Save Our Economy or Ending World Hunger? Why Not Both!

In Americas never ending greed, our government is working on this 700 billion dollar bailout of the fat cats on wall street and main street and the back streets. Okay, so this is probably a good idea, or so those ivy league princeton liberal economists and such tell me. And even I think it's probably a good idea, but then I read things like this: 4% on the bailout funds could end world hunger.

From ecosalon.com (via digg, I think):

The United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) stated that it would only take $30 billion a year to launch the necessary agricultural programs to completely solve global food insecurity.
$30 billion sounds like a lot of money, but considering we've just bailed out Wall Street to the tune of nearly a trillion, it's trifling. After I did a little digging, all I could think was...really? $30 billion is all we need to end world hunger? That's it? I thought such a major goal would require some unreachable, vast sum.

This number is only 4 freaking percent of the wall street bailout package. This is unbelievable. You should write/call/email/stalk your congressperson and ask them why they can't take 4 percent of the liberal bailout package money and feed the world. Check out the article for a bunch more interesting facts and statistics.

[image via flickr user mappix]

One Theory For The End Of The Mayans

The usatoday reported yesterday that it is possible an environmental disaster, or disasters, caused the downfall of the Mayan civilization.

"These models suggest that as ecosystems were destroyed by mismanagement or were transformed by global climatic shifts, the depletion of agricultural and wild foods eventually contributed to the failure of the Maya sociopolitical system," writes environmental archaeologist Kitty Emery of the Florida Museum of Natural History in the current Human Ecology journal. (usatoday.com)

While this may not be news you really care about, this blog was, in part, created due to conversations and fascinations with the Mayan civilization. After all, just look at the countdown on the side of this page. So, how long until the environment causes the downfall of our civilization?

You Can't Say Fuck on Television

Or so says the supreme court, even though I don't think they've made their official ruling yet. (We all know what their decision will be).
"Circumlocutions like "the F-word" and "the S-word" sufficed as the court considered the year's highest-profile free-speech controversy. All signs now point to a tight decision over whether broadcasters can be fined for allowing use of so-called 'fleeting expletives,' which are swear words used in passing." (mcclatchydc.com)

The government's best argument comes directly from the mouth of Solicitor General Gregory Garre: "Loosening indecency standards, Garre warned ominously, could lead to 'Big Bird dropping the F-bomb on Sesame Street.'" Now that I'd like to see.

So I guess this was sort of bad, then:



Thanks to eign reader, and friend, jg3 for the story. And thanks to chase utley for the world series.

Your Cellphone Could Give You A Rash

As if all of the db's using cellphones everywhere was not a cancer on society, at least it's now going to be a cancer to the user as well. Well, if you consider a rash a cancer. All of those other mobile phone|cancer links have yet to be proven.
But, according to the dailymail.co.uk, "Mobile phone users warned of new skin disorder caused by nickel on casing."

[image via flickr user portablematthew]

Those Crazy Russians....Take That Obama!

And so it begins again...
"President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia greeted his future American counterpart, Sen. Barack Obama, with bristling language on Wednesday, promising to place short-range missiles on Russia’s Western border if Washington proceeds with its planned missile defense systems in Eastern Europe." (nytimes)

awesome.

Anybody But Bush - Good News Wednesday XXVII

GREAT NEWS!!! A new president was elected yesterday. Bush will soon be gone!

Wait, People Are Actually Voting?

Wow. Everyone is already experiencing or expected to experience long lines today. Two sure sign the world is coming to an end... democrats may control the house, senate and white house, and people are actually voting. Run for your lives!

[Update 1:36pm] - All these idiots that are "voting" apparently are too busy congratulating themselves to pay attention to the road. According to the Journal of American Medical Association (via injuryboard.com) election day has more car accidents than any other day.

Who Likes Sewage In Their Drinking Water?

Back in april we wrote about the deterioration of water and sewer infrastructure in various places around the country. This time it's Pennsylvania and New Jersey that are on the brink of total failure. Via philly.com (we here at EIGN have been reading it a lot in the last few weeks) the authors find numerous examples that point to further problems if something isn't done soon.

To make matters worse, "'The more we put off these upgrades, the more expensive it's going to become,' said Patty Elkis of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission." (philly.com)

[image courtesy of me]