First Lady Baby Naming Effect: Jacqueline vs. Hillary

Previously we examined the relationship between the elected president and how parents named baby boys by comparing the popularity of the president’s first name before he began serving versus after he began serving (see technical note below for the limitations in this method). For example, Franklin was only the 147th most popular name in 1931 […]

Typing class lesson

When I was in intermediate school, we had required courses and a limited number of optional classes. Today I was thinking about my typing class. Yes, typing on a typewriter, with a ribbon, paper and even special Wite-out to correct typos. My typing teacher insisted that “this class is very important since what you learn […]

Tiger, Jack and the Endless Possibilities of Youth

With the upcoming Masters Tournament, I found myself thinking back to the days when many were sure that Tiger would eclipse Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 Majors. After all, Tiger had burst onto the pro scene in 1996 winning Rookie of the Year, SI Sportsman of the Year and the following year he took home […]

Romney vs. Nixon: Tale of the Tape

Mitt Romney is leading the field of potential Republican candidates in a recent national Quinnipiac University survey. While this might sounds impressive, it is important to recall that Mitt Romney faces long odds to being elected President in 2016. Since 1900, there have been twenty candidates from the two major parties who lost their first […]

America’s Lagging Female Political Representation

America continues to lag most other democracies in terms of female representation. This distinction is not one to be proud of yet our nation has been behind the curve on female political representation for generations. Currently there are twenty female Senators, 16 Democrat and 4 Republican. In the House, there are seventy-nine female Representatives, 60 […]

Government Policy on “Lost” Money Needs Revision

Few things can bring a quicker smile to one’s face than finding lost money …that is, until you wonder why it was ever lost. My brother loved finding “lost” money. He used to hide $50 bills in his suit pockets and then forget, all so he could enjoy discovering money. He gave up this habit […]

Putting Your Health Insurance Where Your Mouth Is

Open enrollment is fast approaching. Last fall, I gave up my employer-based health insurance plan and jumped into New York’s health insurance exchange. Why give up a good health plan that is partially subsidized by my employer to become one more person searching for an unsubsidized plan? The first factor was principle. While the Affordable […]

We Can Save Lives Easily. Why Won’t We?

Published in cafe.com Written by Anke Hoeffler and Howard Steven Friedman What if we told you that there was a deadly disease that wipes out thousands of people globally every day with little fanfare or international attention? It’s the second most common reason for death among those aged 15 to 49 and the number one […]

History is Against a Romney Presidency

After losing in 2012 Mitt Romney stated that he is done running for president…but this is 2014 and rumors are swirling. Before too much is made of Mitt Romney chances in 2016 it is important to realize that history is very much against there ever being a President Romney. We can break this down to […]

China’s Dependency-Ratio Turning Point

Around this year*, China will reach or have reached an important turning point in their demographics. The total dependency ratio will begin increasing after 50 years of decreasing. China’s dependency ratio is projected to increase for decades and to surpass that of the United States in about 40 years. China’s tremendous economic growth over the […]