The Moral Case Against Global Warming Policies

By Tommy Leung on 05/31/2008 in Politics

How odd that someone would make a moral case against global warming. The trend is to promote it as a just cause. Global warming is presented as a problem that we should be doing all we can to fix or life as we know it will be no more. The so called “science” that supporters of global warming use to justify their position is anything but settled. New evidence is constantly being discovered that puts bigger and bigger holes in global warming theories–not laws, theories. The most ridiculous of these theories being that global warming–if it is indeed happening–is caused by human beings.

The objective here is not to go over the science that casts an overwhelming shadow of doubt on the accuracy of global warming theories but, it would be a waste not to share it. Not enough people are aware of this information as it is.

It is probably safe to say that there is no life on the other planets in our solar system. Most places are either too hot, too cold, or lacking an atmosphere like ours. Chances are, no aliens are driving carbon producing SUVs on our neighboring planets. It just so happens that Pluto is experiencing warming. There was a storm on Jupiter that scientists believe is due to climate change. Our closest neighbor, Mars, has been experiencing rising temperatures and as a result: melting. Either our horrible carbon footprints are so gigantic that it is affecting the entire solar system or it’s the sun.

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Dunkin’ Donuts Pulls Ad

By Tommy Leung on 05/29/2008 in Marketing, Politics

Dunkin’ Donuts pulled an online ad with Rachael Ray because some conservative bloggers thought the scarf she was wearing looked like a keffiyeh. The ad intended to promote Dunkin’ Donut’s Iced Coffees.

Apparently, having articles of clothing that remotely resembles something that Arab men wear to “provide protection from direct sun exposure” is a crime against the public. Granted, there is some vague association with jihad but, that is not what it is intended for. There’s a lot of sand, sun, and generally uncomfortable weather conditions in the desert.

Michelle Malkin of Fox News is quoted as saying, “for the clueless, [a keffiyeh] is the traditional scarf of Arab men that has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad.” Those are words to be expected from a neo-conservative. There are millions of Arab men who wear a keffiyeh for its actual purpose: protection from the harsh weather. Leave it to the neo-cons to take every opportunity–valid or invalid–to demonize a group of people so that we can fight this perpetual war.

Txting Boosts Literacy

By Tommy Leung on 05/27/2008 in Marketing

Txt messages are amongst the most popular ways to communicate on our cellphones today and a lot of us can’t even imagine not being able to txt. There are just times when an actual call is unnecessary or you happen to be in a meeting, lecture, movie theater, etc. Studies show that txting boosts literacy amongst children. It is believed the the use of “imaginative abbreviations” help with reading and writing.

So with kids getting cellphones younger and younger, this is certainly good news. The smarter our kids, the better our country.

All-Electric Saturn Sky

By Tommy Leung on 05/24/2008 in Marketing

I have been dying for all-electric cars to become mass market products. That Tesla Roadster has had me salivating ever since I first found out about it. Advanced Mechanical Products is taking orders for 300 converted Saturn Sky Roadsters that are all-electric. They can go up to 150 miles on a single charge, 0 – 60 in 6 seconds, and up to 90 MPH. It’ll cost $50,000 for the conversion and AMP intends to start shipping them in 2009.

$46 Billion for Anheuser-Busch

By Tommy Leung on 05/23/2008 in Marketing

The world’s largest brewer, Belgium-based InBev, is preparing a $46 billion takeover bid for Anheuser-Busch. It is expected the this offer will not be greeted with smiles by August Busch IV, CEO of A-B. InBev will likely appeal to the board of directors with their offer which is a significant premium over A-B’s current share price.

I don’t drink much of the brands that A-B produces or imports–I’m more of a Coors guy. I’m a little saddened to see the possibility of this American brand being purchased by foreigners but business is business. InBev is also known for their tight budget controls which may not bold well for A-B’s advertising budgets under InBev. If this takeover succeeds, and the analysts believe it will, it will be interesting to see how the other major brewers react. I will continue to drink my Coors Light.

More Unsold Homes

By Tommy Leung on 05/23/2008 in Politics

This should not come as much of a surprise but sales of existing homes fell 1 percent in April. This marks 8 drops in the past 9 months. The median price of homes also fell 8 percent to $202,300. There is some optimism in the article as the chief economist for the Realtors, Lawrence Yun, would like to “encourage buyers who were disappointed by poor mortgage options to take another look at the market because the lending changes are significant.”

The apparent strategy that supports Yun’s optimism is that the industry will create more “creative” financing so that people who still cannot afford homes will be able to buy them. That sounds awfully familiar.

Pick-Up Lines

By Tommy Leung on 05/23/2008 in Life

I love Men’s Health magazine and if there was ever a life bible for men, Men’s Health would be it. With physical copies men’s magazines dropping like flies these days–Stuff, FHM–Men’s Health is still going strong. Their articles are always compelling like this one about pick-up lines. We’ve all seen the guys who have nothing in their arsenal but sexual innuendos that they think are home runs–if you haven’t seen them, maybe you are one of them?

And if you are looking for a really interesting book on the topic, check out The Game by Neil Strauss. :)