Alcohol, Red Bull, and perception of buzz

A new study of the popular youth drink for getting blasted on a combo of caffeine & booze reports:

Study results show that drinking alcohol and Red Bull together significantly reduces the perception of headache, weakness, dry mouth and impairment of motor coordination.
Red Bull does not, however, significantly reduce alcohol-related deficits on objective measures of motor coordination and visual reaction time. People who combine alcohol with energy drinks may be at even greater risk for problems such as automobile accidents because they believe they are unimpaired.

WIND ENERGY Cost Dropping Below Conventional Sources

March 22, 2006: WIND ENERGY DEMAND BOOMING: Cost Dropping Below Conventional Sources Marks Key Milestone in U.S. Shift to Renewable Energy
Three of the 50 states—North Dakota, Kansas, and Texas—have enough harnessable wind energy to satisfy national electricity needs. The cost of wind-generated electricity has fallen from 38¢ per kilowatt-hour in the early 1980s to 4¢ to 6¢ today, offering an almost endless supply of cheap energy.

Terrorist 007, Exposed

Terrorist 007, Exposed
For almost two years, intelligence services around the world tried to uncover the identity of an Internet hacker who had become a key conduit for al-Qaeda. The savvy, English-speaking, presumably young webmaster taunted his pursuers, calling himself Irhabi — Terrorist — 007. He hacked into American university computers, propagandized for the Iraq insurgents led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and taught other online jihadists how to wield their computers for the cause.

Rail Freight Tries to Catch Up

Reuters Business Channel | Reuters.com Rail Freight Tries to Catch Up

"If a ship is loading up in China, we should know what's being loaded, where it's headed and when it's going to enter our network,".

The pace of U.S. imports has seen double-digit growth over the past three years as more goods originate in rapidly developing economies such as China and India.Combined with high fuel prices and an acute shortage of drivers hurting the trucking industry, a rising tide of cargo is hitting the rails, leaving railroads scrambling to match demand.

Orchestras discover downloads

Orchestras discover downloads – Technology – International Herald Tribune
84 percent of young online consumers listen to music on their PCs.Probably few of them are grooving to Chopin or Brahms, but the 1.4 million downloads of free Beethoven symphonies offered by BBC Radio 3 last June proved that audiences for classical music might be larger than anyone thought.

Europe’s Ailing Social Model: Facts & Fairy-Tales

Europe’s Ailing Social Model: Facts & Fairy-Tales | The Brussels Journal
Europe’s social disaster is unfolding while the rest of the world is booming at its fastest rate in three decades. Paradoxically, the Old Europe of the West must now learn from the New Europe of the East, where after years of disastrous socialism, low and simple flat taxes are being introduced, luring investors from all over the world. The higher the tax level, the lower the incentives to make productive contributions to society. The higher the fiscal burden, the more resources flow from the productive sector to the ever more inefficient government apparatus.