links for 2010-01-07

  • A freak current shift has temporarily (one hopes) redirected the Gulf Stream around Great Britain. As the only thing that makes northern Europe habitable, they're getting a preview of what life would be like if the thermohaline cycle were altered slightly. Note that the fact that it is unusually cold in England doesn't mean that that the thermohaline cycle has been permanently disrupted anymore than the fact that sometimes it's unusually temperate in the winter means that global climate change is a product of a Bilderberg/Illuminati/Elvis conspiracy. That's difference between "weather" and "climate," kids.
  • When you pay with a debit card at a store, it costs the store a greal deal more if you sign your name instead of enter your PIN. Why? Because Visa says so. Do merchants a favor and enter your PIN.
  • A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association has found that frozen food makers and restaurants significantly understate the caloric content of their goods: an average 8% for packaged foods and 18% at restaurants. "Evil" is too strong of a word for this, I guess, but it sure is nasty.
    (tags: food health diet)

Published by Waldo Jaquith

Waldo Jaquith (JAKE-with) is an open government technologist who lives near Char­lottes­­ville, VA, USA. more »

3 replies on “links for 2010-01-07”

  1. “Evil” isn’t too strong a word if you’re a diabetic or have a child who is a Type I diabetic. They need to be able to rely on nutritional information in order to correctly dose insulin. Get THAT wrong, and a diabetic can rapidly find their blood glucose levels (ie blood sugar) too low or too high. Too low can lead to coma, too high can lead to organ and tissue damage.

  2. Debit card for consumables; food, fuel, beer…yes. But when you purchase durables or big ticket items the card masters convey better consumer protections to their credit purchasers.

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