The shockingly shoddy journalism of 'Back to the Future's' newspaper

The shockingly shoddy journalism of 'Back to the Future's' newspaper:








Back to the Future's newspaper may be a great plot device, but its editorial instincts are less sound. New York Magazine exposes the shoddy and inconsistent practices of the Hill Valley Telegraph, which will devote front page headlines to a local man's unremarkable gambling win but report on a Presidential veto without even bothering to mention the law in question. Even Marty McFly's time-traveling shenanigans — so helpful for other civic institutions — seem to only make its coverage worse.
Continue reading…

Dr. Oz Is Still Handing Out Questionable Medical Advice That Critics Say “Borders On Quackery”

Dr. Oz Is Still Handing Out Questionable Medical Advice That Critics Say “Borders On Quackery”:

(Paxton Holley)

Back in 2010 we looked at Dr. Mehmet Oz, he of Oprah Winfrey-endorsed gilded TV fame and the king of a fan base that will run out and buy anything he endorses. Even then he had a solid gallery of critics who were ready to call shenanigans on his various medical pronouncements, and even while his popularity has remained widespread, there are still plenty of of people who question his brand of health advice.
Earlier this week Slate ran an extensive profile of Dr. Oz including his latest panacea — a magic pill that will finally let people stop all that bothersome exercise and dieting and still melt the pounds away!
“Everybody wants to know what’s the newest, fastest fat buster,” said the doc late last year, just as his fans were gearing up to make their New Year’s resolutions. “How can I burn fat without spending every waking moment exercising and dieting?”
The answer, according to him is a “breakthrough,” “magic,” “holy grail,” even “revolutionary” new fat buster.

“I want you to write it down,” America’s doctor urged his audience with a serious and trustworthy stare. After carefully wrapping his lips around the exotic words “Garcinia cambogia,” he added, sternly: “It may be the simple solution you’ve been looking for to bust your body fat for good.”

Sounds great, sign us up! Or maybe not, says a huge pile of evidence that says garcinia doesn’t do a darn thing. It’s been studied for more than 15 years and has shown that it’s basically as effective as a placebo when it comes to losing weight and shedding fat. In fact, one of Dr. Oz’s critics says not only does it not do what he says it does, but it could actually be harmful to your health.
One study’s author told Slate that the supplement may be linked to adverse gastrointestinal effects: “Dr. Oz’s promotion of this and other unproven or disproven alternative treatments is irresponsible and borders on quackery.”
So why do we believe the words that pour out of his mouth and run for the pharmacy counter when he proffers treatments? Because he’s a doctor, he has a big smile and he’s cracked the code to credibility using those tools. He’s got a laundry list of medical awards, Emmys, authorship of academic articles and heck, even Emmys.
That doesn’t mean that he’s right, contends Slate, offering up a chart that lays out all the ways he’s actually been wrong or has contradicted the results of medical research.
Whether or not you trust Dr. Oz and his miraculous methods is up to you, but, says a man who uses evidence to establish medical truth at the Mayo Clinic, none of these panaceas are secrets.
“If studies are cited, then this cannot be, at the same time, a secret revealed just to you now. If the studies are any good, the effects are usually very small.” As for garcinia and its weight loss wonderfulness, he tells Slate: “It is very unlikely that an important compound hidden in the garcinia could have a big effect.”
For more detail on what Dr. Oz says and what the rest of the medical community calls a fact, check out the extensive chart at the end of Slate’s investigation into the wizard behind the curtain by way of the source link below. And no, his dimples do not count as proof he knows what he’s talking about.
Dr. Oz’s Miraculous Medical Advice [Slate]

Why it Sucks to be the IT Guy

Why it Sucks to be the IT Guy:
Yes, being the IT guy often totally suck, and after working for 15 years in the field, I can confirm that most of what is in this infographic is unfortunately all too true, especially the part about what people expect from us in our everyday job.





[Source: ORSYP]

No related posts.

Competitors Accuse Walmart Of Providing Innacurate Price Comparisons In Ads

Competitors Accuse Walmart Of Providing Innacurate Price Comparisons In Ads:


For several months, Walmart has been running a series of ads touting its Low Price Guarantee and calling out specific competitors for their higher prices. But those retailers are now fighting back with complaints in several states.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the companies filing these complaints to various attorneys general range from national mega-chains like Toys R Us and Best Buy to regional supermarkets. The stores allege that the prices Walmart uses for its in-ad comparisons are inaccurate.
For example, the Journal learned that Best Buy wasn’t happy to see Wamart’s holiday shopping ad that listed a Dell laptop as being $251 less expensive at Walmart. Per Best Buy’s complaint to the Florida state Attorney General, the two laptops in the ad were different models, so the claim in the ad “would be like comparing a Toyota to a Lexus.”
In response, Walmart says it never claimed in the ad that these were identical laptops.
But as the Journal points out, Walmart agreed in 1994 — as part of a resolution to a legal dispute with Target over price-comparison ads — to no longer compare products that weren’t the same size or model without noting differences.
In addition to the complaints filed with the states, a handful of supermarket chains have taken their battles into the public arena.
In response to the Walmart ads, Publix begun running ads declaring, “Walmart doesn’t always have the lowest price.” Meanwhile, Pick ‘n Save’s radio ads highlight that the consumer might be getting what they pay for when they buy less-expensive meat and fish at Walmart. One ad states: “If you’d rather feed your family good food made fresh instead of just cheap food, there’s no comparison to Pick ‘n Save.”
A Walmart rep tells the Journal this is all just a matter of sour grapes from its competitors: “We know competitors don’t like it when we tell customers to compare prices and see for themselves… We are confident on the legal, ethical and methodological standards associated with our price comparison ads.”

Why does your Dog Dine on Dung

Why does your Dog Dine on Dung:

Dr. Mustache explains the science behind this foul habit...(Read...)

Conditioning

Conditioning:

What’s In A Name? Express Checkout Lanes Are Actually (Gasp!) A Waste Of Time

What’s In A Name? Express Checkout Lanes Are Actually (Gasp!) A Waste Of Time:

(TheeErin)

Express! That means fast, right? If you make a beeline for the express checkout lane at the grocery store any time you only have a few items, you might want to reconsider. Apparently there are other issues with the express line that can make the whole experience take almost as long as a regular lane, or in some cases, your wait could be even greater.
Lifehacker turned to a math teacher who’s done some calculations regarding the matter of express checkout lanes, and he’s come up with interesting results. In a hypothetical scenario, you’re in the express line with five people in front of you, each with 10 items apiece for a total of 50 items. The regular line might have five people as well but each with 20 items to purchase.
According to the aforementioned math teacher, it takes 2.8 seconds to scan an item and every person in line adds 48 seconds to the total time. Even with equal lines, the express checkout will take 4:28 and the normal will be 4:56. That’s not much of a difference, right?
The real problem with express checkout is a simple one — you. And me, and that guy over there with the questionable hairstyle as well. Express lines are meant to shove as many people through as possible during the day, which means there are more potential snafus waiting to pop up and stop that line in its speedy little tracks.
To wit — more people means the receipt paper could run out faster and need to be changed, stopping the line. More credit cards could get declined, more price checks could be needed, more reward card sign-ups could have you shaking your head and grumbling under your breath. Those things add up and have the potential to produce line-stoppers.
You can attempt to solve your problems by getting in line behind only a few people with big baskets, instead of longer lines with more people and less items to get checked out. Men will also apparently give up on a long line faster than women (ah, patience!), so if you get in line behind a bunch of men instead of women, maybe by the time it’s almost your turn some of them will have abandoned hope of ever buying that pasta sauce.
Another option? Take a few deep breaths and count back from 20 while you wait or heck, play some Angry Birds on your phone. Because as with all hellish experiences, this line too, shall pass.
Why Express Checkout Lanes Are a Waste of Time [Lifehacker]

Making 'The Blues Brothers' against all odds

Making 'The Blues Brothers' against all odds:








The Blues Brothers may be a classic, must-watch film, but it's a miracle that it was even made. The iconic movie has its roots in the 1973 meeting of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, who then joined forces to become a legendary comedic team. Despite the chemistry between Aykroyd and Belushi, the process of turning their Blues Brothers act into a film was plagued with ideas, costs, and personalities that were far too big. Cocaine was extremely common in Hollywood at the time — according to Aykroyd, the movie had even a budget dedicated to the drug — but Belushi's detrimental habit stalled production and dragged the already floundering project down further. For more on the amazing story behind The Blues Brothers, complete with drama,...
Continue reading…

Best Buy Employee: Pressure To Cram Credit Cards Down Customers’ Throats Now Intensifying

Best Buy Employee: Pressure To Cram Credit Cards Down Customers’ Throats Now Intensifying:
The next time you’re shopping at Best Buy, try not to get too angry when employees attempt to cram store credit cards down your throat. They’re not personally out to scam you, or hawking cards to line their pockets. They’re just trying not to get written up, reprimanded, or fired. A very insightful tipster who works at a Best Buy somewhere in the United States shared with us the impossible credit application quotas now in place. Update: The tipster reports that Best Buy management has backed down on this particular threat. Hurray!

I wanted to share some information that I received while at work today. I find it quite disturbing.
Our revenue and profits are way down not only at the company level, but at my particular store as well. Although management is constantly coming up with new excuses as to why this is, I know the truth is that the trends are in favor of smaller stores and large online presences. Thus, a new calling card within the company has been financing offers. It’s simple: each employee has a goal of one Best Buy credit card application per shift. Each one brings in roughly $50-$100 of pure profit for the store. We have been told ad nauseum for the past few months that financing is incredible because when the company wins, we win. Simply put, if we reach budget each quarter each employee receives a small bonus.
The problem is that this bonus is nearly unobtainable because corporate sets our standards so high. In fact, the majority of my fellow employees cannot recall the last time we reached our budget goals. In spite of this, we are continually told of the greener pastures that lie just over the fence of credit card applications.
Anyway, while working today I was approached by one of my managers and told that our district is being moved into a new territory. As you may very well know, a change in territory comes with a change in management. I was told that our new territory manager is very “big” on financing and will continue our goal of one credit card application per shift.
Here’s the kicker, though: if we go three shifts without a credit card application, we will be written up by management. If we go twelve straight shifts with no applications, we are automatically terminated, no questions asked! Plus, we are now required to check in with the manager on duty both at the beginning and end of our shifts to discuss our daily sales and financing goals, or risk being fired! I could only stand in amazement as both my manager and supervisor told me that although they strongly disagreed with this new initiative, they would have to enforce it or risk termination themselves.
I for one believe this is all outrageous, and will be leaving the company within the next few weeks. If corporate is that out of touch with the employees that do their dirty work, I no longer want to be a part of their operation. I am thankful for the fact that I am still a student and have another job; I can only imagine what those who are stuck in the corporate grind are feeling right now.

This insider’s story illustrates three things quite clearly. First: Best Buy is less of an an electronics store, and more of a credit card store that has some electronics in it for your convenience. Second: corporate management is so far out of touch with the experience of being a front-line employee that they set impossible goals. Third: contrary to popular belief, some Best Buy employees do have souls. (And brains.)

Kolmogorov Directions

Kolmogorov Directions:

Apple Pie

Apple Pie

Dialect

Dialects of the USA. [855 × 514]

History

NBA players...

Feynman poem

Richard Feynman’s Ode to a Flower [Video]

High-Handed Outrage at Utica - Artemus Ward

High-Handed Outrage at Utica

In the Faul of 1856, I showed my show in Uticky, a trooly grate sitty in the State of New York.

The people gave me a cordyal recepshun. The press was loud in her prases.

1 day as I was givin a descripshun of my Beests and Snaiks in my usual flowry stile what was my skorn disgust to see a big burly feller walk up to the cage containin my wax figgers of the Lord’s Last Supper, and cease Judas Iscarrot by the feet and drag him out on the ground. He then commenced fur to pound him as hard as he cood.

“What under the son are you abowt?” cried I.

Sez he, “What did you bring this pussylanermus cuss here fur?” and he hit the wax figger another tremenjis blow on the hed.

Sez I, “You egrejus ass, that air’s a wax figger–a representashun of the false ‘Postle.”

Sez he, “That’s all very well fur you to say, but I tell you, old man, that Judas Iscarrot can’t show hisself in Utiky with impunerty by a darn site!” with which observashun he kaved in Judassis hed. The young man belonged to 1 of the first famerlies in Utiky. I sood him, and the Joory brawt in a verdick of Arson in the 3d degree.

Middle earth ladies

So, Where Have All the Middle-earth Ladies Run Off To?

The animals!

The Planet Of The Apes Twist Ending [Pic]

Cartoonist Creativity

http://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21568586-internet-has-unleashed-burst-cartooning-creativity-triumph-nerds

Viv le roi

http://phys.org/news/2012-12-dried-headless-french-king-blood.html

Resolution

Resolution:

Crow cah

Tell this as a real story, and you will get a groan out of pretty much everybody.

One small step

Neil Armstrong’s family reveal origins of 'one small step' line