The circulation of currency has long intrigued humankind. From ancient times, people have no doubt wondered about the history of the coins and bills found in their possession. Where have they traveled? What stories could they tell? From an economic point of view, money is something of an enigma. Its buying power varies according to […]
Mass. Survey Finds Nearly One-Quarter of Distressed Homeowners Obtain Loan Modifications
An intriguing new survey by the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations finds that nearly one-quarter of homeowners facing foreclosure who sought counseling were able to obtain a loan modification from their mortgage lender. Drawing from 1,143 people who have sought assistance from non-profit agencies providing housing counseling, the survey also contains information about the […]
Transition News Items
Since President-Elect Barack Obama’s election last week news has been flying fast. Here’s a few items that caught my eye. Obama quickly launched an official transition website, appropriately called Change.gov. Featuring a blog and an invitation for users to submit their vision about what “America can be” and “where President-Elect Obama should lead this country.” […]
What a Difference 40 Years Makes
After the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., civil disturbances erupted in over 100 cities across the U.S. In Washington, D.C., a civil disorder started at the intersection of 14th and U Streets Northwest, when an unknown individual threw a brick through a plate glass window. Last night, thousands of people celebrated the […]
Watching the Results Online
I’ll be using CNN’s Election Center to tract results tonight, they let you drill down to the county level as well as pre-select your races to watch. Google has this map. 6:59 PM: The New York Times county-level national presidential map includes historical data back to 1992. 7:25 PM: Here’s my favorite poll closing time […]
D.C.’s Black Majority to End in 2014
Given demographic trends since 2000, the District of Columbia will no longer have a Black majority somewhere around 2014. That’s what I found after completing a simple projection using U.S. Census population data from the 1990 and 2000 census, and 2006 and 2007 American Community Survey population estimates. No matter the approach (trends since 1990 […]
Wind Power in the Bay State
Descending into Boston’s Logan Airport last August, I noticed an unexpected element among the rocky islands and weathered colonials. At the end of a narrow neck of land just feet from seaside homes was a massive, commercial-sized wind turbine turning lazily in the wind. After moving to Boston, wind power seemed everywhere. Setting up the […]