Friday, January 30, 2009
0 comments 0 commentsBoys with weird names more likely to commit crimes
Boys in the United States with common names like Michael and David are less likely to commit crimes than those named Ernest or Ivan.
David E. Kalist and Daniel Y. Lee of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania compared the first names of male juvenile delinquents to the first names of male juveniles in the population. The researchers constructed a popularity-name index (PNI) for each name. For example, the PNI for Michael is 100, the most frequently given name during the period. The PNI for David is 50, a name given half as frequently as Michael. The PNI is approximately 1 for names such as Alec, Ernest, Ivan, Kareem, and Malcolm.
Results show that, regardless of race, juveniles with unpopular names are more likely to engage in criminal activity. The least popular names were associated with juvenile delinquency among both blacks and whites.
David E. Kalist and Daniel Y. Lee of Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania compared the first names of male juvenile delinquents to the first names of male juveniles in the population. The researchers constructed a popularity-name index (PNI) for each name. For example, the PNI for Michael is 100, the most frequently given name during the period. The PNI for David is 50, a name given half as frequently as Michael. The PNI is approximately 1 for names such as Alec, Ernest, Ivan, Kareem, and Malcolm.
Results show that, regardless of race, juveniles with unpopular names are more likely to engage in criminal activity. The least popular names were associated with juvenile delinquency among both blacks and whites.
Weapons cache found in Gloucester County
New Jersey state police say they discovered a massive arsenal of weapons and ammunition at the Gloucester County home of a former police officer who allegedly pulled a gun on two troopers.
Brian Hinkle, 59, was arrested Monday on charges of aggravated assault after officers went to his home in Franklin Township to investigate a burglary in the area. When they asked him to go to the police station for questioning, authorities said, Hinkle ran into his house and brandished a gun.
Police who over the next three days searched Hinkle's house and other buildings on his property say they found 259 firearms and nearly a half-million rounds of ammunition.
Difference between real and copycat arsonists: snow track
Two juveniles who admitted craving "the attention and excitement" that the series of Coatesville arsons has created were taken into custody for setting car fires, Downingtown police said yesterday.
Jim's Steaks listed as one of the best late-night eats in America
Something magical happens after the bars close and the concert venues empty out. The crowds get sparser, the mood mellows, and your stomach calls out for something hearty to cut the hard stuff. After you go a good five hours or more without eating, the appropriate fix is not a bag of chips or a soggy slice of pizza but truly great food that does a big night justice. These are the places—each open until at least 3 A.M.—where hunger and the hour converge to make dry-aged steaks, flawless omelets, and fiery Thai noodles taste better than ever.
Monday, January 26, 2009
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Recent Coatesville arson outbreak related to gang initiation
At least 30 arsons have been reported since the beginning of 2008, about half of them in the last three weeks. Police said the blazes may be part of a gang initiation, but there was no clear information who was committing the crimes or why.
The latest fire was reported late Saturday at the rear of one house and quickly spread to adjacent homes in the Chester County community.
"This is an arson, no question about it," City Manager Harry Walker said Sunday.
Dear Mr. President, please change the girl scout cookies back to normal
If you seem to be tearing through those Girl Scout Thin Mints a little faster this year, you aren't imagining things.
Fewer cookies were packaged into Thin Mints, Do-si-dos and Tagalongs boxes this year, and the Lemon Chalet Crème cookies were resized to compensate for the rising cost of baking staples.
No changes were made to other cookies, according to the Girl Scouts of the USA.
NHL fighting gets a little more serious
With the recent death of minor league player Don Sanderson, who went into a coma and later died after a fight, and the shocking images of American Hockey League player Garrett Klotz going into convulsions after a fight Friday night, NHL GMs will begin breaking down what, if anything, to do about fighting at their annual meetings in Florida in early March.
Some, including New Jersey Devils president and GM Lou Lamoriello, predict changes are coming to how the league deals with fighting.
On Friday, St. Louis Blues president John Davidson said he is a traditionalist when it comes to changing the game, "but you have to evolve."
