Stop Spinning

On whether a New York City District Attorney panders to the Orthodox Jewish community.

Mr. Hynes walks a fine line. He has cultivated ties with Orthodox leaders since he was first elected in 1989. In an interview, he said he did so partly because they represent a major constituency, and partly to address jurisdictional tensions [...]

Age of Responsibility

I am getting sick of hearing this sort of thing:

Legislation passed this year will require that when banks issue a credit card to someone under 21, a parent or guardian must co-sign and have joint liability.

via The ‘Democratization of Credit’ Is Over — Now It’s Payback Time – WSJ.com.

As a society, we [...]

CustomEyes

Time to start reading science fiction, because the future is here.  Now, eye surgeons are getting more requests to customize patient’s eyes based on their life or lifestyles.

Julian Stevens, of Moorfields Eye Hospital, is an expert on laser refractive surgery. He has, in the past, offered tailored treatment for members of the special forces. [...]

Time for Statistics

Statistics are one of the most used and abused analytical tools in today’s world, and this article gives a good overview of a very common problem.  When calculating the effect of a policy, behavior, or in this case, a medication, should you report the total effect or absolute percentage, or should you consider [...]

(Over)Confidence Interval

Why isn’t financial analysis more probabilistic?  We make all these assumptions and predictions in making a financial analysis or forecast, but for all the thought that goes into that, those assumptions get buried in the model, hidden behind single value variables.  We don’t build ranges right into the model (except in a sensitivity analysis, which [...]

The Dream is Dying

Is this the end of the American Dream?

Many have lived beyond their incomes simply because incomes have been outstripped by the costs of middle-class life. By the fall of 2008, most American workers were bringing home roughly the same weekly wages they had earned in 1983, after accounting for inflation.

via As Jobs Are [...]

When Water Burns

In fact, her entire family tries to avoid any contact with the water. Her youngest son has scabs on his arms, legs and chest where the bathwater — polluted with lead, nickel and other heavy metals — caused painful rashes. Many of his brother’s teeth were capped to replace enamel that was eaten away.

This [...]