Quotes Uncovered: The Origins of Couch Potatoes
I’m back to inviting readers to submit quotations whose origins they want me to try to trace, using my book, The Yale Book of Quotations, and my more recent research. Read More »
"Billionaires Vs. Millionaires": Five Things You Don’t Know About the NFL Labor Standoff
Are you ready for some … labor negotiations? Yes, the National Football League held a nice Super Bowl just a couple weeks ago – the Green Bay Packers beat my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers, sadly. Still, it was the most-watched TV program in U.S. history. So: everyone in the NFL family must be happy, right? Read More »
Newer Places Breed Newer Names
A new study finds that parents in newer, “frontier” states choose less-common baby names than parents in older states (like the original 13). “In New England states, more babies were given the most popular boys’ and girls’ names than they were in frontier states – those in the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest. Statistical analyses showed the longer ago a state had achieved statehood, the more likely it was to have a higher percentage of people with one of the top 10 most popular baby names. The results held even after the researchers accounted for other factors that might impact baby-name choices, including population density, ethnicity of a state and median income.” Read More »
Another No-Lose Lottery
Last week, Michigan’s Save-to-Win program, the sort of “no-lose lottery” we discussed in a two-part podcast, announced its second winner. Charmain Hanners of Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union is this year’s lucky winner of $100,000. Read More »
and 
. If you haven’t seen it yet, the movie features Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, and was made by a dream team of documentary directors. Paste Magazine named it one of the 