Third Industrial Revolution – led by renewable energy and the internet

Jeremy Rifkin is a renowned economist on the environment, author, and advisor to the European Union. And he has a theory about the next great movement of the world – The Third Industrial Revolution. From Omega: The great economic revolutions in history occur when new communication technologies converge with new energy systems. New energy revolutions …

Communist party in China facing public anger as corruption gets exposed

Even more interesting considering that both this Economist article and the Bloomberg exposé are currently blocked in China.   In recent years China’s leaders have become increasingly concerned that the public’s awareness of the growing wealth gap could lead to social instability. In Beijing, displays of gratuitous overcompensation are a daily reminder that some people, in …

Stereotypes in Europe – hardest working, most corrupt

Among the usual questions about attitudes to the euro and the European Union, people in eight nations (Britain, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Poland and Spain) were asked which country in the European Union is the hardest-working. The Greeks ignored the obvious answer (Germany) and instead nominated themselves. (The other seven nations all …

NFL blackout rule in dispute – serves no financial purpose but lingers on

The most significant discussion of NFL blackouts in 40 years is taking place right now. Given the fact that the NFL’s blackout rule punishes disabled, poor and elderly fans and the fact that the rule doesn’t even work, it’s long past time the rule was eliminated. According to NFL rules, if a game is not …

The long-term unemployed make up half of those unemployed

4 important facts about unemployment from economist Lee Ohanian: The economy should be creating 500,000 jobs/month, instead of 200,000. Long-term unemployed makes up half of those unemployed, and they have little or no value in our economy. The retirement age is certainly going to rise. Those with only a high school degree or less are …

Vivek Express – new train connects India over 2,600 miles in 83 hours

A fascinating new podcast for travelers/adventurers talks about the Vivek Express which starts in the far North East of India and travels all the way to the southern tip. It has 52 stops, takes 83 hours, and travels over 4,200 kilometers. It is the 8th longest train in the world. The cost to ride is …

AIDS is cured, here's why

It’s the 30th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic and the world agrees we are at a turning point. The disease that affects 34 million people around the world (1.2 million in the US) can be cured. The drug cocktail that virtually erases the effect of HIV and allows folks to live a long life is …

AIDS is cured, here’s why

It’s the 30th anniversary of the AIDS epidemic and the world agrees we are at a turning point. The disease that affects 34 million people around the world (1.2 million in the US) can be cured. The drug cocktail that virtually erases the effect of HIV and allows folks to live a long life is …

Democracy In The World

With democratic revolutions spreading from Tunisia to Egypt, I was wondering…how many democracies exist in the world? 26 According to the 2010 Democracy Index, a report published by the Economic Intelligence Unit, a division of The Economist magazine. Seventeen of them in Europe, two in Latin America, two in Asia, one in Africa, and the last …

Podcasts Are Saving My Life

I’m such a huge fan of podcasts that it’s insane. See I have this eye problem that prevents me from reading too much. My day job is in technology and my hobby is writing so I have no ‘good eyes’ left for everything else. That’s where podcasts come in. I can listen to them while …