On August 5, 1884, the cornerstone of the Statue of Liberty was laid on Liberty Island (then known as Bedloe’s Island). In honor of that occasion, here is a fantastic listicle from mental_floss.
- Is Gender-Flipping The Most Important Meme Ever? – I certainly enjoy a good gender-flip. “Blurred Lines” flip at the bottom! From elvismorte.
- FDA Approves Gluten-Free Label – Yay for food labels that are backed with regulations!
- When death is better than a nursing home – We are increasing our life spans without figuring out a good system to take care of the elderly.
- The Payday Playbook: How High Cost Lenders Fight to Stay Legal.
- What Exactly Will Happen If Black Men Pull Their Pants Up? – Another excellent video from Jay Smooth.
- It Now Appears Possible to Hack a (Fancy, Japanese) Toilet.
- My Mom Was An Underground Railroad For Abused Women: What She Taught Me About Feminism And Fear – From Mark.
BONUS: Winners of the 2013 National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest (my fav is #9).
On food labeling, I wish more health claims were enforced. But I also wish there was more education. A simple “cholesterol-free” margarine will cost $1. But a “cholesterol-free, gluten-free, lactose-free, low-carb, 100% vegan” margarine will easily cost $5 or more. You may note, of course, that all those are true of both margarines. Similarly, the orange I ate today is free of both lactose and gluten, but doesn’t sport either claim, because there’s no label to print it on.
Then you get the “What do you want out of this functional food?” health claims. And the “well, this is bad for me this week” health claims. Diet is so complicated.