Money
Was This Another Year of the Woman? More Than a Quarter of All Candidates Running for Congress or Governor This Year Were Women
Jo Freeman writes: While some races are still too close to call, 2018 also saw a great leap upward in the number of women running and winning. More than a quarter of all candidates running for Congress or Governor this year were women (272 of 964). What 1992 has in common with 2018 is that these candidates were overwhelmingly Democrats. For the Democratic Party, this was another year of the woman; not so much for the Republicans. In November, Democratic women ran for 93 seats and won nearly half. Republican women ran for 13 and won less than a quarter. Several issues were prominent which attracted women voters. Exit polls said that the chief issue in 2018 was healthcare. Family separation of would-be immigrants was another. more »
Federal Reserve Speech by Lael Brainard: What Are We Learning about Artificial Intelligence in Financial Services?
Editor's Note: fin·tech, noun. Computer programs and other technology used to support or enable banking and financial services. "fintech is one of the fastest-growing areas for venture capitalists". "By accessing data sets with consumers' personally identifiable information and applying open-source AI tools, a phisher may be able to churn out highly targeted emails to millions of consumers at relatively low cost, containing personalized information such as their bank account number and logo, along with past transactions. In cases such as this, where large data sets and AI tools may be used for malevolent purposes, it may be that AI is the best tool to fight AI." more »
Flashback: Secretaries of the 1950s and 1960s: Would You Have What it Takes to be One at That Time?
Brooke’s Your Reflector Number I (Personality) Quiz from the Secretarial Training Program in Waco, Texas from January 1959 to June 1959: Do I smile readily and naturally? Do I avoid 'bossing' other people? Am I fastidious about my appearance at all times? Do I avoid gossipping? Do I refrain from showing off how much I know? Do I refrain from talking about myself? Is my voice pleasing and well-modulated? "A secretary is a person - usually female - whom the boss tells everybody but her he couldn't do without." more »
Another Turbulent Day on the Market: Three Reasons to Do Nothing
Our society values action. We enjoy “action movies”, we use “action verbs” on our resumes, and we praise active people. When we hear news, we think about what action to take. If we hear that the economy is booming, we want to take more investment risk. If a company announces record earnings, we want to buy more of its stock. If everyone says interest rates will go up, we want to sell our bonds. Often the right strategy is counter to our nature and we should hold to our established plan. Here are three reasons why. more »