Globalization and Sushi

For those who rant about the evils of globalization, let us examine the Sushi Economy. NPR’s Marketplace discusses The Sushi Economy book with its author Sasha Issenberg. Mr. Issenberg talks about how globalization has made the sushi industry a reality in the modern world. Technological improvements in travel and communication have lead to an increased…

Green House Project

Although there have been quality improvements in nursing home care over time, most elderly (including my own grandmother) dread the thought of entering a nursing home. According to a Mattimore et al. (J Am Geriatrics Soc 1997) study only 7% of patients surveyed were “very willing” to live permanently in a nursing home, while 26%…

P4P and inequality

Pay-for-performance (P4P) is supposed to improve the health care quality for all. One may not be surprised if it were the case that more affluent, more educated individuals benefit most from P4P and thus existing health care disparities may increase. Author Lawrence Casalino and Arthur Elster, however, posit that P4P may actually reduce the quality…

My Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. A day to remember all individuals around the world who gave their life during a time of war. I have never served in the military, so today I will defer to the Pen and Sworld blog written by retired U.S. Navy Commander Jeff Huber. In his post “My Memorial Day,” Mr.…

Road to Guantánamo

What is life like for prisoners in Guantánamo Bay? What (if any) due process do they receive? The docu-drama movie titled Road to Guantánamo, answers these questions by examining the incarceration of the Tipton Three. The film follows the three British Muslim youths from Pakistan to Afghanistan to Cuba. The three spent over two years…

Infantes Bilingües

Accoding to a Canadian study, infants can tell the difference between two languages without hearing the spoken words.  To read more on the study, see today’s Washington Post (“Babies Can Discern Languages…“). Según una investigación canadiense, los infantes se pueden distinguir entre dos idiomas sin oír las palabras en voz alta.  Para más información acerca…

Bootstrapping

One of the biggest advances statistical modeling in the last 30 years has been the use of the bootstrap. For those interested in learning about the bootstrap in more detail, a good place to start is an article by UCSD math professor Dimitris N. Politis which I will summarize here. For more detailed information, one…