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April 4, 2004

| Clergy vs. the Pledge of Allegiance >>

Another Ask MeFi Moment

First, read the question and try to solve the puzzle (it’s pretty easy). Then join the commenters in trying to figure out the code. Then, toward the bottom of the thread, marvel as the code is cracked and revealed.

Open-source, distributed problem-solving. Amazing.

mthompson-sig.gif
Posted April 4, 2004 at 12:56 | Comments (2) | Permasnark
File under: Briefly Noted, Society/Culture

Comments

Interesting. I very much like the fact about the average American being unwilling to walk more than 600ft and how it affects mall design. Apparently, some companies are now trying to design buildings which force people to walk (or waddle) much longer distances because they're sick of paying the price of these lard tubs exact in the form of higher insurance premiums and more sick days.

Rhymer, I love your travel diary!

Anyway, yeah, the problem with the "exurbs maximize our happiness" argument (does anyone actually make that argument? Maybe I'm stuffing a straw man here) is that it might be true when it comes to internal costs/benefits -- the pleasure of a plump American strolling into Barnes & Noble -- but it's certainly not true when it comes to external costs/benefits -- societal health costs, as you mention, plus environmental suckage, time lost in traffic, etc.

Which is why we need to levy smart taxes so that people face the full costs and benefits of their actions, which will lead them to act RATIONALLY!!

Whoah, sorry. Economics spaz-out there.

Posted by: Robin on April 5, 2004 at 03:53 PM
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