The Good: With the recent release of the new iPhone, it seems like cell phones are just about everywhere. Thats why I rejoiced when I heard that 1 in 7 Americans still doesn’t have a cell phone. The adoption rates for cell phones are higher than any other technology in the past decade be it DVD players, MP3s, or laptops, and yet a population of the United States still doesn’t have a phone. It’s refreshing, but it leads me to wonder, who are these mystery people? Is the Amish population that large? What do you think?

The Bad: My second piece of news is on a sadder note. The world is riddled with bloggers, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. The oldest blogger was a perky woman of 108 who lived in Australia and shared stories from her past and present. Though her health was failing, she kept an upbeat attitude and sang as happy tune as she spoke of war, children, and everything in between. This woman, Olive Riley, was born in 1899 and passed away this weekend. This lovely blogger will be remembered fondly as the blogger who lived.

The Good: Did you know that smells can change your mood? A recent article in Newsweek explained that scents are so important to our brains that our mood, our mating, and our tastes are all linked to the elusive scent. Research found that when people are near inviting scents like coffee brewing or cookies baking, they are more likely to help someone. Scents are also likely to make you buy things. Similar to the pure oxygen pumped into casinos to keep you from getting tired, the delicate scents of chocolate, bubblegum, and vanilla can make you want to buy that candy bar, board game, or juicer. It also proves the home seller logic of baking cookies before an open house, smells can influence you that much. For more information on smells, check out the new book What the Nose Knows by Avery Gilbert.

The Bad: A life saving heart surgeon has passed away. Dr. Michael DeBakey passed away due to natural causes at The Methodist Hospital in Houston this past Friday. The man was a legend in himself, creating some of the first heart surgeries and their accompanied technology. He helped people from every walk of life and never stopped innovating. Dr. DeBakey suffered from a tear in his aorta (which he had pioneered treatment of) two years ago, but had since recovered. He was age 99 when he passed.

The Good: NASA has a habit of using the old until it completely breaks. That is the case with all the space shuttles currently used by astronauts in the United States, and it is also true with the landing pads they used. NASA’s Cape Canaveral uses a launching pad from ages ago to launch each and ever shuttle that goes through Cape Canaveral. Now, decades after the missions began, the landing pad is finally falling apart. The pad is constructed with interlocking bricks and during Discovery’s launch in late May, a layer of bricks was forced off. So now repairs are finally underway to add almost a Rhino Liner like finish to the walls before the next launch. Glad to see some repairs being made.

The Bad: A couple years ago an adoriable little bear was created. Knut, a polar bear, was born in a German zoo and caused a media stir in 2007. Now, one year and $10 million later, a custody battle not of Knut but of his money has begun. One zoo legally owns both Knut and his father. Another zoo raised Knut and has been reaping the profits. The question then becomes, who should get the money? The jury is still out, but either side is willing to do whatever it takes to get the money. I hope they have to split it.