, but only for vigorous swimmers.

Fiction: A drunken teenager can tip over a sleeping cow.
Fact: It would take several semisober people and a paralyzed cow. Anyway, cows sleep lying down.

Fiction: There’s a dark side of the moon.
Fact: The entire lunar surface receives sunlight during the moon’s monthly orbit around Earth.

Fiction: Swallowed chewing gum takes seven years to digest.
Fact: Gum is not digested. It passes through the gastro-intestinal system, usually within 24 hours.

Joy to the world
I'm getting laid
I'm getting laid tonight.
We'll light the Yule log
Deck the halls
And then we'll play some
Jingle balls.
It's been a real long wait
This is our second date
It's Christmas Eve
And I'm getting laid.
Charlie Sheen to the tune of a famous Christian hymn, Two and a Half Men, December 11, 2006
"AFA: 'Fornication' song requires network apology," by Bob Unruh, WorldNetDaily, December 16, 2006 --- http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53387
Jensen Comment
In addition to being sacrilegious, this illustrates how low prime time "family television shows" have sunk --- they should be X-Rated.

More on Science Fiction
Charlie Sheen is one of the most famous proponents of the 9/11 conspiracy
Speaking to The Alex Jones Show on the GCN Radio Network, the star of current hit comedy show Two and a Half Men and dozens of movies including Platoon and Young Guns, Sheen elaborated on why he had problems believing the government's version of events. Sheen agreed that the biggest conspiracy theory was put out by the government itself and prefaced his argument by quoting Theodore Roosevelt in stating, "That we are to stand by the President right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
"Actor Charlie Sheen Questions Official 9/11 Story," PrisonPlanet, March 20, 2006 --- http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2006/200306charliesheen.htm

Say What? An Ultraliberal Magazine Debunks the 9/11 Conspiracy Theory
The Reichstag example also holds a lesson for those who would dismiss the very notion of a conspiracy as necessarily absurd. It was perfectly reasonable to suspect the Nazis of setting the fire, so long as the evidence suggested that might have been the case. The problem isn't with conspiracy theories as such; the problem is continuing to assert the existence of a conspiracy even after the evidence shows it to be virtually impossible.
"9/11: The Roots of Paranoia," by Christopher Hayes, The Nation, December 8, 2006 --- http://www.thenation.com/doc/20061225/hayes

According to a July poll conducted by Scripps News Service, one-third of Americans think the government either carried out the 9/11 attacks or intentionally allowed them to happen in order to provide a pretext for war in the Middle East. This is at once alarming and unsurprising. Alarming, because if tens of millions of Americans really believe their government was complicit in the murder of 3,000 of their fellow citizens, they seem remarkably sanguine about this fact. By and large, life continues as before, even though tens of millions of people apparently believe they are being governed by mass murderers. Unsurprising, because the government these Americans suspect of complicity in 9/11 has acquired a justified reputation for deception: weapons of mass destruction, secret prisons, illegal wiretapping. What else are they hiding?

This pattern of deception has not only fed diffuse public cynicism but has provided an opening for alternate theories of 9/11 to flourish. As these theories--propounded by the so-called 9/11 Truth Movement--seep toward the edges of the mainstream, they have raised the specter of the return (if it ever left) of what Richard Hofstadter famously described as "the paranoid style in American politics." But the real danger posed by the Truth Movement isn't paranoia. Rather, the danger is that it will discredit and deform the salutary skepticism Americans increasingly show toward their leaders.

The Truth Movement's recent growth can be largely attributed to the Internet-distributed documentary Loose Change. A low-budget film produced by two 20-somethings that purports to debunk the official story of 9/11, it's been viewed over the Internet millions of times. Complementing Loose Change are the more highbrow offerings of a handful of writers and scholars, many of whom are associated with Scholars for 9/11 Truth. Two of these academics, retired theologian David Ray Griffin and retired Brigham Young University physics professor Steven Jones, have written books and articles that serve as the movement's canon. Videos of their lectures circulate among the burgeoning portions of the Internet devoted to the cause of the "truthers." A variety of groups have chapters across the country and organize conferences that draw hundreds. In the last election cycle, the website www.911truth.org  even produced a questionnaire with pointed inquiries for candidates, just like the US Chamber of Commerce or the Sierra Club. The Truth Movement's relationship to the truth may be tenuous, but that it is a movement is no longer in doubt.

Truth activists often maintain they are simply "raising questions," and as such tend to focus with dogged persistence on physical minutiae: the lampposts near the Pentagon that should have been knocked down by Flight 77, the altitude in Pennsylvania at which cellphones on Flight 93 should have stopped working, the temperature at which jet fuel burns and at which steel melts. They then use these perceived inconsistencies to argue that the central events of 9/11--the plane hitting the Pentagon, the towers collapsing--were not what they appeared to be. So: The eyewitness accounts of those who heard explosions in the World Trade Center, combined with the facts that jet fuel burns at 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit and steel melts at 2,500, shows that the towers were brought down by controlled explosions from inside the buildings, not by the planes crashing into them.

If the official story is wrong, then what did happen? As you might expect, there's quite a bit of dissension on this point. Like any movement, the Truth Movement is beset by internecine fights between different factions: those who subscribe to what are termed LIHOP theories (that the government "let it happen on purpose") and the more radical MIHOP ("made it happen on purpose") contingent. Even within these groups, there are divisions: Some believe the WTC was detonated with explosives after the planes hit and some don't even think there were any planes.

To the extent that there is a unified theory of the nature of the conspiracy, it is based, in part, on the precedent of the Reichstag fire in Germany in the 1930s. The idea is that just as the Nazis staged a fire in the Reichstag in order to frighten the populace and consolidate power, the Bush Administration, military contractors, oil barons and the CIA staged 9/11 so as to provide cause and latitude to pursue its imperial ambitions unfettered by dissent and criticism. But the example of the Reichstag fire itself is instructive. While during and after the war many observers, including officials of the US government, suspected the fire was a Nazi plot, the consensus among historians is that it was, in fact, the product of a lone zealous anarchist. That fact changes little about the Nazi regime, or its use of the fire for its own ends. It's true the Nazis were the chief beneficiaries of the fire, but that doesn't mean they started it, and the same goes for the Bush Administration and 9/11.

The Reichstag example also holds a lesson for those who would dismiss the very notion of a conspiracy as necessarily absurd. It was perfectly reasonable to suspect the Nazis of setting the fire, so long as the evidence suggested that might have been the case. The problem isn't with conspiracy theories as such; the problem is continuing to assert the existence of a conspiracy even after the evidence shows it to be virtually impossible.

Debunking The 9/11 Myths -Popular Mechanics examines the evidence and consults the experts to refute the most persistent conspiracy theories of September 11 --- http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military_law/1227842.html

In India, abortion is not gender neutral
Ten million girls have been killed by their parents in India in the past 20 years, either before they were born or immediately after, a government minister said on Thursday, describing it as a "national crisis" . . . A UNICEF report released this week said 7,000 fewer girls are born in the country every day than the global average would suggest, largely because female foetuses are aborted after sex determination tests but also through murder of new borns.
Palash Kumar, "India has killed 10 mln girls in 20 years," Yahoo News, December 154 2006 ---     http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061214/india_nm/india280322

How to check on a charity or church before you donate

International Center for Not-for-Profit Law --- http://www.icnl.org/ 

FTC Charity Fraud Site --- Search at http://www.ftc.gov/

You can begin with IRS Form 990 disclosures, but these may be more misleading than helpful. You can access them from Guidestar at http://www.guidestar.org/index.jsp

Guidestar also provides salary disclosures for top executives in the charity. However, funds can be diverted by cheats in other ways.

Research Tools
Analyst Reports
Charity Check
Grant Explorer
Data Services
Nonprofit Compensation Reports
Salary Search

"Giving Freely—And Wisely:  One site names preachers who may be misusing money and suggests that you 'prayerfully' consider giving to other ministries instead," Jane Bryant Quinn, Newsweek, December 18, 2006, Page 51 --- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16127630/site/newsweek/
 

Unfortunately, you can't always believe what the (IRS Form) 990 says. It's supposed to show how much the nonprofit spends on actual services, as opposed to fund-raising and administration. But the law isn't much enforced. In a report covering part of the 1990s, the General Accounting Office found that 64 percent of public charities claimed to have zero—zero!—fund-raising expenses. Do you believe that? Neither do I.

Some of the rating services adjust for these problems. Uncharitably, they often slam each other's methods while touting their own. I'm a civilian in these wars, so my advice is to look for good grades from every source. Start your research here:

1. The Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance (Give.org). It currently posts reports on more than 900 nonprofits, testing them by a number of standards including good governance. About 65 percent of them pass. The rest fail, or refuse to be evaluated (a bad sign, no matter what excuse the charity gives).

2. American Institute of Philanthropy (CharityWatch.org). It's the toughest of the bunch, rating more than 500 charities on a scale of A+ down to F. Because it disregards certain, potentially suspect, expenses and donations, it fails some nonprofits that the other raters approve. Readers of this column can get its latest Charity Rating Guide free from AIP, P.O. Box 578460, Chicago, IL 60657.

3. CharityNavigator.org rates 5,100 nonprofits on a scale of zero to four stars. This site draws only from a nonprofit's latest 990 form, which could mislead. But I like its Top Ten lists, such as 10 Charities Overpaying Their For-Profit Fund-Raisers.

4. MinistryWatch.com rates more than 500 evangelical groups on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. It's an ardent advocate for financial disclosure. The site names preachers who may be misusing money and suggests that you "prayerfully" consider other ministries instead. Withholding that advice, says MinistryWatch.com, would be "tantamount to condoning sin." Hear, hear.

5. The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (Ecfa.org) accredits Evangelical churches and charities based on such standards as audited financial reports and ECFA's own field reviews. If your group hasn't joined (or is on the lists of those that left) you should ask why. There's no comparable service for Jewish, Muslim or Catholic organizations.

You'll find other sources. GuideStar.org gives no ratings, just access to 990s for nearly 700,000 charities. Pennsylvania's Department of State lists nonprofits that ran into trouble there. They may be fund-raising in other states.

Still, most people donate simply because someone asks them to, says William Meehan, chair of Philanthropic Research, parent of GuideStar. Charity ratings haven't had much impact, because they're flawed and not enough people follow them. Besides, the ratings don't help you choose among similar charities. For that, you need to know how well they do their jobs. That's the next step—and a new Web site should help it along. Watch for GreatNonprofits.org, launching next spring. People familiar with specific charities—clients, donors, staff and volunteers—will be able to post opinions there, for you to read before you decide to give.

Continued in article

Bob Jensen's threads on reporting fraudulent charities are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudReporting.htm#CharityFrauds

Question
Do hybrid vehicles (today, at least) appear to be another feel good/do nothing hoax?

Comparisons of Hybrid Fuel Saving Automobiles --- http://avt.inl.gov/pdf/hev/sae_gov_ind_may_2005_hevs.pdf

It's beginning to look like a hoax --- http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752922/posts

The drop in performance with air conditioning is considerable. Maybe a Marin County, CA or Cambridge, MA granola cruncher and live without A/C, but in the Sunbelt we cannot. Driving around in 90+ weather with the windows down won’t cut it.

Given that the acclaimed fuel efficiency of hybrids is much less with the air on, I wondered how they compared with standard vehicles. Using Edmunds.com, I made a few direct comparisons. This is interesting stuff…

2003 CIVIC...

2003 Civic Hybrid
Air Off: 47 MPG
Air On: 36 MPG

2003 Civic LS Auto 4 Cyl.
City: 29 MPG
Hwy: 38 MPG
Avg: 33.5 MPG

2005 ACCORD...

2005 Accord Hybrid
Air Off: 29 MPG
Air On: 24 MPG

2005 Accord LX Auto 4 Cyl.
City: 26 MPG
Hwy: 34 MPG
Avg: 30 MPG

2005 Accord LX Auto 6 Cyl.
City: 21 MPG
Hwy: 30 MPG
Avg: 25.5 MPG

2005 SILVARADO...
 

2005 Silvarado 2WD Hybrid
Air Off: 16 MPG
Air On: 19 MPG

2005 Silvarado 2WD Hybrid
City: 16 MPG
Hwy: 19 MPG
Avg: 17.5 MPG

2005 ESCAPE...

2005 Escape 2WD Hybrid
Air Off: 25 MPG
Air On: 32 MPG

2005 Escape 2WD 3.0L
City: 20 MPG
Hwy: 25 MPG
Avg: 22.5 MPG
 

COMPARISON...
I compared the hybrid fuel savings with air on to the conventional vehicle’s city/highway average. The Civic and Escape hybrids each got a whopping 2.5 MPG better than the conventional vehicles. The Accord and Silvarado hybrids performed worse!

Civic: Hybrid +2.5 MPG
Accord 4Cyl: Hybrid -6 MPG
Accord 6 Cyl: Hybrid -1.5 MPG
Silvarado: Hybrid -1.5 MPG
Escape: Hybrid +2.5 MPG

In some parts of the country, people may not need air conditioning. Where the air is kept on most of the year, the hybrids aren’t such a good deal. In fact, they may get worse fuel efficiency. And we haven’t even discussed the energy cost to recycle the batteries every eight years.

National security costs hidden in every barrel of oil
In his new book, Lives Per Gallon, former secretary of the California EPA Terry Tamminen examines the health, environmental and national security costs hidden in every barrel of oil. Wired News interview by John Gartner.
John Gartner, "The Pernicious Price of Petroleum," Wired News, December 13, 2006 --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/autotech/0,72266-0.html?tw=wn_index_29

Google Plants Solar Trees
The search giant joins a growing trend by landscaping its headquarters' parking lots with pole-mounted panels that provide shade and generate clean power in one fell swoop.
Marty Graham, "Google Plants Solar Trees," Wired News, December 13, 2006 --- http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72292-0.html?tw=wn_index_32

Corporate Monopoly:  Radio Is Wrecked--But It Can Be Repaired
A handful of homogenized music formats now dominates the airwaves. Jazz, the classics, folk and new rock are hard to find. Listeners are tuning out. John Nichols reports on a new study by musicians and fans that documents how corporate consolidation is killing American radio--and how the FCC can fix it.
John Nichols, "Radio Is Wrecked--But It Can Be Repaired," The Nation, December 15, 2006 ---
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?pid=148791

The knowledge economy of Europe --- http://www.theworkfoundation.com/Assets/PDFs/KE_Europe.pdf
(Including how Europe compares with the U.S. in terms of the knowledge economy.)

Native American Code of Ethics --- http://eveningrain.com/Ethics.html

Saudi Arabia's Method for Terminating Corruption Investigations
Tony Blair, the British prime minister, has said he takes full responsibility for the decision to abandon an investigation into alleged corruption and bribery. The decision to abandon a two-year corruption inquiry into BAE Systems came after Saudi Arabia suggested it might cancel an order for 72 Eurofighter Typhoon jets from BAE Systems.
"Blair defends Saudi arms decision," Al Jazeera, December 16, 2006 ---
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/1E0DDA3F-CA29-4CD9-9F9F-53C7A783F6B2.htm

Bob Jensen's fraud updates are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/FraudUpdates.htm

EU leaders still divided on future
European Union leaders have remained far from united about the future shape of the union, set to grow to 27 members when Bulgaria and Romania join on January 1. On the final day of a summit, there were still divisions about further expansion beyond that date and about whether and how to revive a stalled EU constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters.
"EU leaders still divided on future," Al Jazeera, December 15, 2006 ---
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/3BFC3168-27AB-48A2-A1C0-9BC7EBC7DCA2.htm

Taxation of Dividends Creates European Union Stir
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) said that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling this week on the UK dividends case creates issues for other European countries, including Ireland, which have a similar system of taxation of dividends to that in the UK. The ECJ ruled on the principles of freedom of establishment and freedom of movement of capital in relation to the UK dividends system. See further details in our full news item.
Andy Lymer, "ECJ DIVIDENDS CASE CREATES ISSUES FOR IRELAND," AccountingEducation.com, December 14, 2006 --- http://accountingeducation.com/index.cfm?page=newsdetails&id=144069

True deficit: $3.5 trillion:  Analyst says coming Treasury report will document 'unsustainable' pace
A report scheduled to be released by the Treasury Department tomorrow is expected to show the true deficit in the Bush administration's 2006 federal budget to be an astounding $3.5 trillion in the red, not $248.2 billion as previously reported.
Jerome R. Corsey, "True deficit: $3.5 trillion," WorldNetDaily, December 14, 2006 ---
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53366

Johns Hopkins Gets a Separate B-School
What's better than one Carey B-school? How about another one? The same person who endowed the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State has done it again, this time at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. Johns Hopkins officials said Dec. 5 that the school received a $50 million donation from trustee emeritus William Polk Carey to go toward the creation of the university's first separate business school. Carey is chairman of New York real estate investment firm W.P. Carey & Co.
Julie Gordon, "Johns Hopkins Gets a Separate B-School," Business Week, December 5, 2006 --- http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/dec2006/bs20061205_466430.htm?link_position=link4
Jensen Comment
What a tough challenge! Can you imagine trying to hire a new business school faculty from scratch? It is absolutely certain that Johns Hopkins will want prestigious faculty. It will be interesting to see who they snare. About three weeks ago I flew into Baltimore and took a limo down to Crystal City, Virginia. I was truly impressed by the number of trees in full foliage. Our leaves blew off the trees over six weeks ago.

In spite of legislation and voter mandates, universities will always have race-based affirmative action

As we wrote at the time, "a cynic might conclude that the decisions mean universities can still discriminate as long as they're not too obvious about it." That is exactly what Wayne State is doing. Its new law school admission guidelines, unveiled last week, avoid mention of race and other preference criteria explicitly banned by Prop 2. Instead, applicants will be invited to describe their family's socio-economic status and educational history, past experiences of discrimination, any foreign languages spoken at home, etc.
"The Racial Runaround The University of Michigan isn't accepting voters' rejection of affirmative action," The Wall Street Journal, December 15, 2006 --- http://opinionjournal.com/taste/?id=110009387

Bob Jensen's threads on affirmative action in college admissions and grading are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/HigherEdControversies.htm#AcademicStandards

The press is an evil for which there is no remedy. Liberty depends upon freedom of the press and that cannot be limited without being lost.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson

"The Media Is in Need of Some Mending," by Peter R. Kann, The Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2006; Page A18 --- Click Here

At its best news informs and enlightens the citizens of a free society and thereby safeguards and strengthens our democracy. At its worst -- dishonest, unfair, irresponsible -- the media has potential to erode the public trust on which its own success depends and to corrode the democratic system of which it is so indispensably a part. So, let me touch on 10 current trends in the mass media that ought to disturb us.

The blurring of the lines between journalism and entertainment. Journalism that puts too high a priority on entertaining is almost destined to distort and mislead. Compounding this confusion is a diffusing definition of "journalist." When political operatives moonlight at moderating news shows, when people alternate between being political editors and political consultants, when celebrity newspeople pocket $20,000 fees speaking at corporate conventions while criticizing congressman for conflicts of interest -- we jumble public perceptions of newspeople as well as news.

The blurring of lines between news and opinion. Newspapers have a format that helps maintain the distinction. The Internet, TV and most magazines have neither that format nor that tradition. The result is a blending of news and views. The two are not ingredients to mix together for a tastier meal, they are different courses. Part of the problem here lies in fashionable new philosophies that argue there are no basic values of right and wrong, that news is merely a matter of views. It's a dangerous philosophy for our society and a dagger at the heart of genuine journalism.

The blending of news and advertising, sponsorships or other commercial relationships. The resulting porridges may be called "advertorials" or "infomercials"; they may be special sections masquerading as news, news pages driven by commercial interests, or Web pages where everything somehow is selling something. Without clear distinctions between news and advertising, readers or viewers lose confidence in the veracity of a news medium. And advertisers lose the business benefit of an environment of trust.

The problems and pitfalls inherent in pack journalism. Individually, most reporters are decent, dedicated, fair-minded people. But the press, en masse, tends to lose its common sense and its sense of fairness and independence and what we see all too often is the spectacle of a pack of hounds in pursuit of a quarry. We frequently see this phenomenon in political reporting, where the faintest whiff of scandal, or even of weakness, can send the pack in pursuit. At its worst, the pack, not finding a real problem, proclaims the "perception" of one and this perception becomes self-fulfilling.

The issue of conflict and context. On most issues most Americans are not on polar extremes. On abortion, for example, most seek a sensible center. Where is that center reflected in media coverage that mainly portrays rabid feminists or irate pro-life activists? Balance is not achieved by the talk show format of two extremists yelling at each other. And how many of us recognize our own communities from their depiction on local TV news shows -- a nonstop montage of mayhem, murder, rape, arson, child molestation and more?

The exaggerated tendency toward pessimism. Just look back a few years over much of the media coverage of "American competitiveness." All those news magazine covers on the coming "Japanese Century." And along with it, all the pessimism about the ability of U.S. industry to compete globally. It was nonsense. Similarly, it's one thing -- and an appropriate one -- for the press to probe particular instances of political corruption. It's quite another thing to jump to the cynical conclusion that our political process, and all politicians, are corrupted -- that "they all do it." They don't, and they aren't. Skepticism and criticism are essential to the media's role; reflexive pessimism is not.

The growing media fascination with the bizarre, the perverse and the pathological -- John Mark Karr journalism. Such so-called journalism helps instantly legitimize crackpot ideas, deviant behavior, or alleged victimization in our society. My point is not to argue for "good news" vs. "bad news," but to ask whether much of this amounts to news at all?

Social orthodoxy, or political correctness. These are reflected in a media whose job is not to parrot prevailing fashions, but to question, probe and thereby challenge them. Businessmen are not, by definition, greedy, and environmentalists, by definition, saintly. Third World poverty is not, by definition, a result of overpopulation as opposed to inane economic policies. And so on.

The media's short attention span. As the press hops from Baghdad to Beirut, Natalee Holloway to Valerie Plame, Super Bowls to Super Tuesdays, it justifiably can blame some combination of the nature of the news and the short attention span of the public. The public, meanwhile, bombarded and bewildered can blame a fickle and shallow press. There are too many instant celebrities. Too many two-day crises. Too many "defining moments" from people in search of instant history. In a world where everything is considered critical, nothing needs to be taken very seriously.

The matter of power. The press is at least partially responsible for greater public skepticism toward traditional institutions in America. But the truth, not lost on our public, is that the press is a large and powerful institution, too: "60 Minutes" is more powerful than almost all of the subjects it exposes. This newspaper, arguably, has more influence on national economic policy than do most corporations. Networks are owned by giant industrial corporations, magazines by entertainment conglomerates, and most newspapers by national chains. Given these realties, we cannot plausibly pretend to be a David out there smiting Goliaths and expect the public to believe it.

Mr. Kann, a Pulitzer-winning journalist, is chairman of Dow Jones.
 

Question
What is IBM's new super computer called Deep Thunder?

"Personalized Weather Forecasts: An IBM supercomputer forecasts weather down to a one-kilometer resolution," by Duncan Graham-Rowe, MIT's Technology Review, December 12, 2006 --- http://www.technologyreview.com/InfoTech/17885/

IBM has launched a new weather service called Deep Thunder that can predict the rain, the wind, and temperature conditions down to a one-kilometer resolution. In time, IBM researchers say they should even be able to nail the resolution down to individual streets.

The idea is to provide weather-sensitive businesses in metropolitan areas with information that's more accurate than what government agencies are capable of providing, says Lloyd Treinish, a researcher at IBM's TJ Watson Research Center, in Yorktown Heights, NY.

At a local submetropolitan level, the weather really can vary quite significantly, says Treinish. Yet typical forecasts will often slap a single simplistic symbol, such as the sun, a cloud, or a snowflake, on an area representing a small city.

A huge number of businesses really depend on accurate weather forecasts, says Stephen Lord, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Environmental Modeling Center, in Camp Springs, MD. Transportation, energy distribution, shipping, and even sporting events are all at the mercy of the weather, he says. Indeed, as much as $1 trillion worth of the U.S. economy is weather sensitive, says Treinish. By providing more-detailed forecasts, IBM hopes to help businesses streamline their operations and save money.

For example, local municipal services such as snowplowing could be deployed more efficiently with more-detailed information about precisely where snow will fall. Similarly, by being more prepared, utility companies could better manage energy demand and better cope with outages caused by severe weather. Even airports and postal services would benefit: they could plan and schedule operations around weather conditions.

Government agencies, such as the National Weather Service (NWS), are currently unable to provide the same level of detail. This is partly because they don't have the technical resources, but it's also because they are mandated to offer a uniform level of service across the nation, preventing them from providing higher resolutions for some areas and not others. Even at a metropolitan level, where local meteorological services try to improve on NWS forecasts by factoring in local measurements and conditions, the resolution is rarely much better than eight kilometers, says Treinish.

When combined, all these factors represent a gap in the market that companies like IBM could fill by tailoring their services to individual businesses. "We want to think about the information in relation to solving particular business problems," says Treinish.

Continued in article

Deep Thunder --- http://services.alphaworks.ibm.com/deepthunder/

The FAQ answers about Deep Thunder are at http://services.alphaworks.ibm.com/deepthunder/faq.html 

What is most important is to scroll down the above FAQ page to view the amazing graphics.

Jensen Comment
To see the limited examples now available, I clicked on the "Try It Now" link. After I agreed to terms and conditions, a map showing three metropolitan areas appeared. I tried it for Kansas City. Then I chose President Truman's birthplace in Independence, Missouri. Instructions are fairly detailed.

If you're interested in news about related IBM alphaWorks technologies, probably the best thing to do is create a personalized RSS feed at http://www.alphaworks.ibm.com/rss

What struck me is how this supercomputing technology may be expanded to services other than weather reports. Within each square kilometer we may one day get reports on entertainment, real estate development, local government initiatives, business services, traffic reports, museums, parks, crime reports, etc. Eventually there may even be investment reports, accounting data in XBRL markups, etc. You might even be able to peer, God forbid, into my front window and watch Bob Jensen in long underwear typing out these Tidbits while looking over the snow at this morning's spectacular sunrise and dreaming of a Deep Thunder forecast of summer's wild roses.

Bob Jensen's threads on travel and weather are at http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/Bookbob3.htm

December 12, 2006 message from David Raggay [draggay@TSTT.NET.TT]

Any one aware of any outstanding train the trainer programs?

Regards,

David

December 12, 2006 reply from Bob Jensen

Hi David,

I personally am turned off by some of these so-called train-the-trainer programs and speakers who are long on form and shallow on substance, particularly those who sometimes receive over $10,000 for a presentation on the latest Harvard Business Review fads. The worst presentations, in my viewpoint, are some of those hired for executive conferences, AACSB programs, and on rare occasions AAA plenary sessions (there was a flood of people streaming out early from one of these plenary sessions at the annual meetings in August 2004.)

If you really want to pursue this type of thing you might contact Chad Herman at Carnegie Mellon University. He’s a specialist in Business Communication --- http://homepage.mac.com/chadhermann/iblog/

Keeping in mind that top teachers are not always the best presenters, I would still try to study in some way professors who are deemed truly outstanding teachers. Some may have helpful Websites. Some may be willing to share thoughts with you (us?) if approached diplomatically. Some may even appear at a program sponsored by you down at Trinidad.

Business Week attempted to identify the top teachers in business schools --- My Favorite Professor

An accounting winner was Joe Ben Hoyle at the University of Richmond according to Business Week, September 20, 2006 --- Click Here
Also see http://oncampus.richmond.edu/~jhoyle

I previously mentioned the popularity of accounting professor Merle Hopkins at the University of Southern California. He also is rated a "Favorite Professor" by Business Week.

Edward Hums at Notre Dame is an accounting "Favorite Professor."

C.J. Skender at the University of North Carolina is an accounting "Favorite Professor."
(He cheats by handing out candy bar bribes.)

And my personal favorite is Amy Dunbar at the University of Connecticut (tax). She can do it all --- live lectures and online. She’s also a veteran user of education technologies.

Things I bet you did not know Google can do for you

December 10, 2006 message from Glen Gray [glen.gray@CSUN.EDU]

There is a great little article at http://www.informit.com/articles/article.asp?p=675528&rl=1  that outlines many of the special searches you can do on www.google.com 

Glen L. Gray, PhD, CPA
Dept. of Accounting & Information Systems
College of Business & Economics California State University,
Northridge Northridge, CA 91330-8372 818.677.3948
http://www.csun.edu/~vcact00f