Eubie's notes

BoingBoing:

I came across this nice calculator at the Economic History Services site. The thing I learned is that there isn’t one answer to the question “How much is $100 from 1960 worth today?” From the site:

In 2003, $100.00 from 1960 is worth:

$621.65 using the Consumer Price Index

$502.09 using the GDP deflator

$761.26 using the unskilled wage

$1,297.73 using the GDP per capita

$2,086.61 using the relative share of GDP

Two stories from ACBJ’s print editions this week lived on across the web. “N&R looks to break tradition with Web changes” in The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area reported on changes to the daily newspapers to allow more interaction between the newsroom and readers. The story drew was noted by Greensboro, N.C. bloggers, including Ed Cone. Greensboro bloggers are gaining a reputation as a developing city for citizen journalism. No surprise that the bloggers did not like that the Friday print-edition story was not posted on the web until Monday.

Rainforest founder plots big return in The Business Journal (Minneapolis/St. Paul) was a big hit on sites such mugglenet.com, The Leaky Cauldron with the mention that a restaurant chain based on the Harry Potter character was being considered. It was big news for a few hours, but then the story was debunked and others by Rawlings agency. The main source of The Business Journal’s story retracted his earlier statements that he had spoken with J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, about opening a theme restaurant based on the character. He also said he does not hold rights to use the character’s name.

The Wall Street Journal launched a new column The Numbers Guy — “a new column on the way numbers and statistics are used – and abused – in the news, business and politics.” First column was about how deadly is bird flu?

I couldn’t help wondering if Crichton’s State of Fear served to help launch the column. Here’s a NY Times profile of Crichton and the book. Crichton’s web site has speeches he’s given in recent years.

NY Times: U.S. Diet Guide Puts Emphasis on Weight Loss. More ammunition for my doctor.

ACBJ: Where to go for America’s hottest small biz market

Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal: Sealant could save lives by stopping internal bleeding

The Business Journal of Minneapolis/St. Paul: Companies start blogging for sales, dialogue

Entrepreneur: Corporate checks make venture’s balances

Entrepreneur: Focusing on unique Indian cuisine, Annapurna creates customer base — from scratch

Entrepreneur: Wood protection the natural way

Entrepreneur: Recruiting software firm founders create product, make their own way

Entrepreneur: Postage partners: Friendship endures 28 years, this time as founders of Nexxpost Inc.

Boston Business Journal: Report: Raytheon ‘heat beam’ weapon ready for Iraq

Los Angeles Business: Fleetwood taps AFL to supply components to motor home line

ACBJ: More markets see job gains, but others still suffer

@Work: As new year approaches, look to better your career

Sales Moves: Getting on their friendly side is crucial to making the deal

BusinessWeek reports this week that NY Times Online is considering a subscription fee. Stories by Reuters and ComputerWorld. NY Times had 18.5 million unique visitors in November. If NY Times charges, will others follow or try to boost their page views from viewers who decide to not charge.

The model of newspapers charging for online content is Wall Street Journal. From Reuters: “The Journal had about 701,000 paid subscribers for its Web edition as of the third quarter.” Since it first began charging, the WSJ has slowly let a few pieces from behind the wall.

It was interesting that in November, the WSJ had a free week, like the old free HBO or Showtime weekends.

Comments from Terry Heaton: “The real conundrum for any publication taking this risk is the loss of influence — the ability to set and maintain the editorial agenda of the community it serves” and rexblog: “For the past ten years, the NY Times has been mulling that over. Unless they actually DO announce they are going to charge, IT IS NOT NEWS.”

NY Times: With Cameras on the Corner, Your Ticket Is in the Mail

While Baltimore reports that violations for running red lights have gone down 60 percent at the 47 intersections with such cameras, several studies in recent years – in places like San Diego, Charlotte, N.C., and Australia – have offered a fuzzier picture. The studies have shown that the reduction in side-angle collisions at the intersections has been wholly or largely offset by an increase in rear-end accidents like Ms. Correa’s.

In addition, there has been criticism of the cameras’ use to generate revenue from fines – in some cases exceeding $300 per violation, with points on a driver’s record – and of revenue-sharing arrangements with providers of the technology. Those arrangements, critics contend, have led to the placement of cameras not necessarily where they would best promote safety, but where they will rack up the most violations.

Back in Sept., Ed Cone pointed to a report by two profs from N.C. A&T Urban Transit Institute. Their conclusion: “The results do not support the view that red light cameras reduce crashes. Instead, we find that RLCs are associated with higher levels of many types and severity categories of crashes.”

There wasn’t much pick-up of the Sept. study, but now that it’s in the NY Times where more journalists can see it…

NY Times: What Corporate America Can’t Build: A Sentence

A recent survey of 120 American corporations reached a similar conclusion. The study, by the National Commission on Writing, a panel established by the College Board, concluded that a third of employees in the nation’s blue-chip companies wrote poorly and that businesses were spending as much as $3.1 billion annually on remedial training.

Wall Street Journal: Wi-Fi Access to Be Offered in Cars and Sirius Sets Deal With Microsoft For Mobile Television in Cars