Explaining Prison Life Sentences

"In most cases, the judge delivers a sentence for each crime of which the defendant has been found guilty. The judge then decides whether the sentences will be served concurrently or consecutively. Under Kansas law, the standard life sentence is '15 to life,' meaning the offender gets his first parole hearing after 15 years. No matter if he faced 10 (or even 100) concurrent sentences, that hearing would still come after 15 years. No such privilege exists with consecutive sentencing. The judge in Rader's case put 10 life terms end-to-end in order to ensure that Rader would never get parole."

Why Did Madoff Get a Longer Sentence Than He Can Possibly Serve
by Daniel Engber
http://www.slate.com/id/2221830/

On Subsidizing Homeownership

http://www.richmondfed.org/publications/research/region_focus/2008/fall/pdf/cover_story.pdf

Cool Company of the Week: Better Place

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Better_Place

It Pays to Invest in K Street

"In a remarkable illustration of the power of lobbying in Washington, a study released last week found that a single tax break in 2004 earned companies $220 for every dollar they spent on the issue - a 22,000 percent rate of return on thier investment. The study by researchers at the University of Kansas underscores the central reason that lobbying has become a $3 billion-a-year industry in Washington: It pays."

Investments Can Yield More on K Street, Study Indicates
by Dan Eggan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/11/AR2009041102035.html

Peer-to-Peer Renting

"A number of Web sites have sprung up encouraging people to look around their houses for things they can do away with temporarily - for a fee. Conversely, people can rent items they only need once or twice. The old paradigm of buy an duse it once and store it forever is shifting to an economy based on usage and accessibility, said Jeff Boudier, co-founder of peer-to-peer renting site of Zilok..."

For Rent: The Stuff That We Rarely Use
by Nancy Trejos
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/16/AR2009061603308.html

Also check out:
http://www.rent-instead.com/

Map: Polar Opposites

Expand the map (created by Jerome N. Cookson of National Geographic) at the link below to see where you'd end up if you dug a hole to the other side of the world...

"It's a childhood riddle: Where would you end up if you dug a hole to the other side of the world? Kids in the US are usually led to imagine that they'd pop up like groundhogs in a rice field in China. Wrong. One look at a map of antipodes - places on exact opposite sides of the globe - shows that an American digger would end up in the Indian Ocean."

http://blogs.ngm.com/blog_central/2009/05/polar-opposites-.html

Fact of the Day: Online Buzz

"Businesses spend about $1.6 billion a year on 'word-of-mouth' advertising, promoting their goods to bloggers and to people who use social-media websites like Facebook, according to the research firm PQ Media."

Can You Believe What You Read on the Web?
http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/can-you-believe-what-you-read-on-the-web.html

CEO Shelf-Life

"There are certainly some cases in which single individuals continue to do good work, even after a decade or more at the top. But there is evidence that perfromance tends to deteriorate over time, after 10, 12 years or so of holding the reins...It makes good sense for companies - and countries - to consider institutionalizing a system in which no single individual is allowed to remain top dog for longer than the rough equivalent of two presidential terms."

-Barbara Kellerman, Harvard faculty and author of "Bad Leadership and Followership"

Question of the Week: Founders & Share Price

What percent of price of a publicly traded stock is due to the founder(s)/CEO. I recently heard someone on CNBC suggest that 10% - 15% of Apple's value is related to Steve Jobs (i.e., if Jobs passes away, the stock should drop by around that percent).

Question of the Day: Great Presidents

To be considered a great president, does your predecessor have to be considered a bad or weak president?

Marriage = Obesity

"It's full-on wedding season, but anyone about to pledge to have and to hold should pay closer attention to the bit about 'in sickness and in health.' New research shows that within a few short years of getting hitched, married individuals are twice as likelty to become obese as are people who are merely dating...What is behind the weight gain?...Mealtime may become more important than it was when the people were living alone...gym memberships may not get the same workouts they did before nuptials."

First Comes Love, Then Comes Obesity
by Bonnie Rochman
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1907143,00.html

Japan's New Mating Game: Konkatsu

"Konkatsu is a new buzzword for Japanese media. The concept has been featured in magazines and is the title of a popular television show. Even shrines are getting in on the konkatsu boom. Triumph International (Japan) Ltd. has unveiled a "konkatsu bra," with a clock under the bra cups that counts down to a marriage deadline. Inserting an engagement ring into the heart-shaped ring box between the cups stops the ticking and a congratulatory wedding march begins to play. (The ring isn't included. And the bra isn't for sale.)"

Japan Has a New Name for the Mating Game: Konkatsu
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124623617832566695.html#mod=todays_us_page_one

Sentece of the Week

"The most [G]oogled brand in the porn world is 'Asian Babes.'"

The Birth, and Death, of the Asian Babe
by Johann Hari
http://www.slate.com/id/2221479/

Sentence of the Day

"The three most powerful forces in the modern world are democracy, religion, and nationalism."

No Velvet Revolution for Iran
Fareed Zakaria
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/fareed_zakaria/2009/06/no_velvet_revolution_for_iran.html

Ear Psychology

"If you need to bum a cigarette in a noisy Italian nightclub, make sure to ask someone in his or her right ear, says a study published last week in the German journal Naturwissenschaften (The Science of Nature)....Studies dating back about 50 years have shown that humans prefer to listen with their right ears. This is a result of hemispheric asymmetry in the brain - the left hemisphee, which is better at processing verbal information, is crosswired to the right ear."

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/06/earcigarette/

Why Don't the French Cook Like They Used To?

Will the Michelin Guide kill Japanese cooking too?

"The Michelin Guide had become a dead weight for French cuisine. It discouraged creativity, demanded a level of opulence that made fine dining appealing and accessible only to rich fogeys, and was unacceptably opaque about its reviewing methods."

Why Don't the French Cook Like They Used To?
by Mike Steinberger
http://www.slate.com/id/2221245/

On Japan's Cool Biz Campaign

"And it struck me that Cool Biz (keeping indoor temps at 82.4 degrees Fahrenheit) might be counterproductive for Japan. Japan is currently facing something of an existential crisis. Its economy has grown very slowly for more than a decade, and its population is declining. It's as if the nation has lost its capacity for hard work and procreation...maybe there's some connection between Japan's demographic/economic issues and the Cool Biz program. For a good chunk of the year, the heat indoors saps the desire to write a business plan or to increase the population."

Tokyo is Burning
by Daniel Gross
http://www.slate.com/id/2221405/

Multiple Girlfriend Manager

http://www.apptism.com/apps/amazing-girlfriend-manager

Republican Sex-Scanal Flow Chart

This will help you keep track of things...

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/06/sex_scandal_flow_chart.php

Pic: Lego Sushi

http://imgur.com/F0MOo.jpg

"Cane Fu"

The latest in self-defense for elders...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2lJWAIyYtU

Why Do Politicians Cheat?

"Narcissism is an occupational hazard for political leaders. You have to have an outsized ambition and an outsized ego to run for office...Or, perhaps, think you can stray from your marriage without consequence...For some individuals, the excitement of illicit sexual activity might feed the same desire as the excitement of politics...Political life — with its long hours, frequent travel and endless stream of new acquaintances — also can be a strain on even rock-solid marriages. At times, the lifestyle almost seems to invite unfaithfulness."

Analysis: Why Do Politicians Cheat?
by Liz Sidoti
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_philandering_politicians_analysis

Crowdsourced Lobbyist Tracking

Will this be the next big thing at hearings/events?

http://www.npr.org/news/specials/2009/hearing-pano/

Quote of the Day: Talking

"Most men talk too much. Much of my success has been due to keeping my mouth shut."

-J. Ogden Armour

US National Debt Clock

This site will make your eyes spin...

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Japanese Intrapreneurs

"Venture capitalists in the U.S. spend $30 billion annually, on average, funding startups, while Japanese funders kick in just one-tenth that amount. Midcareer managers and engineers don't want to quit and forfeit their pensions to start companies. Risk-averse Japanese students, who rarely get M.B.A.s, prefer jobs at large, long-stable companies to starting their own firms. If they have the itch to launch a business, they aim for big trading companies, like Sumitomo or Itochu, which use on-staff 'intrapreneurs' for new units...Into this lonesome entrepreneurial existence has stepped the mighty Mitsubishi Estate, Tokyo's second-biggest business landlord. It started an entrepreneurs' group, the Tokyo 21c Club, in 2000, trading rent and logistical support for stock options in the nascent companies."

In Tokyo, A Rare Incubator for Startups
by Chana Shoenberger
http://www.forbes.com/global/2009/0622/entrepreneurs-venture-capital-in-tokyo-rare-incubator-for-startups.html

Madoff Victim Map

http://madoffmap.com/

Lack of Top Foreign Chefs Due to US Visa Policy?

"Under the current visa laws, there are no clear-cut provisions that apply to world-class chefs."

http://www.visalaw.com/FAS/mysun1206.pdf

The Art of Nonconformity

A nice list of things you do and don't need - i.e., a mentor, fancy degrees, language skills, etc...

I'm sure many people would disagree...

http://chrisguillebeau.com/3x5/all-the-things-you-dont-need/

WTF Were They Thinking Tattoos

Which tattoo would you LEAST like to have. And if you had to have one of these, which one would you choose?

http://coedmagazine.com/2009/06/23/210-wtf-were-they-thinking-tattoos/

Infographic: The Friend Zone

http://topcultured.com/relationships/where-exactly-is-the-friend-zone/

Quote of the Day: Sincerity

"A little sincerity is a dangerous thing and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal."

-Oscar Wilde

The Economics of the Economist

"The easy lesson might be that quality wins out. The Economist is truly a remarkable invention—a weekly newspaper, as it calls itself, that canvasses the globe with an assurance that no one else can match. Where else, really, can you actually keep up with Africa? The Economist has reached its current level of influence and importance because it is, in every sense of the word, a true global digest for an age when the amount of undigested, undigestible information online continues to metastasize."

The Newsweekly's Last Stand
by Michael Hirschorn
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200907/news-magazines

World's Most Expensive Cities

"Why are these countries so expensive? It has primarily to do with the high costs of shipping, fuel and fluctuating exchange rates. While the global recession may be showing some signs of easing, in Japan, for example, the yen soared against the dollar and other currencies. That slammed profits at Japanese exporters such as Toyota, Sony, and Panasonic. It also drove up the cost of living for expats and tourists alike in Tokyo and other big Japanese cities."

1. Luanda, Angola
2. Tokyo, Japan
3. Nagoya, Japan
4. Yokohama, Japan
5. Kobe, Japan

http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-most-expensive-cities-in-the-world.html;_ylc=X3oDMTF0Zm05cDNkBF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDOTc2MjA0NjUEc2VjA2ZwLXRvZGF5BHNsawNtb3N0LWV4cGVuc2l2ZS1jaXRpZXM-

Frank Lloyd Wright House for Sale

Frank Lloyd Wright's Famed Ennis House to be Sold
by Christopher Michaud
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090619/stage_nm/us_lloydwright

Pic: Shoe Burger

http://www.media.desicolours.com/2009/june/burger.jpg

Map: Credit Scores

http://www.billshrink.com/blog/average-credit-scores-by-state/

Apple Globe

http://www.kevinvanaelst.com/photoapple.html

AEI is Mapping the Iranian Revolution

http://www.irantracker.org/analysis/unrest-iran-incident-statistics-and-map-protests-arrests-and-deaths

Live-Twittering the Iranian Revolution

The second revolution to be twittered (after Moldova in April 2009)...

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/livetweeting-the-revolution.html

Twitter Word Cloud from the Iranian "Revolution"

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/a-twitter-word-cloud-from-the-revolution.html

Fake Engagement Rings

Make sure to check out the video...

http://mstaken.com/

Titlenomics

I've always wondered if someone would write about the proliferation of "...nomics" books...

Titlenomics, or Creating Bestsellers
by Patricia Cohen
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/books/16titles.html?hpw

100 Most Beautiful Words in English

http://www.alphadictionary.com/articles/100_most_beautiful_words.html

What Spelling Bee Champions Have in Common

They want to be nureosurgeons...but why?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/c-o-i-n-c-i-d-e-n-c-e-spellers-united-by-dreams/article1154476/

Sushi Robot

"The sushi robot, called Chef Robot model M-430iA hand type H, cannot actually make sushi; there are automated sushi making robotic systems that can produce hundreds of sushi rolls per hour. It can, however, place your sushi on your plate with inhuman precision and delicacy."

http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=2345

10 Quirky Economic Indicators

My favorite: The "gator" indicator --

"What do 100,000 alligators have to do with the economy? The gators are all residents at Savoie's Alligator Farm, one of the largest alligator farms in Louisiana. The farm, which sells gator skin hides to tanners who in turn sell them to luxury designers like Louis Vuitton, has not sold a single hide since November, according to Savoie's. This business is awful because people are not buying alligator skin handbags and luggage. The makers of designer labels therefore don't need to buy hides. This is tough on the gator farmers who are losing money fast and trying to keep the hides they already have in stock from spoiling. But it's good news for alligators everywhere -- if they only knew."

10 Quirky Economic Indicators
by Candice Lee Jones
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/107186/10-quirky-economic-indicators?mod=bb-budgeting

Cheeseburger in a Can

http://gizmodo.com/350091/cheeseburger-in-a-can-is-both-the-best-and-worst-thing-ive-ever-seen

Air Sex Competition

"Air sex, as the name implies, is a theatrical sexual performance with an imaginary partner. The Air Sex competitions are to be held in 16 cities across the U.S., culminating in the World Air Sex Championship where the Ultimate Air Lover will be crowned."

Move Over Air Guitar. Bring on the Air Sex
by Samantha Henig
http://www.doublex.com/blog/xxfactor/move-over-air-guitar-bring-air-sex

Monkey-Digested Coffee or "Animal Coffee"

"Kopi Luwak is coffee made from coffee beans that have been eaten by a Luwak. Regular coffee cherries are hand picked and the flesh of the berry is removed by mechanical means. When a coffee cherry is eaten by a Luwak the flesh is removed through digestion in the stomach of the Luwak, and the beans are collected after they have passed out of the Luwak."

http://www.animalcoffee.com/

Money Doesn't Always Buy Politics

"But at some point saturation advertising becomes counterproductive. A few years ago I even voted against a guy I had contributed to because his TV ads became so ubiquitous they got on my nerves...Another problem that arises is that wealthy candidates willing to put millions of their own dollars into a campaign often push aside better candidates that would have had to raise money the old-fashioned way--by convincing contributors they are the best person for the job and have the best chance of winning."

Money and Politics
by Bruce Bartlett
http://www.forbes.com/2009/06/11/terry-mcauliffe-virginia-primaries-opinions-columnists-fundraising.html

Pics: Whacky Beds

http://www.duvetandpillowwarehouse.co.uk/blog/2009/06/wackiest-beds-around-the-world/

On How to Disappear

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/06/how-to-disappear.html

Map: Disputes Between WTO Members

http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/dispu_e/dispu_maps_e.htm

Marijuana Tax

"There are complications. One is the thriving black market for marijuana, with sales valued, albeit shakily, as high as $100 billion a year. A high tax could keep the market underground, robbing the government of tax revenue... If history and the proposed soda tax are any guide, marijuana may end up among the most expensive intoxicants. Federal and state health departments have been "nudging" the public for decades to reduce the demand for tobacco, which has decreased roughly 4 percent for every 10 percent increase in price."

A Toke and a Tax
by Jeremey Singer-Vine
http://www.slate.com/id/2220221

The Health Care Reform FAQ

A good primer...

Health Care Reform FAQ
by Christopher Beam
http://www.slate.com/id/2220139

My Brother's Poor. I'm Not. Should I Buy Him Dinner? A Car? A House?

I disagree with the authors a bit, particularly the "freedom want want" issue. I think almost everyone continues to want things, even after they have a lot. Therefore, one cannot ever stop giving to close family/relatives/friends because they will always have "wants." What is the exact definition of "basic want?" Isn't a car or house a basic want?

"To the extent that your sharing addresses 'freedom from want,' filling a basic need for shelter, security, sustenance, or education, then supporting family members should be thought of as a top priority way to share your wealth. But if your sharing goes beyond basic want (and I'm not saying it shouldn't), to help with that long delayed and much needed vacation for your sister, or that new car for Mom, or that retirement nest egg for your brother, then you need to think about it differently."

Am I My Brother's Keeper
by Patty Stonesifer and Sandy Stonesifer
http://www.slate.com/id/2220140/

Infographic: Largest Bankruptcies in History

http://awesome.goodmagazine.com/transparency/web/0906/trans0609largestbankruptcies.html

Recession Word of the Day: Groupons

"Groupon is a combination of the words 'group' and 'coupon,'" explained CEO Andrew Mason. The site offers one coupon every day at all sorts of businesses around Boston. But there's a catch, a certain number of people have to buy the deal before it goes through."

'Groupons' Saving Bargain Hunters Big Bucks
by Kate Merrill
http://wbztv.com/local/group.savings.boston.2.995916.html

International Shipping Container Houses

"As the home-building industry becomes ever greener, it's still overlooking one abundant source of reusable material: international shipping containers. At any time in the US, about 125,000 shipping containers are available for conversion to houses. Buildt to hold 60,000 pounds when fully loaded, the containers can be stacked up to nine high."

In From the Docks, a Surprising Building Material
by Katherine Salant
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/04/AR2009060404533.html

To Lock or Unlock

Q: When I get in my car, I lock the doors out of habit. But am I really safer this way? Locked doors stop intruders, but they also slow emergency help in the event of an accident. Which should concern me the most?

A: You can analyze this by considering a timeline. Preventing a serious sutuation comes first, and locking your doors to thward wrongdoers accomplishes that. Also, locking the doors will help keep them closed in an accident. Closed doors stop you from being thrown from the car, provide structural integrity that may prevent the roof from collapsing, and keep the framework from twisting. Emergency assistance comes later. If an accident occurred, you would probably be able to unlock the door. If not, a rescuer could readily break a window and unlock it. It's clear: Lock you doors.

-From Ask Marilyn in Parade Magazine, June 6, 2009

Living in a Closet

The closet actually appears fairly spacious, on a relative scale. Just goes to show you that one can live in a 77 square foot space (5.5ft. by 14ft.).

Click on the slide show to see pics...

http://www.wptv.com/content/financialsurvival/survivingthesqueeze/story/Delray-Beach-man-lives-in-77sqft-closet/SJAvaTujWEeUIEcuGE7Zdw.cspx

Island Paradises in America

Island Paradises in America
by Joe Yogerst
http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-28219424;_ylc=X3oDMTFxNTJ2ZG44BF9TAzI3MTYxNDkEX3MDMjcxOTQ4MQRzZWMDZnAtdG9kYXltb2QEc2xrA3VzaXNsYW5kcy02LTgtMDk-

Merchant Minimum $ Amounts for Credit Cards Illegal

Merchants Often Violate Rules on Credit Cards
by Herb Weisbaum
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13806200/

How to Pitch Proposals

http://danbaum.com/Nine_Lives/Proposals.html

On Japanese "Herbivore" Men

"Fukasawa said Japanese men from the baby boomer generation were typically aggressive and proactive when it came to romance and sex. But as a result of growing up during Japan's troubled economy in the 1990s, their children's generation was not as assertive and goal-oriented. Their outlook came, in part, from seeing their fathers' model of masculinity falter even as Japanese women gained more lifestyle options."

Japan's 'Herbivore Men' - Less Interested in Sex, Money
by Morgan Neill
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/05/japan.herbivore.men/index.html?eref=rss_mostpopular

Failure Rate: Restaurants vs. Blogs

"So why do blogs have a higher failure rate than restaurants? According to a 2008 survey by Technorati, which runs a search engine for blogs, only 7.4 million out of the 133 million blogs the company tracks had been updated in the past 120 days. That translates to 95 percent of blogs being essentially abandoned, left to lie fallow on the Web, where they become public remnants of a dream — or at least an ambition — unfulfilled."

Blogs Falling in an Empty Forest
by Douglas Quenqua
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/fashion/07blogs.html?th&emc=th

The Bar Code is Taking a Leap Forward

"Look closely at recent supermarket coupons, and you may see some new markings on them near the traditional bar code: sets of neat black bars stacked in two rows.
The new symbols, called GS1 DataBars, can store more data than traditional bar codes, promising new ways for stores to monitor inventory and for customers to save money."

The Bar Code is Taking a Leap Forward
by Anne Eisenberg
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/business/07novel.html?th&emc=th

Map: EU Unemployment

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/06/08/world/0609-union-maps.html

Can Food Really be an Aphrodisiac?

Can Food Really Get You in the Mood
by D. Milton Stokes
http://www.eatingwell.com/health/qanda/food_in_the_mood.html?utm_source=YahooBlog_Nicci_NutritionMyths_052509

How to Ruin Your Credit

7 Ways to Be a Dolt About Credit
by Sheyna Steiner
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/107154/7-ways-to-be-a-dolt-about-credit;_ylt=AtCrJqouCybZk1SttYAGP52CfNdF?mod=bb-creditcards

10 Tips for Getting a Good Sleep

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/10-tips-for-getting-good-sleep-464736/

Ice Cream That Doesn't Melt

"Wow -- is this the frozen confectionary breakthrough of the year? The decade? Coldstone is about to release ice cream that doesn't melt. No, this sweet wonder simply transforms into JELL-O pudding..."

http://www.food2.com/blog/2009/06/02/coldstone-breakthrough-ice-cream-that-transforms-into-pudding

Atheist Nations Are More Peaceful

"Now, there are several possible reasons for this. It could be that people living in turbulent countries turn to religion, or it could be that religion is not a good way to structure modern society. Or it could be that some other factor or combination of factors (democracy? free speech? education? government welfare?) generates citizens who are both peaceful and non-religious."

http://bhascience.blogspot.com/2009/06/atheist-nations-are-more-peaceful.html

Frugal vs. Cheap

What is the difference? Here are a few ideas...
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/small-change/ylan-q-mui/the-difference-between-frugal.html

and more...
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/small-change/ylan-q-mui/frugal-vs-cheap-part-two.html

take the test...(certainly not scientific)
http://www.moolanomy.com/558/frugal-or-cheap-heres-a-test/

and a video...
http://news.yahoo.com/video/business-15749628/are-you-cheap-or-frugal-18198898

Fashion of the Week: Sushi-Embroidered Leotard

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1189724/Feeling-fishy-Katy-Perry-wears-sushi-embroidered-leotard-Japan.html

The Geography of Recession

A nice "big picture" view of geography and the recession...

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090602_geography_recession

Half of All Friends Replaced Every 7 Years

"As a result, the size of your social network stays about the same."

Half of All Friends Replaced Every 7 Years
http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/halfofallfriendsreplacedevery7years

"Cell Phone Elbow" or Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

"First came Nintendo thumb. Then, Guitar Hero wrist. Now, for the latest affliction of the wired age, it's cell phone elbow. Medically known as cubital tunnel syndrome, cell phone elbow is numbness, tingling and pain in the forearm and hand caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, which passes along the bony bump on the inside of the elbow."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090602/hl_hsn/cellphoneelbowanewillforthewiredage

Divorce and Crime Victimization

While paging through the statistical tables of Criminal Victimization in the United States I found some interesting data on victimization, marriage and divorce. The rate of victimization for violent crimes (per 1,000 persons aged 12 and over) for never married and married males is as follows:

*Never Married Males: 45.0
*Married Males: 12.3

Clearly, married males are older and they have settled down, usually in places away from crime hot spots.

http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/06/divorce-and-crime-victimization.html

To Repair or Replace a Car

"After receiving the estimate of a major repair, consider the '50-percent rule.' When the cost of a needed repair approaches 50 percent of the vehicle's value, it is time to seriously consider replacing it...It is typically less expensive in the long run to repair the vehicle already owned rather than purchasing a newer one. Financing even a $2,000 repair typically results in lower payments (or similar payments for a shorter time) than those incurred when purchasing a newer vehicle."

http://news.aaa-calif.com/pr/aaa/repair--or--replace.aspx

US Tariffs/Sanctions Abound in Muslim World

US Tariffs, Sanctions Abound in Muslim World
http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKN2949479220090531