Yak Wool

The claim is yak wool is warmer than merino and as soft as cashmere.

Via Metaefficient: Ultrafine Yak Wool Clothing

The company offering this clothing is Khunu.

Making The Plains Less Plain

The NYT Dot Earth blog: Can Wild Bison Repopulate the Plains?

Which reminded me of the idea from several years ago to re-wild the American plains with African wildlife as a replacement for the native American species that disappeared during the Pleistocene. See: Bring African wildlife to U.S., say ecologists

The Japanese Will Finally Get Some Wagon Wheels

Audi, Volvo, BMW, and MB are getting some competition in the luxury wagon category.

See the NYT: New York Auto Show Preview: Acura TSX Sport Wagon

and it looks much better than the Honda Crosstour (not that would be hard to do).

The Latest On The Original Dog

Via NPR: Dogs Likely Descended From Middle Eastern Wolf

...dog skeletons 12,000 or 13,000 years old have been found in what is now northern Israel. "They're found in burials with humans in a very clear human context."

Vermont Public Radio Interview With Neko Case

At VPR

Singer-songwriter Neko Case recently bought a farmhouse in the Northeast Kingdom. She joins VPR's Neal Charnoff to to talk about why she moved to Vermont, what her songs mean to her, and her upcoming benefit concert for Catamount Arts.

Out Of Nowhere, Some Liz Phair

She wrote a piece for The Atlantic: Exile in Greenville (includes some of the playlist she listened to while on the trip)

And a blogger posted his version of Phairities.

Google Maps Expands

Look what Google has done: Biking directions added to Google Maps

and as The Atlantic explains: Why Google Maps' New Biking Directions Could Be Huge

I tested it to see if it would put me on the Leelanau Trail for a trip from Traverse City to Suttons Bay:

Does Anyone In Utah Find This Ironic?

recently in the news, the state of Utah is considering less education:

Utah Eyes Cutting 12th Grade To Save $60M

and so it is not a surprise that this leads to wackiness:

House Resolution Passed in Utah: Climate Change a Conspiracy

Life Is Bigger

Some of the TED talks this year are about living a healthy life.

CNN: Uncovering secrets to a longer life

This talk is about "Blue Zones"

The premise of Blue Zones is: identify the optimal lifestyle of longevity and you have a de facto formula of longevity.

And via BB: "We can eat to starve cancer"

Some Future Materials That Appear Amazing

Via inhabitat: Space-age Aerogel Insulation Now Cheaper and Available in Sheets

Via PhysOrg: Spray-on liquid glass is about to revolutionize almost everything

Via 80beats: Engineered E. Coli Bacteria Produces Road-Ready Diesel

Can't Say These Stories Redeem WalMart

I still prefer quality over always low prices. But still, these make my head spin a little:

FC: Will Walmart's "Sustainability Index" Actually Work?

and 11 Ways That Walmart Is Changing Retail -- for Good

TheAtlantic: The Great Grocery Smackdown

Update - how could I forget the story of Snapper lawn mowers and WalMart. From 2006, see The Man Who Said No to Wal-Mart Stories like this are why the superstore cannot be redeemed anytime soon.

More People Sounding Like Noreena Hertz

Refreshing to hear leaders talk about a "third way" or what others have called compassionate capitalism; what Noreena calls Co-Op Capitalism.

Slate: The French president declares that capitalism can be made kinder and more humane. Good luck with that!

The Guardian: Business as usual will sink capitalism