Smart Phone Etiquette

Smartphones seem to be everywhere.  There was an interesting article in the New York Times about living in the moment and putting your phone away:
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/18/trying-to-live-in-the-moment-and-not-on-the-phone/?ref=business


If you've ever gone to an art museum to actually look at the art (as opposed to take pictures of paintings and text), you know what the Times is talking about.  Fortunately, there are apps to measure your cell phone usage.  The NY Times article mentions Checky, a free program that will add up the amount of time you spend using your smartphone.  Apparently, a lot of people don't realize they are glued to their smartphones.  A recent book, the End of Absence: Reclaiming What We've Lost in a World of Constant Connection delves into the effects of constantly being available.  Undeniably, smartphones and other technology have changed the world.  There are many, many positives.  Further, it's entirely debatable whether we've reached the "end of absence".  Even in Long Island, a fairly crowded place, there are still some dead zones and places where cell phones don't seem to work.  Until next time, catch me in the library.

How Inflation is Calculated...

Greetings,
Marketplace has been doing a series on inflation.  Today, they addressed the changes in the way inflation rates are calculated.  For instance, if the price of beef goes up, one can calculate inflation on the basis that someone might get their protein fix elsewhere.  Perhaps they will purchase more chicken instead.  For more information on how inflation is calculated, here's a link to the story:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/marketplace-inflation-calculator/how-substituting-chicken-beef-affects-inflation

They've also reported on other stories such as how Honda Accord prices have changed over the years:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/marketplace-inflation-calculator/why-youd-pay-more-car-hand-crank-windows

There's also an interesting story on salmon prices too:
http://www.marketplace.org/topics/economy/marketplace-inflation-calculator/price-smoked-salmon-hasnt-swum-upstream