Same Study, Different Headlines (Bonus: POTUS Sips a Cuppa in the Land of its Origin)

This is what a cup of coffee looks like, in case you were wondering.

Compare: 

1. "Here's more evidence that coffee is good for your brain." 

Vs.:

2. "High coffee intake can increase risk of cognitive impairment."

Opposing or even opposite headlines about the very same study seems to be a common problem with the media's reporting on scientific research. In this case, there seems to be a relatively simple explanation for the disparity (in other cases of this sort, it often takes some digging to figure out what explains the opposing headlines). To wit: the study found an association between low coffee consumption and cognitive impairment, and between increasing coffee consumption and cognitive impairment, but not between high coffee consumption and cognitive impairment. 

In other coffee news:

Quoth the president of the United States, during a state visit to Ethiopia:

Of the many contributions Ethiopia has made to the world over the centuries, I’m certain that Americans want to thank you for one in particular, discovering something that sustains people around the world, day and night, and many people in the White House, and that is coffee. Thank you, Ethiopia. We are large consumers of coffee in the White House.

I thought coffee was invented in Yemen. (Addendum: According to the ever-useful WIKIPEDIA, coffee is definitely native to Ethiopia, but there seems to be some uncertainty and some dispute about where and when it was first used by people as a stimulant, and about where and when where it was first domesticated.) Either way, Ethiopian coffee is truly excellent. (As is Ethiopian cuisine, music, art, architecture, etc.)

Why Does the White Working Class Predominately Vote Republican?

Interesting speculation about why the white working class (WWC) voted Republican by a 30 point margin in the last election:

"So who does the WWC take out its anger on? Largely, the answer is the poor. In particular, the undeserving poor. Liberals may hate this distinction, but it doesn't matter if we hate it. Lots of ordinary people make this distinction as a matter of simple common sense, and the WWC makes it more than any. That's because they're closer to it. For them, the poor aren't merely a set of statistics or a cause to be championed. They're the folks next door who don't do a lick of work but somehow keep getting government checks paid for by their tax dollars. For a lot of members of the WWC, this is personal in a way it just isn't for the kind of people who read this blog."

I wonder how this hypothesis could be tested.

Hilary Clinton's Conservative Christian Piety

According to this article at Mother Jones, Hilary Clinton is a member of a secretive but highly influential Christian political ministry, known variously as "The Fellowship Foundation" or "The Family," which, among other things, organizes the National Prayer Breakfast. All members of the Fellowship Foundation swear an oath of secrecy, ostensibly to prevent them from abusing their ties to the organization for the sake of public displays of faith.

Jeff Sharlet, an investigative journalist, has written an entire book on the Fellowship Foundation, and was interviewed about his research by Fresh Air's Terry Gross back in 2009. According to Sharlet, the Fellowship Foundation fetishizes power much more than Christian charity. They are also supporters of Christian fundamentalism in Uganda, including support for the strict anti-gay laws there.

Libertarian "Free Stater" Wins a Seat in the New Hampshire House

Libertarian free-stater Elizabeth Edwards has won a seat in the New Hampshire house of representatives.

An article at The Washington Free Beacon offers a brief profile about Edwards and her wife Cailtin Edwards-Appell, described as "two terrifying right-wing extremists" with tongue firmly planted in cheek.

Cyberbully "Requires Hate"

Fantasy author Benjanun Sriduankaew has allegedly been cyber-bullying other writers using the moniker "Requires Hate".

What's disturbing is both how calculating and how effective her methods are.

State college tuition fact of the day

Tuition has doubled since 1988, but spending per student is flat. What accounts for the discrepancy? Economist Susan Dynarski, writing for the New York Times, explains:

In 1988, state legislatures gave their public colleges an average of $8,600 a student. Students contributed an additional $2,700 in tuition, which gets us to a total of $11,300. By 2013, states were kicking in just $6,100, while students were contributing $5,400; this gets us to a total of $11,500. 

As far as students are concerned, public tuition has doubled. As far as public colleges are concerned, funding is flat. 

At public colleges, then, the explanation for rising tuition prices isn’t spiraling costs. The costs are the same, but the burden of paying those costs has shifted from state taxpayers to students.

"Peter Thiel disagrees with you"

This is the title of an informative profile of Thiel, a gay Christian libertarian entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and would-be public intellectual.

Smartphone fanboys

A fascinating article about smartphone fanboys. Combines juicy content with dazzling page design. (Hat tip to the inimitable Enoch Constantine Wu!)

A tale of "Trouble"; or, cinnamon toast at $4 a slice

A journalist uncovers the fascinating personal story of the woman who started the latest artisanal food craze.

The story of the burglars behind the "Pentagon Papers"

Some of the civil rights activists who took on the FBI and got away with it are coming from the shadows to tell their story. 

"How Netflix reverse engineered Hollywood"

Alexis Madrigal's article in The Atlantic on the secret alchemy behind Netflix's microgenres.

Facebook sued for scanning users' messages

Regardless of the merits or the outcome of this case, it's fair to say we Facebook users are openly inviting the vampire-marketers into our hearths and homes. A bargain with the Devil for our 'free' social medium. To sling a little economics jargon, network goods can be a bitch. (Since everyone is using Facebook, it's not easy to find a substitute with as many people we know.)

Denmark restricts bakers' use of cinnamon

"Angry Danes want their buns reclassified quickly, but they'll have to wait until February for a resolution of the hot baking issue." 

Why students do better overseas

When it comes to education, the U.S. has a lot to learn (ahem).

A pair of Pound's proteges

1. Robert Frost, egomaniacal lecher.

2. James Joyce, rescued for Literature by a Poundian missive.

Grade inflation in the UK

The story of an academic who rebelled against pressure by administrators to raise grades. The tale of slipping standards and students increasingly unprepared for university is also familiar on this side of the pond.

Internet shaming in China

Cyber-bullying for both pro-social and anti-social reasons (the gentleman in the picture above insists that he was incorrectly identified as a cab driver who spat on a homeless man).

The article also discusses the new phenomenon of the internet-only celebrity, such as the iconic "milk girl" shown below:

Charity

Chicago oral surgeon feeds the homeless twice a week.

Gruss von Krampus

The Atlantic reports on Saint Nicholas' evil, Alpine companion.

Inside the mind of Gawker editor Neetzan Zimmerman

Melding together man and machine for a better tomorrow (or, how to survive in the brave new economy).