Archive for October 2012
Weighed Down
In 2010, the percentage of American adults who were 100 or more pounds overweight, severely obese, was 6.6%, or 15.5 million people, up dramatically from 3.9% a decade earlier, an increase of 70%! While moderate obesity (30 to 100 pounds overweight) raises healthcare costs by about 25%, severe obesity doubles them. Severe obesity is 50%…
Read MoreMatching Nobels
Americans Alvin Roth and Lloyd Shipley won the Nobel Prize in economics for improving how to best match different sets of agents, such as organ donors and recipients, and agents and institutions, such as students with schools and doctors with hospitals. The takeaway message is that markets often need help to “get it right”, that…
Read MoreBack is Best
While being in the front has its appeal, when it comes to surviving plane crashes, the back is best. In a recent deliberate plane crash designed to mimic the real thing, dummy-passengers in the front experiences 12 times the force of gravity and “died”. Dummies in the middle experienced 8Gs, and “suffered” broken bones, while…
Read MoreHappy Birthday
The Friday File: In 2011, more newborns were born in August, 360,000, than any other month. July and September were next with 346,000 each. The least most popular month was February with 299,000. In ’11, the most popular names for girls were Sophia and Isabella, while for boys it was Jacob and Mason. In 1911,…
Read MoreHold the Phone
After steadily falling for decades, nonfatal injuries to kids under five rose 12% between ’07 and ’10, based on hospital admissions data. Increases have been across-the-board, ranging from swimming pools to playground equipment to falls from chairs and sofas. Child safety experts theorize smartphones are a likely culprit. Between ’07 and ’10, the number of…
Read MoreNo More Taxing
Romney’s proposal works. Cutting tax rates by 20% costs $181 billion. Eliminating the AMT and taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains for couples with incomes below $200,000, and singles below $100,000, costs $38 billion. Filers with AGIs over $100,000 took $636 billion in itemized deductions, which taxed at 30% raises $191 billion, $28 billion…
Read MoreSurprising Survey
Despite 114,000 jobs being created in September the unemployment rate plummeted to 7.8% from 8.1%. The unemployment rate is based on a tiny survey of 66,000 households that has a margin of error of 400,000! Moreover, the survey is especially bad when seasonal patterns change (and they are among those 20 to 24). The number…
Read MoreColumbus’ Consequences
The Friday File: As we celebrate Christopher Columbus, note his was a voyage of economics. He was seeking a trade route to transport high value-to-weight items to Europe. Instead, he found the New World and precious metals. Those metals caused rampant inflation which economically destroyed Spain and the smallpox he introduced decimated the Indians. On…
Read MoreCarrier Consolidation
Unlike the AT&T/T-Mobile merger which regulators rejected, the proposed T-Mobile/Metro PCS merger will get quick DOJ and FTC approval. Why? While the AT&T merger would have eliminated the largest low-priced competitor from the marketplace and increased industry concentration at the top, the Metro PCS merger enhances competition by merging two weak carriers to hopefully create…
Read MorePower Diplomacy
In ’05, the US imported 60% of its oil; now it’s 42% and falling. This has had profound geopolitical impacts. The rise in US oil production since ’05 is roughly equal to what Iran was exporting prior to UN sanctions. Separately, as we export natural gas, Europe will become less dependent on Russia. Additionally, access…
Read More