In a new GAO report it's noted that the Iraqi government will have a $79 billion dollar surplus by the end of the year (accumulated from 2005-2008). All of this is on top of the $48 billion dollars that the US has contributed to Iraq since 2005. [more inside]
posted by jourman2 on Aug 5, 2008 - 40 comments

Paracord is a perennial survival kit favorite, but why carry a boring ol' hank of it when you can get crafty? Parachute cord lanyards, bracelets, watchbands, belts, and other braided items are surprisingly easy and fun to make by following some simple instructions. But they're just the beginning! From water bottle carriers and camera tripods to knife handles, Khukri conversions, flashlight & stick wraps, pace beads, magazine pulls, rifle wraps and rifle slings, there are tons of useful things you can make out of paracord! [more inside]
posted by vorfeed on Apr 28, 2008 - 21 comments

The Economic Consequences of Mr. Bush. "The next president will have to deal with yet another crippling legacy of George W. Bush: the economy. A Nobel laureate, Joseph E. Stiglitz, sees a generation-long struggle to recoup." [Via Firedoglake.]
posted by homunculus on Nov 18, 2007 - 70 comments

Where do products go when they die? The thrill of walking down the aisle at the odds-and-ends store to find the weirdest items. The best one? Edible Worms.
posted by drezdn on Jun 13, 2002 - 15 comments

Cities with water to burn. "While some drought-stricken cities elsewhere in the nation threaten to jail people who waste water, Cleveland wants people to open their spigots... 'Don't be afraid of it. . . . We have trillions of gallons of water here.'" So why do Clevelanders still have to use low-flush toilets and low-output shower heads?
posted by Faze on May 30, 2002 - 12 comments

Could the Surplus be Vacuumed Away? A US Treasury official, who must have regretted picking up the phone that day is engaged about the macroeconomic effect of change ending up in vacuum cleaners...
posted by brucec on Jan 21, 2002 - 17 comments

Oops. Where did the surplus go? It' fascinating how MSNBC bends over backward to make it sound as if both parties shared blame equally rather then pointing straight at Bush's outrageous tax cut.
posted by muckster on Aug 27, 2001 - 36 comments

It's like a paycheck advance, not a rebate. You thought the great tax relief of 2001 was a rebate on those huge surpluses the US gov't didn't know what to do with right? Nope, it's merely an advance on the refund of taxes you'll file next year, and here's the kicker: you may or may not be getting any refund at all next year. Tax relief? Tax rebate? Simply owing the $300 back next April? Who came up with this stupid idea? (truth courtesy of Megnut)
posted by mathowie on Jul 27, 2001 - 44 comments

I used to go to Edmund for my neato geek hack supplies, but then I discovered American Science And Surplus (formerly JerryCo). Between them and All Electronics, my geek needs are satiated.
posted by plinth on May 25, 2000 - 1 comment

One thing is for sure: Overstock.com and American Science & Surplus aren't the run-of-the-mill e-commcerce sites. I love AS&S's detailed information, which occasionally runs like: "Unfortunately, the default colour is chartreuse", or "You have to buy at least three per order. Believe us, you'll probably need the parts."
posted by tdecius on Feb 9, 2000 - 0 comments

Why go all the way down to your local police auction to pick those great seized property bargins, whey you can buy former drug lords' mountian bikes on ebay?
posted by mathowie on Aug 2, 1999 - 0 comments