A most charitable characterization
But does chatting to passengers have the same detrimental effect on driving? An earlier study found that it does not. That research, led by Frank Drews of the University of Utah, analysed the performance of young drivers using a vehicle simulator. Dr Drews found that when using a hands-free phone, a volunteer “drove” significantly worse than he did when just talking to someone playing the role of a passenger. Passengers, the researchers believed, might even help road safety by commenting on surrounding traffic. - The Economist, December 4, 2008 (emphasis mine)
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Bristol's choice
Bristol Palin, one of Alaska Gov. Palin's five children with her husband Todd, is about five months pregnant and is going to keep the child and marry the father, according to aides of Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
Bristol Palin made the decision on her own to keep the baby, the aides said. - Reuters, September 1, 2008
Are they implying that a 17-year-old girl is entitled to decide the outcome of her pregnancy?
Labels: 2008 presidential campaign, emphasis mine, McCain-Palin 2008
Dear God
In this country, vodka gives white a bad name. It's an odorless, insipid mixer that only serves as a means to an end or a dull cohort for cranberry juice. There is so much more to the clear-spirits rainbow than this underachiever. Spiced, luscious, and primed for food, aquavit is the anti-vodka. The word aquavit, and its language-specific variations (such as the French eau de vie), comes from the Latin aqua vitae, "water of life." The liquor we know as "aquavit" is a unique Scandinavian treat, oilier and richer than vodka but nowhere near as sweet as schnapps. All booze starts out as vodka—"neutral grain spirits" if you want to split hairs—a clear spirit distilled from any variety of grain, fruit, or starch. Schnapps is just vodka with intense flavorings added, like mint or licorice. Gin is just vodka with a certain flavor profile of herbs and spices. Even bourbon is just vodka, made from certain grains and then aged in wood. Aquavit can share characteristics with all of these. I've had a few aquavits the color of bourbon, some that smelled like gin, and a few that made German schnapps seem shy and unassuming. - Seattle Weekly "Search & Distill" column, July 16, 2008 (emphasis mine)
Yes, that's right: bourbon, scotch, cognac, tequila—they all start out as neutral grain spirits.
Wow.
Labels: emphasis mine
Statement asserting correlation does not imply correlation
What's interesting in the new analysis is the correlation between oral and vaginal sex. If your kid is doing one, he or she is almost certainly doing the other.
The raw numbers indicate that 50 percent of teenagers aged 15 to 19 have had vaginal sex. Fifty-five percent have had heterosexual oral sex. Are kids substituting oral for vaginal? Nope. Among technical virgins—teens who have never had vaginal sex—23 percent have had oral sex. - William Saletan, Slate, May 28, 2008 [emphasis mine]
So if you took a representative two hundred kids aged 15 to 19, and one hundred would be "technical virgins" (nice term, by the way) and 23 percent of those "have had" oral sex, where does "almost certainly" come in?
Labels: emphasis mine
Hey there, old timer!
The Mars-Wm. Wrigley Jr. deal has an unusually famous financier: Warren E. Buffett. Mr. Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is helping finance the transaction, Mars said Monday in a statement. Mr. Buffett has a history with iconic food and beverage businesses. He was an early investor in Coca-Cola and is already a candy owner in Sees [sic] Candies. - New York Times, April 28, 2008
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Anything missing here?
Kennedy Chooses Obama, Spurning Bill Clinton Plea
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Senator Edward M. Kennedy, rejecting entreaties from the Clintons and their supporters, is set to endorse Senator Barack Obama’s presidential bid on Monday as part of an effort to lend Kennedy charisma and connections before the 22-state Feb. 5 showdown for the Democratic nomination.
Both the Clintons and their allies had pressed Mr. Kennedy for weeks to remain neutral in the Democratic race, but Mr. Kennedy had become increasingly disenchanted with the tone of the Clinton campaign, aides said. He and former President Bill Clinton had a heated telephone exchange earlier this month over what Mr. Kennedy considered misleading statements by Mr. Clinton about Mr. Obama, as well as his injection of race into the campaign.
Mr. Kennedy called Mr. Clinton [who else?] Sunday to tell him of his decision.
The endorsement, which followed a public appeal on Mr. Obama’s behalf by Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy, was a blow to the Clinton campaign and pits leading members of the nation’s most prominent Democratic families against one another.
Mr. Kennedy, a major figure in party politics for more than 40 years, intends to campaign aggressively for Mr. Obama, beginning with an appearance and rally with him in Washington on Monday. He will be introduced by Ms. Kennedy.
Mr. Kennedy then heads west with Mr. Obama, followed by appearances in the Northeast. Strategists see him bolstering Mr. Obama’s credibility and helping him firm up support from unions and Hispanics, as well as the party base.
The endorsement appears to support assertions that Mr. Clinton’s campaigning on behalf of his wife [first reference to her] in South Carolina has in some ways hurt her candidacy . . . - New York Times, January 28, 2008
Labels: 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama, emphasis mine, Hillary Clinton
That's not clever!
"Pushing Daisies" (8 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC) is a surreal, oddball dramedy that makes all of the other fall pilots look lackadaisical (get it?) by comparison. The story centers around a pie maker who can bring people back to life just by touching them -- sounds sort of familiar so far, at least until you throw in some visually stunning sets, great actors, and writing that's whimsical and funny and dark and wry and holds your attention from start to finish. Best of all, the most clever moments on this show are tossed off without fanfare, like when pie maker Ned (Lee Pace) is asked, "How was the convention?" and he responds, "Conventional." The witty weirdness is packed into this show like ripe cherries baked into a big, delicious pie, making it the best dramedy bet since Betty Suarez donned a hideous poncho and stormed the offices of Mode magazine. - Heather Havrilesky, Salon, October 7, 2007 [emphasis mine].
Fanfare?! In what universe would that merit fanfare? It's pathetic. Not only is that not funny and not clever, but it induces mental pain by reminding you that there are people out there who make comments like that and you could, in theory, be trapped somewhere with one of them.
Labels: emphasis mine
. . . $10 if you will be attending by astral projection
Join fellow Harvard Club of Seattle members in this exclusive modern tea experience at newly-opened Miro Tea (www.mirotea.com), located in historic downtown Ballard. Miro Tea is a modern tea bar focused on reinventing the experience and enjoyment of tea for the urban tea consumer. Co-founded by a local Harvard graduate, Miro Tea features a modern, eco-friendly retail space, an extensive selection of fine teas (more than 250 varieties), tea-inspired beverages, a light fare food menu (breakfast, lunch, and dessert options), and innovative art designed to pair well with the enjoyment of tea.
Harvard Club members will have a unique opportunity to participate in a live tea tasting at Miro Tea, where high-quality teas from around the world will be sampled. Attendees will also learn about tea pairing with food and will get an opportunity to experience (first-hand) tea in the context of fine desserts and dark chocolate, tea-infused truffles . . . Cost: $15 per person. - Harvard Club "Special Events" email
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