In the News

Nevada has changed the language in their prostitution laws to allow for male prostitution.

When Tiger Woods took a hiatus from golf (July 2008 through February 2009) TV ratings for golf tournaments dropped 50% - Associated Press

A library in Jackson Mississippi has taken on $13,000 worth of video games, figuring if kids come in for games they will grab books as well.

Bell Ringers for the Salvation Army in three major US Cites this past holiday season took credit cards. USA Today

1 in 4 American children depend on food stamps. Among Americans, 1 in 8 is receiving food stamps and as unemployment drops middle class people drops to poverty, 20,000 additional people are signing up each day. New York Times.

The man who called himself the "godfather of spam" has been sentenced to more than four years in prison for his role in a stock scam. Alan Ralsky, 64, admitted to sending more than 70 MILLION e-mail messages a day under fake names between 1997 and 2003. - CNNMoney.com

Since 1980, White House security has been breached at least 91 times. One woman that got past secret service claimed to have a "special relationship" with President Clinton. Washington Post

Recently gold, which is having a very strong value as of late, hit a high (at one time) of $1,226.56 an ounce. Still, anyone that paid $850 for an ounce of gold in January of 1980 would have earned more if they had put that money instead in an interest bearing account. Bloomberg.com

This is a run of stuff I read on "Packaging" around the holidays.

10% of a typical products price is for packaging.

Nearly 1/3 of Americans' waste is packaging. Just 43% is recycled.

Last summer Sam's Club began selling milk in a stack able plastic jug with a smaller energy footprint. It cut the price of the gallon by 20 cents but consumers complained it spilled too easily

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas Americans produce more than 1 million tons of additional garbage per week.

If every family reused the wrapping from 3 gifts it would save enough paper to cover 50,000 football fields.

Amazon.com introduced "Frustration Free" packaging in 2008. In 2009 they offered less than 100 products with this title.

A Consumer Reports tester took over three minutes to open an Oral B toothbrush, even armed with scissors and a box cutter.

Clamshell packaging sends more than 5,500 people to the Emergency Room each year.

Sony's Memory Stick Pro comes in a package that is 50times larger than the product itself.

Apple shipped its latest operating system in a box that is nearly 16 times larger than the DVD case within.

65% of adults say they would drink wine from a pouch, but 61% say they draw the line at wine in a can.

3 to 5 year olds are more than 3 times likely to each Chicken McNuggets in a McDonalds wrapper than in a plain one.

Finally - Unpacking "American Idol Barbie"
435 inches squared of cardboard (outside box)
385 inches squared of cardboard (inside box)
580 inches squared of plastic (not including doll and accessories)
45 inches of wire
30 pieces of tape
5 rubber bands
Total Pieces of packaging - 55
Time to unwrap - 25 minutes using scissors, box cutter, tweezers, hands and teeth