Month: November 2012
The Friday File: Husbands that are close to their in-laws reduce the risk of divorce by 20%. However, wives that are close to their in-laws increase divorce risk by 20%. Why? Men who like their in-laws show how important their…
Read MoreMedian inflation-adjusted income (MIAI) for men in 2011 was $32,986, $14 shy of $33,000. While that’s $3,023 below the pre-recession high of $36,009 set in 2007, the all-time high of $37,017 was set in 2000. Worse, MIAI for men first…
Read MoreBooming Medicare When Medicare was introduced in 1965, woman 65 had, on average, 18 more years of life, men, 13.5. Today, those numbers are 21 and 19 respectively. In 1980, Medicare consumed 5% of federal spending; now it’s 13.5%. Raising…
Read MoreFollowing the recent elections, 25 states (15 Republican/10 Democratic) will have veto-proof majorities up from 13 states four years ago. Moreover, all but three states (IA, KY and NH) have one party control of their legislatures, the highest number since…
Read MoreWhile 30 million taxpayers benefit by taking the deduction for state and local taxes paid, half of all the benefits go to just three million taxpayers with AGIs over $200,000. Worse, the loophole encourages state and local governments to be…
Read MoreRather than assume your guests are rational (like economists) and will stick to their dietary resolutions, use behavioral economics to structure your Thanksgiving meal. First, keep the food in the kitchen; that forces guests to get out of their chairs…
Read MoreThe worst year for forest fires was 2006 when 9.87 million acres burned, with 2007 a close second at 9.33 million acres. This year, 9.10 million acres, an area roughly half the size of SC, have burned making it the…
Read MoreDue to German-inspired excessively speedy austerity in Greece, Spain and Portugal, (GSP) the Euro-zone economy is quickly entering a needless recession. Worse, the GSP economies are shrinking by more than the spending cuts and tax increases they’re imposing, thus worsening…
Read MoreThe Friday File: Invented in 1930 and manufactured at the rate of 1,000 per minute, the Twinkie is going bye-bye. A victim of health consciousness and bad management, Archie Bunker will need to slip something else into his lunchbox. Between…
Read MoreBy 2060, India and China are each projected to have economies larger than that of the US, and collectively 46% of world GDP, compared to 24% today. By contrast, the developed economies of Europe, North America and Japan will account…
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