June 24, 2010 • 8:53 PM 0
Google Street View is making the news waves again…in Aberdeen, UK.
I guess someone was looking up an address or directions, and randomly came across an image of a man with a horse head mask.
I love how now there’s a ‘mystery’ surrounding this random guy. Hilarious.
Filed under: Random, World, Aberdeen UK, google street view, google street view Aberdeen, horse-boy, mystery horse-boy
June 21, 2010 • 5:57 PM 6
This is completely unbelievable, but true.
Companies in China are “hiring” fake American (Caucasian) employees so that their companies are perceived as worldly. For $1K/week, all you have to do is wear a suit, attend ribbon-cutting events, and pretend like you’re an important business-person.
Where can I sign up?
Filed under: Business, Random, World, China, counterfeit, fake employees
June 19, 2010 • 8:37 PM 0
If you recall, at the end of last year, a group of Germany’s upper echelon (of wealth), came up with an ingenious plan – have the government increase taxes on the wealthy. This group petitioned that simply donating to charity was not enough to bring about change to the economy.
“Germany could raise 100bn euros (£91bn) if the richest people paid a 5% wealth tax for two years, they say.”
Well, let’s fast forward to the present.
Bill Gates and Warren Buffett have formally announced this past week, that they are asking American billionaires to give away 50% of their wealth to charity during their lifetime, or after their death. Their new campaign is called the Giving Pledge, which isn’t accepting money, just a ‘moral commitment’.
I hope that instead of donating to any charity around the world, these billionaires choose to spend their wealth here at home.
Filed under: Business, Finance, American billionaires to give away 50% of wealth, Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, charity, Giving Pledge
June 19, 2010 • 8:04 PM 3
When Maradona (Argentina’s soccer coach) was asked how he’d celebrate if Argentina won the World Cup, he said he’d run around the Obelisk in the nude.
In a super stroke of genius, marketers at BBDO Argentina have decided to mimic this stunt by promising to sell Pepsi bottles sans its label for a week, if Argentina wins.
Obviously I’m rooting for Team USA, but would be very interested to see how that would play out if Argentina did win.
Filed under: Marketing, Random, World, Argentina soccer coach, BBDO Argentina, FIFA, Maradona, Maradona to celebrate by running around naked in Buenos Aires, Obelisk, Pepsi without its label, World Cup 2010
June 16, 2010 • 8:30 AM 2
A bunch of scientists at Flinders University in Southern Australia have led a study on how “Southern Ocean sperm whales offset their carbon footprint by defecating…”
Take a moment, if you must, to compose yourself.
The study is actually really interesting. Apparently 1 whale releases about 50 tons of iron a year. The iron released is their natural fertilization stimulating the process of photosynthesis. While whales eat in the deep ocean, they use the “facilities” in the upper portion of the water. It is there that phytoplankton grows, having access to sunlight, and absorbs the carbon dioxide. When the phytoplankton dies, the trapped carbon sinks to the deep ocean.
So how does this offset work? There are approximately 12,000 sperm whales currently inhabiting the Southern Ocean, that absorb about 400,000 tons of carbon each year. So the 12,000 whales release approximately 600,000 tons of iron which then offsets the 400,000 tons that they absorb per year.
Got it?
Filed under: Random, carbon footprint, carbon offset, Environment, Flinders University, iron, photosynthesis, Science, Southern Australia, sperm whale, whale poo
June 15, 2010 • 8:00 AM 0
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you are aware that oil has been gushing in the Gulf of Mexico since the rig explosion on April 20th.
Some important events happening today:
Various oil execs (Shell, ConocoPhillips, Exxon) are expected to turn against BP at a hearing on Capitol Hill. What better way to differentiate yourself… than point fingers.
BP’s day of fun will not end there.
The POTUS (President of the US) is planning to visit the Gulf today (which will be his second visit since the day of the explosion) and upon returning to the WH, will hold his first Oval Office speech. The location of choice from which the POTUS will be speaking (Oval Office), illustrates the importance the speech.
The Brits aren’t too thrilled with the way that the US is treating BP. To be honest, I had no idea how large a company BP was, and how vital it is to the British economy.
“[BP] It employs over 10,000 people here, its overseas revenues support our balance of payments and it generates nearly £6billion a year in taxes. Its shares are owned – directly or through pension funds – by 18million Britons, and its dividends amount to £1 in every £7 paid by British firms.”
I’m not sure what the hearing or the POTUS speech will actually do to help solve the problem, on the grand scheme of things. As we speak, BP is trying to stop the leak…obviously they don’t want to hurt the environment, or continue to lose millions of dollars a day. They need a creative idea (technology solution). If you have one, you can submit it here, and the US EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) will review it and forward it on.
Now that would be a nice addition to your resume…
Filed under: Business, Tech, World, BP, British Petroleum, Capitol Hill hearing, Environment, Environmental Protection Agency, first oval office speech, Gulf oil spill, President Obama, submit a technology solution, US EPA
June 12, 2010 • 9:24 PM 0
Electric vehicles don’t really make noises…and while some car makers advocate that their cars are quiet on the road, there’s quiet and then there’s noiseless.
Nissan has decided to add sound to their new line of electric vehicles – Leaf (would multiple cars be called Leaves?), which I definitely think is important.
What a cool job, huh? To be the one that decides what the car will sound like in motion? Well, this is what the person with the cool job decided on. Can’t say that I’m totally enjoying the space-age-y sounds…
Filed under: Business, Tech, World, car sounds, electric vehicle sounds, electric vehicles, environmental, EVs, Nissan Leaf
June 9, 2010 • 10:06 PM 0
Marketers at Bloom, a division of Food Lion, are taking their advertising gimmick to a whole new level.
Imagine driving down Highway 150 in Mooresville, NC (it’s north of Charlotte, yes, I just looked), and thinking you’re smelling steak? Well, fortunately, it wouldn’t just be your imagination.
Apparently the scent was being emitted by a fan blowing air over cartridges filled with a BBQ fragrance oil, at the bottom of a huge billboard advertising Bloom’s steaks.
I’d be interested to know if Bloom (the grocery store) was actually selling more steak because of this…
Filed under: Business, Marketing, Random, BBQ fragrance oil, Bloom, Food Lion, Mooresville NC, steak billboard, steak smelling billboard
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