Karma Cup: A novel way to reduce paper cup usage

Not that I'm a huge fan of Starbucks (Alterra will always reign #1), but I think it's pretty neat that they sponsored this competition to reduce waste produced from paper cups.The winner of the competition, Karma Cup, proposes to "chart each person who uses a reusable mug. The tenth person to order a drink with a reusable cup will receive his or her drink free. By turning a freebie program into a communal challenge, Karma Cup would create incentives for everyone to bring reusable mugs. (After all, the more people participate, the more free stuff is given away and the more likely you are to get something free.) That, in turn, would eliminate rather than simply redesign the nefarious disposable cup."


Find the full post here.

DUKE Wins National NCAA Basketball Tournament!!!!!

I have waited four years for this moment. Four years after withstanding people's jeers of Duke's "demise" and lots of hoping and cheering later, we won both UNC games, shared the ACC regular season title, won the ACC Tourney, AND clinched the NCAA title last night. I'm so proud of our boys!



YES!!!!!!!!!!!

The Children of Cyberspace

We already see the generational gaps between the ways we interface with technology as compared to our parents, but the ever-speeding technological change curve may be increasing at an even faster speed. Technology has changed our methods of communication, as well as our expectations of social norms.

Highlights from the NY Times article:

• "They [researchers] theorize that the ever-accelerating pace of technological change may be minting a series of mini-generation gaps, with each group of children uniquely influenced by the tech tools available in their formative stages of development."

• "... younger children tend to be ever more artful multitaskers. Studies performed by Dr. Rosen at Cal State show that 16- to 18-year-olds perform seven tasks, on average, in their free time — like texting on the phone, sending instant messages and checking Facebook while sitting in front of the television."

• "Children my daughter’s age are also more likely to have some relaxed notions about privacy. The idea of a phone or any other device that is persistently aware of its location and screams out its geographic coordinates, even if only to friends, might seem spooky to older age groups."

To read the entire article, click here.

Homer v. Mickey

This article from moreintelligentlife.com examines the Simpson and Disney dichotomy throughout the years, as well as what they represent in society today.

Highlights from the article:

• "This is a world in which none of the Disney pieties are true... When you wish upon a star in “The Simpsons”, your dreams don’t come true–-you end up a loser like Ralph Wiggum, the police chief’s son, who eats glue and talks to leprechauns. Good does not triumph over evil, and being true to yourself often leads to terrible consequences."

• "In contrast to Disney, with its lush visuals and stark storylines, the sophistication of “The Simpsons” was all in the scripts, which are highly literate, gaily referring to everything from Susan Sontag to “Citizen Kane”."

• "When Al Gore was vice president, only 63% of American kids surveyed could identify him, whereas 93% could identify the cast of “The Simpsons”."

• "Because it is so satirical, it’s easy to assume that “The Simpsons” is darker than Disney. But in many ways, the opposite is true. Disney films are full of death, tragedy and cruel parenting–think of all the evil stepmothers and witches, as well as the killing of Bambi’s mother and the absence of Dumbo’s, both of which are enough to break anyone’s heart."

"We Did It!"

According to this Economist article, women are set to make up over 50% of the U.S. workforce in the next few months.

Highlights from the article:

• "Motherhood, not sexism, is the issue: in America, childless women earn almost as much as men, but mothers earn significantly less."

• "In America three out of four people thrown out of work since the “mancession” began have been male."

• "And, without going to Scandinavian lengths, America could invest more in its children: it spends a lower share of its GDP on public child-care than almost any other rich country, and is the only rich country that refuses to provide mothers with paid maternity leave. Barack Obama needs to measure up to his campaign rhetoric about “real family values”."

To read the entire article, click here.

If you're interested in reading more on the "Mommy Wars" and the "opting out" phenomenon, try Pamela Stone's book Opting Out?: Why Women Really Quit Careers and Head Home. (If you need extra convincing, Stone was a Duke grad!)

10 Ways to Cut Your Travel Costs This Year

Highlights from the article:

• "ITASoftware.com, which provides the technological backbone for many airfare shopping sites, allows users to scan an entire month’s fares for the least expensive rate."

• "Airlines have long offered to refund the difference in their fares (minus a change fee) in the form of a voucher to customers who ask. Using your confirmation number, Yapta.com will automatically track the price of your ticket, taking the airline’s fees into consideration, and send you, without charge, an e-mail message or Twitter alert notifying you of the lower price. You can then call the airline to claim the credit."

Read the entire NY Times article here.