Amazing story of forgiveness

18 years ago in Minnesota a 20-year-old man was killed at a party after an argument. The killer--who was only 16 years old--spent 17 years in prison and was released in 2011. But during his time in prison he was visited many times by a 59-year-old woman--the mother of the boy he murdered. Why? The mother wanted to forgive the killer. Now the two live directly next door to each other, and have become close friends. 

Watch this video for a special experience:

Power of Forgiveness

2012 Implications!

A recent New York Times headline reads "Obama Decision on Marriage Act has 2012 Implications" ... That's a lot of implications!

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/24/obama-decision-on-marriage-act-has-2012-implications/?hp

College Freshman Stress Up

Emotional stress among college freshman is higher than at any time during the past 25 years, according to a recent survey of more than 200,000 students. Women have reported less emotional health than men every year since the survey began, apparently because men engage in more sports and other stress relieving activities.

Exercise Stimulates Brain Growth

Children who engage in aerobic activities such as running perform better on cognitive ability tests then those who do not exercise regularly, according to studies reported in the New York Times.

Female Professors: Harvard vs Tokyo Univ.

OK Univ. of Tokyo, the fight is on...

Over 25% of Harvard Univ. faculty members are female as of March 2010 (see New York Times story). At Univ. of Tokyo--the Harvard of Japan--the number was only 9% as of May 2008. 

The Univ. of Tokyo apparently is aware of Harvard's trend, because in 2008 UT set as a goal to increase the percentage of female professors to at least 25% by March 2010--this month (see UT declaration).

I will report back soon with the results of this important initiative.

Hawaiians Happiest

It had to be. Residents of the Aloha State reported in a recent nation-wide annual survey of happiness and well-being that they are, well, happy. 

The telephone survey asks respondents to score six areas: life evaluation, emotional health, physical health, healthy behavior, work environment and basic access, and availability of food, shelter, and healthcare.

Hawaii moved up from second place last year, with West Virginia in dead last. Although data suggests some correlation between annual income and happiness as measured by the survey, this relationship is doubtful in the case of Hawaii. 

Aloha.

Losing Job Hurts Health

A study has confirmed what most people might suspect: unemployment causes health problems.

The research, reported in a NY Times story, revealed that 10% of people who lost a job through no fault of their own developed health problems during the next one and a half years, compared with only 6% of people who did not lose jobs. This result held even among people who lost a job but then quickly found a new job.

Apparently the stress of losing a job causes people to make poor health choices--overeating, not exercising, drinking more alcohol and smoking more if they smoke.

A classic double whammy...

U.S. Jobless Rate Hits 8.1%

The U.S jobless rate hit 8.1% for February 2009, the worst numbers in the past 25 years.
But in the Eurozone unemployment is even worse, at 8.2%.
Japan's jobless rate also continues to climb as well, currently at 4.1%.

Analysts had hoped that the unemployment figure for the United States would be 7.9%, and fear that the higher figure announced today will further discourage investors in an already frozen economic climate.

Krugman wins Economics Nobel Prize

Paul Krugman has been awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize in Economics "for his analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity." Krugman, who is Professor of Economics at Princeton University and a widely read New York Times columnist, developed a theory that explains how multiple countries can build similar products because consumers value product diversity and because economies of scale reduce production costs.

US and Japan Markets Dive

The day after a $700 billion economic rescue package failed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Monday, September 29, markets around the world dove steeply. In the United States, the Dow fell 777 points, and the Nikkei in Japan fell 4.1% to a three-year low.

The graph at right shows the Nikkei's fall. Too small to read, but the vertical line tells the story.

Markets in the United States open within the next hour, and the world will be watching and hoping for both a successfully passed economic package and increased investor confidence.