Q.
A. The federal government spent billions of dollars in 2011 on some unusual projects.
Here are some that seem utterly outrageous to me...
1. $764,825 for a study on how college students use cell phones and social media
The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Notre Dame this grant to study the mobile and social media habits of college freshmen. I can tell you exactly how college freshmen use mobile phones and social media: for 3 a.m. texts and phone calls to that guy in American History. I could have saved the government a lot of money.
2. $136,555 for teachers to retrace Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in England
Ads by Google
This grant, awarded to teachers from Kent State and Eastern Illinois Universities, allowed Middle English lit fanatics to take the trip outlined in Canterbury Tales. I'm betting £10 that the tour guides just make up half of the landmarks.
3. $55,660 on butter packaging
Kriemhild Dairy Farms received this chunk of change to package their grass-fed cow butter. The funding isn’t the only thing that’s too big: The butter itself is 85 percent fat.
4. $606,000 for a study about online dating
Columbia University researchers received over a half-million dollars to study online dating. Maybe the Ivy League nerds who conducted this study should put down the lab coats and go to a bar — or at least the library.
5. $484,000 for a pizza restaurant
Arlington, Texas has one more beer and pizza joint, thanks to this grant to a private developer. The groovy Mellow Mushroom, a national chain, is known for its hippie theme.
6. $48,700 towards the Second Annual Hawaii Chocolate Festival
These funds were awarded to promote Hawaii’s chocolate industry. The Aloha State is already full of sandy beaches, clear blue water, and sun. Why do they get all the good stuff... (That’s the mayor of Hershey, Pennsylvania on Line 1.)
7. $147,138 to build a magic museum
Maybe the wizards at the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Mich., can make the federal deficit disappear. The grant was awarded to promote the “history of magic entertainment.”
8. $96,000 on iPads for kindergarteners
One school district in Maine was awarded this grant to buy every kindergarten student the latest Apple gadget. These kids can’t add yet, but thanks to Uncle Sam they’ll never need to.
9. $175,587 for a study on the link between cocaine and the mating habits of quail
The funding for this super-important scientific study is down from its 2010 level of $181,406. But I think the amount is ridiculous for research that proves what the film “Blow” already did: that cocaine is linked to high-risk sexual activity.
Here are some that seem utterly outrageous to me...
1. $764,825 for a study on how college students use cell phones and social media
The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Notre Dame this grant to study the mobile and social media habits of college freshmen. I can tell you exactly how college freshmen use mobile phones and social media: for 3 a.m. texts and phone calls to that guy in American History. I could have saved the government a lot of money.
2. $136,555 for teachers to retrace Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in England
Ads by Google
This grant, awarded to teachers from Kent State and Eastern Illinois Universities, allowed Middle English lit fanatics to take the trip outlined in Canterbury Tales. I'm betting £10 that the tour guides just make up half of the landmarks.
3. $55,660 on butter packaging
Kriemhild Dairy Farms received this chunk of change to package their grass-fed cow butter. The funding isn’t the only thing that’s too big: The butter itself is 85 percent fat.
4. $606,000 for a study about online dating
Columbia University researchers received over a half-million dollars to study online dating. Maybe the Ivy League nerds who conducted this study should put down the lab coats and go to a bar — or at least the library.
5. $484,000 for a pizza restaurant
Arlington, Texas has one more beer and pizza joint, thanks to this grant to a private developer. The groovy Mellow Mushroom, a national chain, is known for its hippie theme.
6. $48,700 towards the Second Annual Hawaii Chocolate Festival
These funds were awarded to promote Hawaii’s chocolate industry. The Aloha State is already full of sandy beaches, clear blue water, and sun. Why do they get all the good stuff... (That’s the mayor of Hershey, Pennsylvania on Line 1.)
7. $147,138 to build a magic museum
Maybe the wizards at the American Museum of Magic in Marshall, Mich., can make the federal deficit disappear. The grant was awarded to promote the “history of magic entertainment.”
8. $96,000 on iPads for kindergarteners
One school district in Maine was awarded this grant to buy every kindergarten student the latest Apple gadget. These kids can’t add yet, but thanks to Uncle Sam they’ll never need to.
9. $175,587 for a study on the link between cocaine and the mating habits of quail
The funding for this super-important scientific study is down from its 2010 level of $181,406. But I think the amount is ridiculous for research that proves what the film “Blow” already did: that cocaine is linked to high-risk sexual activity.
What Should I Get For Christmas 2011?
Q. My family members are asking me what I want for Christmas but I can't think of anything! I am a teenaged girl and this is what I already have (and i am not trying to brag or anything because i worked hard and bought most of this stuff for myself)
Things i have:
a laptop
an itouch
an iphone
a kindle
a portable dvd player
I think that is all that is majorly noteable.
I want an iPad 2 but i don't know if I really need it and it is too expensive to ask for and I rather have a lot of less expensive things than one $600 thing.
My favorite stores are Hollister and Abercrombie&Fitch. I also love VS Pink and Bath and Body Works and stuff. Besides asking for gift cards and clothes and stuff, I also need a more expensive big gift as my main gift (maybe an electronic you can think of that i dont have that isnt too expensive?) I was also thinking maybe like more hair straighteners or curlers or something? Some cool hair tool gadget?
I guess if this would help, a little about me: I am sporty and athletic but am girly in the sense that I love makeup and hair tools and stuff. I dont really like video games and i like listening to music.
Please answer if many gift ideas because to ask for various things from various people so there can be a lot of items on my list. I was also thinking of asking for some kind of awesome electronic device that is really cool that isn't as well known like not an ipad or ipod some cool unique electronic device that does cool stuff that i may not have heard of?
Thank you for your help and answers :)
I am grateful for everything I have and I spend a lot of time doing community service and helping others so please don't lecture me on that. Also, I hate Justin Beiber, and celebrities like that and also disney channel stuff and i dont like gossip magazines and all that. The Music I listen to is basically DRAKE AND EMINEM and thats pretty much it. I think i will put "Take Care" on my list.
I also already have a camera btw
Things i have:
a laptop
an itouch
an iphone
a kindle
a portable dvd player
I think that is all that is majorly noteable.
I want an iPad 2 but i don't know if I really need it and it is too expensive to ask for and I rather have a lot of less expensive things than one $600 thing.
My favorite stores are Hollister and Abercrombie&Fitch. I also love VS Pink and Bath and Body Works and stuff. Besides asking for gift cards and clothes and stuff, I also need a more expensive big gift as my main gift (maybe an electronic you can think of that i dont have that isnt too expensive?) I was also thinking maybe like more hair straighteners or curlers or something? Some cool hair tool gadget?
I guess if this would help, a little about me: I am sporty and athletic but am girly in the sense that I love makeup and hair tools and stuff. I dont really like video games and i like listening to music.
Please answer if many gift ideas because to ask for various things from various people so there can be a lot of items on my list. I was also thinking of asking for some kind of awesome electronic device that is really cool that isn't as well known like not an ipad or ipod some cool unique electronic device that does cool stuff that i may not have heard of?
Thank you for your help and answers :)
I am grateful for everything I have and I spend a lot of time doing community service and helping others so please don't lecture me on that. Also, I hate Justin Beiber, and celebrities like that and also disney channel stuff and i dont like gossip magazines and all that. The Music I listen to is basically DRAKE AND EMINEM and thats pretty much it. I think i will put "Take Care" on my list.
I also already have a camera btw
A. Just be thankful to be alive and around the people you love everyday maybe this year you should ask for starving kids to be fed or people who arent as fortunate as you to have all they want pray for them
Too much technology... hate it?
Q. I am tired of ebooks and stuff...
For me, the Kindle and Nook look cool, but I don't fancy ever buying either. Why? It's simply because I feel like too much time starring at a screen cannot be healthy on a person. We already have cell phones and computers. Not to mention the time we spend in front of televisions... It's not about being 'hip' or whatever. I'm seventeen years old. I don't like pretty much being forced to look at screens all the time. Most kids in my age group spend way too much time with gadgets. Wasn't there a study recently that said the average is 8-9 hours? That's just insane. We should sleep for about 8-9 hours, yet a lot of us get far less because of all the distractions. I even have to lower the brightness on my computer to it's lowest setting. Do you know why? Well, I usually write on my laptop before I go to bed. If the brightness is so high, my body is going to think that it's morning! Therefore, it causes sleep problems. I used to not be able to sleep for the longest time because of it. Well, now that I make sure the brightness is low, I haven't a problem getting to sleep.
What else bugs me? The Kinect, 3D all over the place, and etc. My friend has a kinect. It's fun, but ugh. Exercising has to be done by the TV? Really? I used to have fun with the wii fit. It's fun to play games on it, but I find it sad that we have to use it as our main exercise sessions. I don't know. I guess it works for people who can't go outside. :\ I personally think 3D movies are awesome. I love seeing them in the theater as a treat every other month or so. Just, I don't like all this over-saturation. 3D game consoles and etc... Just, ugh. Anyone agree with me? Am I alone here?
Anyway, my point is, yeah... all this technology is just flat out tiring on me. Yeah, it's pretty cool, but really, I don't think it's healthy to overindulge in it all. I read real books. I adore my hardcovers. Yes, I realize that it takes trees to make these books, but I really cherish them. They're my escape from the world (including the digital world)... I care for the environment too, though. I use a tote bag for buying products at stores. I ride my bike. I'm a vegetarian. I even plant trees. I know it doesn't make that much of a difference, but I do care. That doesn't make me a bad person for reading actual books.
I sometimes wish I lived in a different time. I worry about the future. Like, twenty years from now, people like me may think, "Wow, 2011 was the good old days." lol while others may think, "Ick. 2011... That was such a long time ago. How could we live without such and such gadget? What would we do without our robot maids?" :\ Ugh. The 'future' was always cool to dream about as a little kid, but now it just seems like a horrid nightmare to me. My head hurts. Really. I guess we should be careful of what we wish for. :(
Olivia, you have obviously not read my question. I said too much technology is bad for a person. That doesn't mean I can't use my computer in moderation.
For me, the Kindle and Nook look cool, but I don't fancy ever buying either. Why? It's simply because I feel like too much time starring at a screen cannot be healthy on a person. We already have cell phones and computers. Not to mention the time we spend in front of televisions... It's not about being 'hip' or whatever. I'm seventeen years old. I don't like pretty much being forced to look at screens all the time. Most kids in my age group spend way too much time with gadgets. Wasn't there a study recently that said the average is 8-9 hours? That's just insane. We should sleep for about 8-9 hours, yet a lot of us get far less because of all the distractions. I even have to lower the brightness on my computer to it's lowest setting. Do you know why? Well, I usually write on my laptop before I go to bed. If the brightness is so high, my body is going to think that it's morning! Therefore, it causes sleep problems. I used to not be able to sleep for the longest time because of it. Well, now that I make sure the brightness is low, I haven't a problem getting to sleep.
What else bugs me? The Kinect, 3D all over the place, and etc. My friend has a kinect. It's fun, but ugh. Exercising has to be done by the TV? Really? I used to have fun with the wii fit. It's fun to play games on it, but I find it sad that we have to use it as our main exercise sessions. I don't know. I guess it works for people who can't go outside. :\ I personally think 3D movies are awesome. I love seeing them in the theater as a treat every other month or so. Just, I don't like all this over-saturation. 3D game consoles and etc... Just, ugh. Anyone agree with me? Am I alone here?
Anyway, my point is, yeah... all this technology is just flat out tiring on me. Yeah, it's pretty cool, but really, I don't think it's healthy to overindulge in it all. I read real books. I adore my hardcovers. Yes, I realize that it takes trees to make these books, but I really cherish them. They're my escape from the world (including the digital world)... I care for the environment too, though. I use a tote bag for buying products at stores. I ride my bike. I'm a vegetarian. I even plant trees. I know it doesn't make that much of a difference, but I do care. That doesn't make me a bad person for reading actual books.
I sometimes wish I lived in a different time. I worry about the future. Like, twenty years from now, people like me may think, "Wow, 2011 was the good old days." lol while others may think, "Ick. 2011... That was such a long time ago. How could we live without such and such gadget? What would we do without our robot maids?" :\ Ugh. The 'future' was always cool to dream about as a little kid, but now it just seems like a horrid nightmare to me. My head hurts. Really. I guess we should be careful of what we wish for. :(
Olivia, you have obviously not read my question. I said too much technology is bad for a person. That doesn't mean I can't use my computer in moderation.
A. I love reading real books as well as conveniently reading e-books on my iPod Touch since it's a lit product. However, I definitely see your point. We do have so many distractions and as soon as you mentioned the computer screen being too bright for you before bed at night, I automatically turned mine down. I knew already that it wasn't very good for you then and can keep you up, but I never really did anything about it and am always on it before bed.
I see it only getting worse though, as opposed to better...
--Adrian
I see it only getting worse though, as opposed to better...
--Adrian
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