Retail isn't the only business that is buzzing during the holidays

The amount of household garbage in the United States generally increases by 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, from 4 million tons to 5 million tons.

 

Source: US EPA

LED lights can save you 90%

Switch to light emitting diode (LED) lighting. LED bulbs use 90% less energy than standard incandescent lights and confer the added benefits of generating significantly less heat and lasting significantly longer.

 

Source

Excessive weight gain during pregnacy linked to childhood obesity

Pregnant women who gain more than 40 pounds during pregnancy have twice the risk of delivering babies who will have weight problems throughout life according to a new study from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Oregon.  The study was conducted among 40,000 women.  This latest study supports previous studies that show children are more likely to be overweight and struggle with obesity as adults.

 

 

Graduation Rates Declining in US

The US, Which long enjoyed the world’s top high school graduation rate, has fallen to 13^th place behind such countries as South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia. The US is now the only country in the developed world where young people are less likely to graduate than their parents were.

 

Source: New York Times

 

 

Understanding the distribution of wealth in the US

One way to ‘see’ the distribution of wealth in the U.S. is to imagine a group of 100 people who have a $100 between them. Evenly distributed each would have one dollar of wealth. Alas, that is far from the actual distribution. According to the most recent study, Currents and Undercurrents, by the Survey of Consumer Finance (Federal Reserve, Department of Treasury, 2006) wealth is distributed accordingly:

50 individuals at the bottom have a nickel. ($0.05 times 50 = $2.50)

The next 40 each have $0.70 of wealth (40 times $0.70 - $28.00).

The next 9 each have $4.00 of wealth (nine times $4.00 = $36.00)

The last richest individual has $33.40 (one time $33.40).

Combined, you have $100.00.

Source: http://zfacts.com/p/728.html

Firearm Deaths

Suicides Accounted for 55% of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm deaths in 2005, the most recent year in which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

~ Mike Stobbe Medical Writer Associated Press

The Nintendo Wii as a functional communication tool

Wow. This is an amazing use of a video game unit. I can't really describe it, you'll have to watch for your self.