Cuba’s Prosperity Secret

Cuba became dependent on tourism after the end of Soviet subsidies in 1991 triggered savage austerity and a need for foreign currency. With a casual tip dwarfing state wages, scientists, teachers and other professionals quit their jobs to become waiters, chambermaids and taxi drivers. “Our most brilliant minds – serving coffee,” lamented Alvaro, a university lecturer turned tour guide.

As hard times bite, Cubans show little appetite for celebration – The Guardian

A Plague

In a speech at Harvard last November, Harvard physicist John Holden, President-elect Obama’s choice to be his science adviser as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, presented a “top 10″ list of warming solutions.

Topping the list was “limiting population,” as if man was a plague upon the earth. This is a major tenet of green dogma that bemoans the fact that the pestilence called mankind comes with cars, factories and overconsumption of fossil fuels and other resources.

Perhaps Responsible Population is coming to public policy sooner than we thought.

The Warm Turns – IBD

Housing Prices Graphed

(click to enlarge)

We still have some room to fall.

Classic Case Shiller Housing Price Chart, Updated – The Big Picture

BBlessing Fall/Winter 2008.

I dig this sportcoat’s color/material/cut, as well as the shoes:

Via Kanye West.

Quest for Innovation

Science is the quest to know, to evolve the communal intelligence of mankind. When we dislike the dark, we invent a light bulb to see. When we dislike too much light from light bulbs (or the sun), we develop sunglasses. When our sunglasses don’t make us look trendy enough, we invent ironic trucker hats. When trucker hats do not fully express the extent to which we are devoid of class and taste, we invent frufru dogs. And so on. That is science.

Science Will Consume Us All, Literally – LoSC

Raisin Brahms

Feed your kids audible art.

Danil Kryvoruchko

Danil resides in Moscow.

Via Kanye West.

Common ft. Pharrell- Universal Mind Control

Love the beat on this record:

Common – Universal Mind Control [DVDRIP] from Taz on Vimeo.

Via Kanye West.

GLC – I Ain’t Even On Yet

Interesting beat…a little electro in there. Vocals are nothing to write home about.

Via Kanye West.

Jazmine Sullivan – Bust Your Windows

Love the strings and the bassoon. The beat makes this record.

I discovered this song over at Kanye West’s blog.

Under New Management

I might wear this shirt to the George W. Bush’s Last Day In Office Party I’m going to:

Via Kanye West.

Fresh Kids

This kid is better dressed than I am, by far:

Via Kanye West.

Nas ft. Keri Hilson – Hero

This is the most mind-blowing track I’ve heard all year:

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It’s off Nas and DJ Green Lantern’s The Nigger Tape. (Mixtape download link here.)

This could be useful

Especially during the holidays and/or cocktail party season:

The James plate, by Sternform.

Via Kanye West.

Consequence ft. Kanye West – Gone

The track is allright until 1:20 or 1:30 in, when Consequence raps over orchestral strings and breaks it out: