http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/consumption/ en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:42:41 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051763/posts About seven years ago, University of Chicago economists Kerwin Kofi Charles and Erik Hurst were researching the “wealth gap” between black and white Americans when they noticed something striking. African Americans not only had less wealth than whites with similar incomes, they also had significantly more of their assets tied up in cars. The statistic fit a stereotype reinforced by countless bling-filled hip-hop videos: that African Americans spend a lot on cars, clothes, and jewelry—highly visible goods that tell the world the owner has money. But do they really? And, if so, why? The two economists, along with Nikolai Roussanov... Atlantic http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2051763/posts#comment Sat, 26 Jul 2008 17:42:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2010191/posts The Value of Drink "Sometimes when I reflect back on all the wine I drink I feel shame Then I look into the glass and think about the workers in the vineyards and all of their hopes and dreams . If I didn't drink this wine, they might be out of work and their dreams would be shattered. Then I say to myself, "It is better that I drink this wine and let their dreams come true than be selfish and worry about my liver." ~ Jack Handy WARNING: The consumption of alcohol may leave you wondering what the hell... Via E Mail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2010191/posts#comment Fri, 2 May 2008 13:15:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993262/posts Russia calls for sturgeon fishing ban in CaspianRussia on Thursday proposed that Caspian Sea states impose a five-year ban on fishing for sturgeon, prized for its caviar eggs, to save stocks from collapse, a spokesman for the fisheries agency said. "We are ready to announce a moratorium," said spokesman Alexander Savelyev, adding that Russia would formally propose the ban to the other four Caspian Sea states of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan soon. "This is because the sturgeon is about to disappear," said Savelyev, adding that Russia was not able to fish its annual quota of 50 tonnes of sturgeon... Terra Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993262/posts#comment Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:34:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982182/posts Congregation of the Church of the Holy Organic, let us buy. Let us buy Anna Sova Luxury Organics Turkish towels, 900 grams per square meter, $58 apiece. Let us buy the eco-friendly 600-thread-count bed sheets, milled in Switzerland with U.S. cotton, $570 for queen-size. Let us purge our closets of those sinful synthetics, purify ourselves in the flame of the soy candle at the altar of the immaculate Earth Weave rug, and let us buy, buy, buy until we are whipped into a beatific froth of free-range fulfillment. And let us never consider the other organic option -- not buying... The Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1982182/posts#comment Fri, 7 Mar 2008 23:12:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1954466/posts A few years ago, Bill Cosby set off a firestorm with a speech excoriating his fellow African-Americans for, among other things, buying $500 sneakers instead of educational toys for their children. In a recent book, Come On People, he repeats his argument that black Americans spend too much money on designer clothes and fancy cars, and don't invest sufficiently in their futures. Many in the black community have been critical of Cosby for blaming poor people rather than poor public policies. Others have defended Cosby's comments as an honest expression of uncomfortable truths. But notably absent from the Cosby affair... Slate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1954466/posts#comment Wed, 16 Jan 2008 09:37:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1951658/posts It might not come as a surprise to learn that the cars Britons own are smaller than the cars Americans drive or that Swedes favour safe, politically correct SAAB's and Volvo's. But there's more to be said. To begin with: WHO'S RICH, WHO'S NOT? - Swedes claim they enjoy the highest standard of living in the world and they also say poverty, in absolute terms, is extinct in their country. The income distribution is known for being extremely even. If this really is true, how is it reflected in Swedish car consumption? Furthermore, for the first time since the 19th... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1951658/posts#comment Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:14:32 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942492/posts No Need For Reduced Alcohol Consumption In Later Life, Study Suggests ScienceDaily (Dec. 20, 2007) — Provided they stick to the same guidelines about alcohol consumption as younger adults, regular moderate drinking poses no additional risks to the over 65s, and may even bring health benefits, according to two studies from the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England. Researchers assessed the drinking levels of over 13,000 older people in England and the US and looked at the effects on physical disability, mortality, cognitive function, depression, and well-being. They concluded that moderate drinking is fine for the over... Science Daily http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1942492/posts#comment Thu, 20 Dec 2007 22:25:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864973/posts Norway has more millionaires, measured in US dollars, than any other country in the world in terms of its size. www.aftenposten.no http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1864973/posts#comment Thu, 12 Jul 2007 20:31:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1824062/posts A group of local politicians from Sollefteå in northern Sweden have lodged a complaint to the Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) after viewing an advert that promotes shopping. The three-member consumer delegation - consisting of Micael Melander from the Social Democrats, Tonny Molander of the Greens and Left Party representative Niklas Lind - discussed the advertisement for clothing chain Kapp-Ahl at a meeting on March 23rd. Related Articles Job prospects undone by girlfriend's blog 26th April 2007 Male witch threatened to kill flatmates 25th April 2007 New Miss Sweden risks disqualification 24th April 2007 Article Options Send to a friend Printable... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1824062/posts#comment Thu, 26 Apr 2007 17:55:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772367/posts WASHINGTON - In his first State of the Union address to a Democratic-controlled Congress, President Bush is calling for Americans to slash gasoline consumption by up to 20 percent by 2017. Bush envisions the goal being achieved primarily through a sharp escalation in the amount of ethanol and other alternative fuels that the federal government mandates must be produced. The rest of the fuel use reduction is to come from raising fuel economy standards for passenger cars, Joel Kaplan, White House deputy chief of staff, told reporters in a briefing before Bush's Tuesday night speech to a joint session of... AP on Yahoo http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1772367/posts#comment Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:49:08 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1771448/posts Some people claim the iPod index tells you more about the economic situation of different countries than the Burger Index or GDP/capita statistics, in fact, some will even tell you it says more about this issue than any other stats available. Anyhow, In this case, what could one possibly make out of the compilation featured in the article below? What does the economies of Brazil, India and Sweden (my home country) have in common? I've heard of research reporting that Sweden is poorer than Mississippi (at least an internet profile like Instapundit - perhaps not the most frequent visitor to... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1771448/posts#comment Mon, 22 Jan 2007 08:05:43 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1765074/posts The article, from one of the world's leading newspapers, touches on what a blessing saying "hasta la vista" to socialism really can be - not to mention future prospects! Ask the people who live in the hottest city of Europe - and they don't speak "cockney" or french with a Paris accent. The fall of Communism in Russia and China in combination with the orientation towards pro-capitalism of Scandinavia has already lead to a explosion of trade between the world's 14th biggest economy, Russia, the world's 4th biggest economy, China and the 8th biggest one, the Scandinavian countries (Source: IMF... The Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1765074/posts#comment Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:25:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1679283/posts Bottom trawling destroys deep sea lifeNew York: A long-awaited report by the United Nations shows the need for an international moratorium on bottom-trawling and other destructive fishing practices that damage deep sea life, Conservation International (CI) said. The U.N. Division for Ocean Affairs and Law of the Sea (DOALOS) reviewed measures to protect the vulnerable deep oceans of the high seas -- the 64 percent of ocean that lies beyond the national jurisdictions of any individual nation. Its review, ordered by the U.N. General Assembly in 2004, was based on reports from member states on steps taken to stop destructive... EurekAlert http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1679283/posts#comment Mon, 7 Aug 2006 17:00:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675186/posts Time to Remove Barriers to Boosting Oil Refining Capacity by Ben LiebermanPosted Jul 27, 2006The high price of oil is the main reason that the price of gasoline has nearly doubled over the last three years, but it is not the only reason. The cost of turning oil into gasoline has also risen, thanks in part to costly federal regulations on refinery operations and expansions. Many in Congress are aware of this problem, and the House recently passed the Refinery Permit Process Schedule Act (H.R. 5254) to address it. This very modest measure would streamline refinery-related regulations and would be... Human Events http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1675186/posts#comment Mon, 31 Jul 2006 17:31:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1648863/posts The Office of Tax Analysis of the U. S. Department of the Treasury has performed an analysis of the recommendations of the president's commission on fundamental tax reform. The report details findings of OTA regarding each of the two reform proposals by the commission, plus analysis of a third option: a personal consumption tax (PCT). Which plan produces the highest growth in capital and in income? The PCT, of course. This study uses dynamic scoring, which is good. But the study would have been even better if it had analysed the Fair Tax, which has substantial support in Congress, particularly... Office of Tax Analysis, U. S. Department of the Treasury http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1648863/posts#comment Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:26:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635737/posts Denny Klein thinks he has found a new commercial use for hydrogen technology. Working in a small, two-room shop at the Airport Business Center, Klein, 63, said he has developed a gas that speeds welding and fusing times and improves automobile fuel efficiency 30 percent. Although the technology Klein uses -- electrolysis -- has been around for decades, he said it's the form of gas that comes out of his electrolyzer and the characteristics of the gas that set his hydrogen technology apart. Klein's gas is two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Sound familiar? Yep, it's water. Electrolysis is... The Tampa Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635737/posts#comment Sun, 21 May 2006 05:05:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635733/posts The hydrogen economy is closer than we think. At least, that's the image portrayed by this TV news report from FOX 26 (as far as I can tell, the report aired last year, and I'm not sure which city this FOX 26 is in. For our purposes, these details don't really matter). The report focuses on Denny Klein, president of Hydrogen Technology Applications, and his water-powered car. There is some impressive imagery at work in the piece. Seeing someone pour water into an engine and getting energy out of it is pretty amazing. And slicing through metal with a water-based... Auto Blog Green http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1635733/posts#comment Sun, 21 May 2006 04:56:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1628544/posts I would challenge you democtatic underground lurkers (or a freeper with a DU account) to post this over there and see what sort of repsonses come from the left... I keep hearing how oil dependent we are and how higher consumption is driving up prices... I hear how it is adversely affecting 75% of americans, It seems like if that was the case, 75% of americans would cut the amount they use! I know I cant be the only person in america that has drastically cut the amount of fuel I use over the past year. I want to know... me http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1628544/posts#comment Mon, 8 May 2006 14:01:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1572142/posts People have been nagging me about my wasteful oil consumption for 30 years. I didn't pay much attention. I love my Mustang convertible. I was the kind of guy who, hearing President Bush tout the virtues of ethanol and decry America's "addiction" to oil in the State of the Union speech, would dismiss it as empty rhetoric. Except, recently, I was stopped in my tracks by a message on an airport billboard. "The world consumes two barrels of oil for every barrel discovered," it said. "So is this something you should be worried about?" The question was a grabber. But... Times Union http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1572142/posts#comment Sun, 5 Feb 2006 13:01:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1557374/posts IN an effort to capitalize on the megadollars that megayachts can bring to a harbor area, coastal resorts around the globe are racing to build or retrofit their marinas to accommodate the colossal cruisers. [. . .] . . . new marinas . . . are being developed . . . To keep megayacht owners busy - not to mention spending - while their boats are parked at the marina, developers are surrounding their ports with high-end restaurants and retail shops. To entice yacht owners and their entourages to stay longer, they are also building luxury condominiums and five-star hotels.... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1557374/posts#comment Fri, 13 Jan 2006 14:30:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523694/posts Make no mistake about it, the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement isn't anti-child, it's more like anti-human. The VHE is dedicated to phasing out the human race in the interest of the health of the Earth, founder Les Knight told Wednesday's San Francisco Chronicle. With 16,000 people born per hour and a current global population of 6.5 billion, there are already more than enough people on the planet, Knight said. A 1994 study concluded a single person born in the 1990s would be responsible during a lifetime for 22 million pounds of liquid waste and 2.2 million pounds each of solid... UPI http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1523694/posts#comment Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:36:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453260/posts New research by a Canadian university has brought previously unknown parts of the world's oceans into focus and is raising new concerns about the global decline of big species. The study, released yesterday by the journal Science, found that the ocean contains a small number of "hot spots" where marine life concentrates and where stocks are declining dramatically. But the finding has also opened a new window of hope because it points to a few key areas, in a vast, featureless ocean, where conservation efforts could be targeted for maximum effect. By looking at 50 years of international fishing data... Globe and Mail http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1453260/posts#comment Fri, 29 Jul 2005 16:54:58 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1384327/posts Holy Cow! I believe that this is the first time other than on Boortz that I have heard an actual DISCUSSION of the Fair Tax on the air! self http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1384327/posts#comment Fri, 15 Apr 2005 14:39:47 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1373774/posts "A system of conservation based solely on economic self-interest is hopelessly lopsided. It tends to ignore, and thus eventually eliminate, many elements in the land community that lack commercial value, but that are (as far as we know) essential to its healthy functioning." - Aldo Leopold Economic growth is an increase in the production and consumption of goods and services and is a function of population and consumption, per capita. Economists measure growth by assessing a country's gross domestic product, the annual sum of goods and services produced and purchased in the nation, or by gross national product, which is... The Daily Athenaeum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1373774/posts#comment Wed, 30 Mar 2005 14:44:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1356620/posts Does crude oil above $50 have you scared? The conventional wisdom is that prices like these are recession-makers, but so far it hasn't been true. Motorists just keep pumping the gas and buying up a storm at Wal-Mart, too — and the economy keeps pumping along. But what's really scary is the nightmare vision of oil trading at even higher prices. There's no shortage of doomsday peddlers out there talking about $100 oil. But remember, when the NASDAQ was at 5,000 almost exactly five years ago, there were plenty of people who said it was headed to 10,000. Today's oil... Trend Macrolytics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1356620/posts#comment Sat, 5 Mar 2005 15:40:49 GMT