University of California San Diego at the Top

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If you didn't know this by now, I recommend that you take a look at the rankings for Colleges / National Universities specifically Washington Monthly's ranking system. It takes into consideration various attributes that include social mobility, research and service instead of the exclusivity, campus amenities and waiting lists.  Coincidently, the Obama Administration is proposing a new ranking system on just that.

...he says schools should be scored on things like the cost of tuition, loan debt and how much graduates end up earning.

For more in-depth, you should read or listen to NPR's Michel Martin insightful interview with editor-in-chief Paul Glastris.  As some of you who are reading this, take this list into consideration as you or your child begins the application process or looking this fall.

My wife and I are proud alums of the number one school. Chalk one up for yet another top ten San Diego! Maybe it time for that tatoo of Geisel Library? Stay classy!

Geisel Library

Here's an excerpt:

MARTIN: But the University of California at San Diego ranks number one. Now why is that?

GLASTRIS: That's the fourth year in a row for that school. They do an outstanding job on all three of our metrics. A large portion of their student body is on Pell Grants. They graduate those students at higher-than-expected rates. They do great on service and they're a research powerhouse. In fact, there's a - about half the top 15 schools are University of California schools.

via Washington Monthly

Cheap Tickets, Airline Tickets

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Yes you read the title right. airline tickets are cheaper than ever before.  We might feel like we are paying more these days and complain about the cheap, no-frills experience but what do you want and how much are you willing to pay for it?  Bottom line is this: tickets are on the rise, pilot pay is at an all time low with some companies asking for more concessions and the airplanes have never been this full.  Can the ticket prices get any higher?

LAX to JFK

Unfortunately, maybe.  Even my buddy passes have either disappeared or are impossible to use because of the high load factors.

In 1974, it was illegal for an airline to charge less than $1,442 in inflation-adjusted dollars for a flight between New York City and Los Angeles. On Kayak, just now, I found one for $278.

via The Atlantic: How Airline Ticket Prices Fell 50% in 30 Years (and Why Nobody Noticed)

Hours without a Socket

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2013macbookair

13 hours and 29 minutes. That’s all you really need to know 

If you are looking for a back-to-school laptop, there's a clear winner throughout the ENTIRE industry.  From The Wirecutter and other reviews, particularly Nilay Patel's on The Verge, it's a no brainer unless you're naturally stubborn. For all the Wintel lovers out there, this might not be easy to swallow, but we all know which laptop runs Windows better.  If you still can't tell which laptop it is, it's the Apple's new Macbook Air.  

September is Confirmed for the new iPhone

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Once again, it's that time of year for Apple to unveil it's latest offerings in the crowded smartphone market.  On September 10th, we can expect Tim Cook and the gang to take the wraps off the rumored iPhone 5S and maybe introduce a lower costing iPhone 5C.  This would mark the first time in six years that Apple debuts a new lower tier model rather than moving the previous generation a step down.  

As the timeline goes, Tuesday the 10th falls in line with the usual Apple event followed by ten days of hype until the official release on September 20th.  We can expect reviews three days earlier.  

IPhone5 3up Pyramid iOS7 PRINT

Get your wallets and plastics ready.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that along with the new iPhones, we can expect the overhaul operating system, iOS7, to make it's final release.  Are you going to be upgrading?  

Paying for Eggs

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When it comes to buying your eggs at Vons or Ralphs or at any local grocer, which way do you lean? Are you paying the extra $1 a crate or $0.25 an egg for the free range or organic dozen?

Did you vote yes on Proposition 2 back in 2008 stating that farmers must increase cage sizes for chickens, veal calves and pigs by 2015.  If you did, you'd be helping a great deal by off setting this cost by spending the extra dollars.  In theory, everything proves to be a great idea, but with an economy such as ours, counting every nickel becomes priority.  

But when people vote one way, then vote a different way with their fork, they unintentionally undermine the very agricultural changes they’re rooting for.

Because of the dichotomy between what voters say they want, versus the reality of how they shop, the California egg industry faces ruin. The situation was recognized as being so serious, in fact, that state legislators passed another law, AB1437, requiring that all eggs sold in California must comply with bigger cage standards.

via Modern Farmer: Voting One Way, Eating Another

LUV is in the Air

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What a concept from CEO Gary Kelly of Southwest Airlines.

His formula is so basic, yet so seldom applied: Take care of employees, employees will take care of customers, customers will take care of the company and its investors.

Now if every company followed this rule, I think we'd all be happier.

via The Denver Post: Southwest CEO Says All You Need Is LUV