According to NOAA scientists, the average temperature for the contiguous U.S. during July was 77.6°F, 3.3°F above the 20th century average, marking the hottest July and the hottest month on record for the nation. The previous warmest July for the nation was July 1936 when the average U.S. temperature was 77.4°F. The warm July temperatures contributed to a record-warm first seven months of the year and the warmest 12-month period the nation has experienced since recordkeeping began in 1895.
"There was a disappointment tonight. I was very embarrassed. I was in this parking lot and there was a man looking for a space to park, and I found a space for him. And I felt badly—he looked like he was sort of in distress. And I said, 'Sir, here's a place.' And he said, 'That's a handicapped space.' I said, 'Oh I'm so sorry, I saw that Obama sticker and I thought you were mentally retarded." The crowd hollered and clapped, and then Roddey went into the the usual thanks at political events for grassroots supporters of the winning candidate.
The crowd hollered and clapped, and then Roddey went into the the usual thanks at political events for grassroots supporters of the winning candidate.
Seth Horvitz, a Northeast D.C. resident, thought he had ordered a new high-definition television a few days ago through Amazon.com from a third-party merchant. When the package arrived yesterday, however, Horvitz opened the oddly shaped box to find something completely different. A very big gun. Instead of the flat-panel TV he had bought to enjoy with his wife, who is pregnant, Horvitz opened the long packaging to discover a Sig Sauer SIG716, a high-caliber, semi-automatic assault rifle capable of mowing down, well, just about anything. Its manufacturer, Swiss Arms AG, describes it as "the rifle of choice when you require the power of a larger caliber carbine." Awesome.
A very big gun.
Instead of the flat-panel TV he had bought to enjoy with his wife, who is pregnant, Horvitz opened the long packaging to discover a Sig Sauer SIG716, a high-caliber, semi-automatic assault rifle capable of mowing down, well, just about anything. Its manufacturer, Swiss Arms AG, describes it as "the rifle of choice when you require the power of a larger caliber carbine." Awesome.
Price discrimination—the effort to charge customers exactly their individual subjective marginal utility—is one of the more fascinating elements of the business world. And this find by John Scalzi is fascinating example of it. A Mission flour wrap and a Mission burrito-sized flour tortilla are the same thing. And yet the package of wraps costs 26 cents more than the package of tortillas and contains two fewer wraps/tortillas. Lisa Wade comments: Mission has figured out that they can sell their product for a higher price if they name it “wraps” (or, at least, they think they can). Let’s crowd source this. After all, Mission is counting on our collective network of ideas (and a failure to notice the count difference) to push us towards the wraps instead of the tortillas. What does “wraps” make you think of? What else is that word linked to that might make a person prefer it? Would you feel different bringing home a package of wraps? In other words, what ideas, lying just beneath the surface, are they tapping into with this marketing strategy?
Lisa Wade comments:
Mission has figured out that they can sell their product for a higher price if they name it “wraps” (or, at least, they think they can). Let’s crowd source this. After all, Mission is counting on our collective network of ideas (and a failure to notice the count difference) to push us towards the wraps instead of the tortillas. What does “wraps” make you think of? What else is that word linked to that might make a person prefer it? Would you feel different bringing home a package of wraps? In other words, what ideas, lying just beneath the surface, are they tapping into with this marketing strategy?
[D]rugs do not have the same level of economic impact on Texas as oil and gas, farming and ranching and legitimate transborder commerce. But experts who have studied the impact of drug money say it is undeniable that in a tough economy, trafficking has helped boost employment and economic growth in the state’s border regions, from the Rio Grande Valley to Laredo to El Paso. [...] [T]here are enough data points to make a compelling case that high rollers’ purchases help the border retail and real estate sectors, and that wages paid to low-level operatives often make the difference between minimum-wage poverty and relative affluence. All this activity creates an economic ripple that produces or bolsters jobs throughout the border region, everything from construction work to automobile sales to shopping mall employment.
But experts who have studied the impact of drug money say it is undeniable that in a tough economy, trafficking has helped boost employment and economic growth in the state’s border regions, from the Rio Grande Valley to Laredo to El Paso. [...]
[T]here are enough data points to make a compelling case that high rollers’ purchases help the border retail and real estate sectors, and that wages paid to low-level operatives often make the difference between minimum-wage poverty and relative affluence. All this activity creates an economic ripple that produces or bolsters jobs throughout the border region, everything from construction work to automobile sales to shopping mall employment.
Since the Supreme Court voided limits on political donations in Citizens United, more money than ever is being devoted to negative TV ads. Industry analysts predict that upwards of $3 billion will be spent on political advertising this year – a surge of more than $500 million over 2008. [...] In essence, broadcasters are now profiteering from a vicious circle of corruption: Politicians are beholden to big donors because campaigns are so expensive, and campaigns are so expensive because they're fought through television ads. The more cash that chases limited airtime, the more the ads will cost, and the more politicians must lean on deep-pocketed patrons. In short, the dirtier the system, the better for the bottom line at TV stations and cable systems. According to an analysis by Moody's, political ads are expected to account for as much as seven cents of every dollar broadcasters earn over the full two-year election cycle for 2012.
In essence, broadcasters are now profiteering from a vicious circle of corruption: Politicians are beholden to big donors because campaigns are so expensive, and campaigns are so expensive because they're fought through television ads. The more cash that chases limited airtime, the more the ads will cost, and the more politicians must lean on deep-pocketed patrons. In short, the dirtier the system, the better for the bottom line at TV stations and cable systems. According to an analysis by Moody's, political ads are expected to account for as much as seven cents of every dollar broadcasters earn over the full two-year election cycle for 2012.