tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-375874512024-03-07T18:41:05.050-08:00Green MarketsAnalysis and Market Research studies in support of Green Entrepreneurs.BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-24583512142068333082008-04-07T08:35:00.000-07:002010-06-13T18:48:35.138-07:00Occassional DimesRFID enabled credit cards are easy to hack: I met Pablos at ETech earlier this year, he gave a fantastic talk on credit card (in)security and other topics.Alternative Energy: Boom or Bust?James Speth: The co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council in an hour-long interview on KQED's Forum.Pico Iyer on the Dalai Lama: One of my favorite travel writers has a new book on Tenzin Gyatso, the BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-17565838886789348022008-03-20T10:05:00.000-07:002008-03-20T10:13:38.251-07:00Occassional DimesRobert Parker: Charlie Rose devotes a full hour to the world's most influential wine critic.Unrest in Tibet (plus elections in Taiwan): Recent hour-long discussion on KQED's Forum.The remaining entries are on health care related topics.Treating the Numbers: Treating the numbers refers to the tendency of some Doctors "... to get a patient's test results to a certain target, which they assume will BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-50183930113444523622008-03-11T09:22:00.000-07:002008-03-11T10:03:13.003-07:00Occassional DimesRemote Area Medical: CBS profiles this amazing organization founded to provide medical care to people in the developing world. What Americans may not be aware of is that 60% of their operation serves uninsured/underinsured people in rural and urban America.Arguments mount for a National Healthcare system: I'm in favor of a national system, as long as its not a monopoly.LA Times on Chuck Feeney: IBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-24687432887032236192008-02-29T10:00:00.000-08:002008-02-29T08:54:36.184-08:00Occassional DimesFrom Geeks to Greens: The Economist on Silicon Valley's fascination with green technologies.A World of Bananas: An expert weighs in on the best tasting banana in the world. His choice? The lakatan from the Philippines.Made In Italy: Italy's leading brands are increasingly relying on Chinese workers toiling in sweatshop conditions. What happened to the famed EU labor laws?Hydroelectric Power BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-29555779271188403422008-02-14T09:31:00.000-08:002008-02-14T11:27:59.467-08:00Occassional DimesDrop.io: Needing to (anonymously) share files or communicate with your friends or the world? Check out this new site that is popular among "democracy movement" types overseas.Tufte on the iPhone: Visualization guru weighs in on what's cool and what needs work. The QuickTime file is large and may require a few minutes to download.Dow Jones Meets Dharma: Socially-responsible investing gains a BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-89828454697156694942008-01-29T08:43:00.000-08:002008-01-29T09:28:46.325-08:00Occassional DimesDavid Rieff: Susan Sontag's son discusses her last days with Teri Gross.Designs for the Real World: Dot Earth comes to MIT.The Most Energy-Efficient Airline: One big catch, the plane never actually takes off!World Equity Markets: The Wall Street Journal has a nice graphic that captures recent turmoil in stock markets across the world.fMRI and Wine Tasting: "If a person is told they are tasting BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-81838294167033914082008-01-07T09:21:00.000-08:002008-01-07T10:22:40.212-08:00Occassional DimesIn Defense of Food: Michael Pollan talks about his new book on Science Friday.Monsanto and the Future Seed: Very quietly GMO seeds are being adopted across the world. From the U.S., where they originated, through Asia, Africa, and even Western Europe. Monsanto and other agriculture conglomerates are targeting the large food producers rather than consumers. So while your chips and snacks probably BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-65024841695397393882007-12-05T10:00:00.000-08:002007-12-06T15:47:44.143-08:00Occassional DimesThe Story of Stuff: One of the BEST online videos I have watched. An incredibly well-produced video addressing consumerism, industrial design, sustainability, and social justice. Its about 15 minutes long, but I highly recommend you watch it in its entirety.Toxic Chemicals (The E.U. and the U.S.): As the child of Chemistry professors, I have always been aware of the role of chemicals in everyday BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-55502953801947970212007-11-26T14:52:00.000-08:002007-11-26T16:31:55.256-08:00Quote of the DayFrom Dave Barry:We Americans live in a nation where the medical-care system is second to none in the world, unless you count maybe 25 or 30 little scuzzball countries like Scotland that we could vaporize in seconds if we felt like it.Previous quotes can be found here. Digg It! , Bookmark to del.icio.us , My Yahoo! , ATOM FeedBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-87297405174441803742007-11-20T09:16:00.000-08:002007-11-20T21:42:08.979-08:00Leadership, Home Sizes, and Buy Nothing DayWe live in an age of excess, and nothing better captures this point than the average size of new homes. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the average new home went from 1,100 square feet in the 1950's to 2,340 square feet in 2002. In the 1950's new homes averaged 290 square feet per family member, by 2003, new homes constructed averaged 893 square feet per family member! I'm proud to report BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-33210103019224035592007-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:002007-11-18T09:11:01.098-08:00PalawanThe SF Chronicle's travel section has a nice feature on Palawan:... The wildlife, the terrain and the remoteness all suggested to me that this corner of The Philippines may be the latest frontier in the world of eco-tourism.... My adventure began when I flew southwest from Manila to Palawan, the "last frontier" of the Philippines. If any place in the Philippines could become a famous eco-tourism BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-87771960986445443932007-11-08T20:35:00.000-08:002007-11-08T20:37:45.572-08:00Quote of the DayFrom Amma:Compassion is the language the blind can see and the deaf can hear.Previous quotes can be found here. Digg It! , Bookmark to del.icio.us , My Yahoo! , ATOM FeedBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-38657545285478938682007-10-31T14:31:00.000-07:002007-10-31T14:37:55.163-07:00Quote of the DayFrom Andrew Carnegie:This, then, is held the duty of the man of wealth: first, to set an example of modest, unostentatious living, shunning display or extravagance; to provide moderately for the legitimate wants of those dependent upon him; and after doing so to consider all surplus revenues which come to him simply as trust funds which he is called upon to administer ... to produce the most BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-60377553404147069112007-10-23T07:31:00.000-07:002007-10-23T08:54:37.890-07:00Quote of the DayFrom St. Francis de Sales:"Do not wish to be anything but what you are,and try to be that perfectly." Digg It! , Bookmark to del.icio.us , My Yahoo! , ATOM FeedBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-79975316160445171312007-10-22T14:12:00.000-07:002007-10-22T16:05:22.282-07:00Occassional DimesTom Brokaw interviews Yvon Chouinard: The founder of Patagonia at the recent Google Zeitgeist! His fingers have never touched a keyboard, and he has never owned a cell phone. Personally I held off buying a cell phone until 2004 -- even then I did so only because I needed a work/office phone. I advise all you techno-geeks out there to watch this interview. Money quote: "We are no longer citizens BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-82690789041771393072007-10-02T09:39:00.000-07:002007-10-02T09:33:37.227-07:00Occassional DimesRandy Pausch's Last Lecture: Beloved Computer Science professor at Carnegie-Mellon, a pioneer in the field of computer graphics and animation -- he has advanced stage pancreatic cancer. What a moving video! Randy also maintains a chronicle of his battle with cancer.Canada's Highway To Hell: This insightful feature article will surprise a lot of Americans -- it did me. Our neighbors up in Alberta BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-54058840373797494822007-10-01T09:32:00.000-07:002007-10-01T09:35:37.732-07:00The Monks of BurmaA moving photo of a recent rally: Digg It! , Bookmark to del.icio.us , My Yahoo! , ATOM FeedBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-43603352325340823812007-09-27T13:56:00.000-07:002007-09-27T13:58:27.818-07:00The State of the Housing MarketThings are getting worse:Today's Census Bureau report on the number of new homes sold in August provides our first clear data for the impact on the housing market of the financial turmoil that began August 9. It is not a pretty sight.In a typical year, most new home sales occur between March and August. In each of those months we usually might expect 35% more homes to be sold than at the seasonalBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-74641612503842968182007-09-25T09:05:00.000-07:002007-09-25T12:46:04.961-07:00Voluntary Simplicity and a BillionaireRumored to own only a single pair of shoes, Chuck Feeney was the founder of the highly successful retail chain, the Duty Free stores. Using the fortune he generated in the private sector Chuck Feeney should be a multi-billionaire. His co-founder, Robert Miller, enjoys the trappings of wealth, and lives the life of a billionaire, with the requisite socialite daughters ("The Miller Sisters").Its BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-28054526526936953112007-09-12T09:37:00.000-07:002007-09-12T11:33:51.194-07:00Occassional DimesRunning the Numbers: Chris Jordan's amazing photos help us visualize a variety of social statistics (e.g. American children with no health insurance coverage in 2007).Freegans: LATimes article on Freegans -- "the word combining "vegan" and "free" -- a growing subculture of people who have reduced their spending habits and live off consumer waste."Supercapitalism: Fresh Air's Terry Gross BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-6740236234065256322007-09-06T09:47:00.000-07:002007-09-06T09:49:20.158-07:00Equality == FreedomThe Trap is a brilliant book on the challenges facing young Americans. First time author, Daniel Brook, has the right combination of personal stories, history, and statistics, resulting in a book I found hard to put down. Like the film Sicko, which used the stories of Americans with health insurance, The Trap tells the stories of elite school graduates who aspire to work in jobs that reflect BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-58462300612774634302007-08-30T09:00:00.000-07:002007-08-29T18:53:37.661-07:00Occassional DimesThe Farm Bill: Science Friday has a round table with Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle, and Sandor Katz.DH Love Life: I really like Daryl Hannah's environmental videos. They are short, informative and entertaining.Clean Tech Economics: A recent hour-long discussion on KQED's Forum.Water Diaries: Award-winning radio program Living on Earth, compares water usage in the US and India.The Devil Came On BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-1997885464987534762007-08-27T09:17:00.000-07:002007-08-27T09:43:55.042-07:00The Devil Came On HorsebackThere is finally a documentary that I hope will generate the momentum needed to put a halt to the crisis in Darfur. The Devil Came On Horseback follows one person's journey from the Marine Corps to full time activist and speaker. What makes the film so powerful is the graphic footage, photos and testimony that puts to rest any doubts about whether genocide is taking place. As the film documents, BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-16811278100193510902007-08-23T08:58:00.000-07:002007-08-23T09:36:50.592-07:00Credit Ratings, Mark-To-Market, and QuantsSorry for posting off-topic these days. The financial turmoil engulfing the markets is bringing back a lot of memories. I do think that folks interested in Green Biz need to have some understanding of what is roiling the markets. After all, a recession will hurt all of us.Back in the late 1990's I was the lead Quant for a small hedge fund, and was around for the 1998 financial crisis. I'm of BEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37587451.post-7523076951146698392007-08-21T14:55:00.000-07:002007-08-21T14:57:56.276-07:00Quote for the DayFrom Bloomberg:``I've never seen it like this before,'' said Jim Galluzzo, who began trading short-maturity Treasuries 20 years ago and now trades bills at RBS Greenwich Capital in Greenwich, Connecticut. ``Bills right now are trading like dot-coms.'' Digg It! , Bookmark to del.icio.us , My Yahoo! , ATOM FeedBEN LORICAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870752935608458657noreply@blogger.com0