Quoted: Probably the most important effects of caffeine are its ability to enhance mood and mental and physical performance. At consumption levels up to 200 milligrams (the amount in about 16 ounces of ordinary brewed coffee), consumers report an improved sense of well-being, happiness, energy, alertness and sociability, Roland Griffiths of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine reported, although higher amounts sometimes cause anxiety and stomach upset.

Quoted: Listings for all homes (houses and condos) were up 26.4 percent in the county and 27.4 percent in Seattle from a year earlier. The increases were the smallest since January 2007 in the county and December 2006 in Seattle, suggesting inventory might be starting to level off. "I think it's beginning to indicate that the inventory level is stabilizing, if nothing else," said Glenn Crellin, director of the Washington Center for Real Estate Research at Washington State University.

Quoted: Economists expect growth to slip from its recent pace of 11 percent or more annually to as low as 9 or 9.5 percent over the coming year. Most nations would envy that rate. But 9 percent growth will make it much harder to supply jobs to the millions of Chinese moving to cities from rural areas in search of work. And any slower growth could prove a shock to workers who have been receiving double-digit pay increases each year, as companies struggle to find enough labor to keep factories open.

wow

Quoted: A Seattle Internet security expert recently discovered a major threat against the fabric of the Web.

I don't disagree that in the zeal to be more environmentally-friendly, we have demonized the usage of lower-impact materials. Food-pack containers and plastic bags are both reusable/recyclable, but most people don't. Based on other research I've read, I agree that the cheapie reusable bags require many more times the energy and materials to produce, and the end product is not recyclable.

The benefit of the new legislation, though, is to further our collective consiciousness of being environmentally aware. If we can incrementally increase the awareness of conservation and reducing our impact to the environment, than we have done a great thing. Recycling, higher-efficiency toilets, fluorescent lights, public transportation...all contribute to a healthier world for us.

Quoted: If we must do something related to plastic bags we should strongly consider what New York City did this spring: promote recycling. These bags are as recyclable as bottles and cans. Seattleites will recycle them much more with a bit of education and some encouragement.

Kiva truly inspires me, not just because of what it does, but also because of its awesome, bootstrapped biz model. Some of the best lessons to be learned from Kiva's model can be found here.

Quoted: Yup, there’s a lot any entrepreneur can learn from the Kiva story

I love Scrabulous, but people should understand intellectual property rights and the fact that unfortunately, the Indian brothers that made the game didn't do it legally.

Bottom line is that there will still be a free version of online Scrabble; no need for malicious attacks on anyone.

Nothing wrong with interest groups lobbying on their own behalfs, but come on, let's do it legally and keep things honest.

Quoted: A group led by two former state Supreme Court justices is accusing the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) of amassing $3.5 million in an illegal secret fund for its campaign to defeat Democratic Gov. Christine Gregoire.

Radioactive granite countertops. . . great.

The "fake granites," like Corian and Silestone, are more resistant to heat, damage and discoloration, come in more patterns and colors and are cheaper

Quoted: As the popularity of granite countertops has increased, so have reports that some are emitting radiation and radon at surprisingly high levels.