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Friday, July 29, 2011

Penile Length Leads to Little Economic Growth

by Michael



The opening question to most undergraduate macroeconomics courses usually is, "Why are some countries rich and others poor?" The lecturer will then probably dive into all of the usual suspects behind economic growth--natural resources, technological innovation, savings rate--without mention of perhaps the most primal of measurements: penis size. 
That's right, penis size. In a study published today, the University of Helsinki's Tatu Westling points out a surprising strong correlation between a country's GDP growth rate and average penile length. As the chart above shows, countries that averaged smaller penis sizes grew at a faster rate than their larger counterparts between 1960 and 1985. Every centimeter increase in penis size accounted for a 5 to 7 percent reduction in economic growth. The study also showed that overall GDP was at its highest in countries with average-sized penises with GDP falling at the extremes of penis length.
As Westling explains in his paper, previous studies "concentrate on economic, social and political factors, these and many related treatments largely abstain from biological and/or sexual considerations. The aim of this paper is to fill this scholarly gap with the male organ." Interesting choice of words (the study is full of them, as you'll see below), but why should this particular, um, unit have any explanatory power? Penis size and economic growth might be related through some intermediary variable like gender equality, political stability, or population growth, Westling writes, but he seems to prefer an admittedly more Freudian explanation that goes like this: Penile length and income are both factors that contribute to an individual's level of self-esteem, and if a person has more of the former, he'll need less of the latter. Or, to put it in layman's terms, some fast-growing countries may be compensating for something. Not a particularly poor argument until you realize, as Westling acknowledges, that half the world's population don't have penises.

31 comments:

Unknown said...

BAMM!!

Zona said...

Good Morning!!

So MICHAEL..what you're saying..in a nutshell is..where there are a lot of big dicks..there isn't a lot of money? There goes my theory about Congress.. ;)

It's too early for math..lol..

Unknown said...

wait just a cotton pickin' minute...I didn't say anything....

I merely posted the study...and it says less with the jumbos and more with the men who might be over compensating...you know...like with the big trucks....

But another thing I noticed when reading this is that women are not mentioned.

And isn't that true when economies of nations are discussed? The big stuff....anywhere?

Women dropped the ball because while womens rights became legislation that was ready to be signed during the Ford administration I think....it never was signed...

Were all those bras burned for nothing?

Unknown said...

Warren Buffet says it best....if you don't excel as an elected member of the house or senate....you are ineligible for reelection. Period.

That would put a stop to the games the speaker is playing with everyones futures right now....

matter of fact it would put a stop to a lot of shit that has been going on since 2008...

Bebbilane said...

LOL at this blog..too funny!

You are so beautiful today Michael!

Zona..LOL!!

Have a Happy Friday everyone! :)

Bebbilane said...

Area 51 - Whabby: Sorry to hear you were sick and overworked! Glad to hear you are better!

Zona said...

MICHAEL: Sorry for the generalization..I realize you just posted the study..I should have had my Diet Coke before I wrote..it would have cleared my mind a little..

Zona said...

Good Morning BEBBI!! :)

Tinka said...

Good Morning All Owls in and out of the next. This is our big B.C. holiday weekend with all of its festivities. We are now packing up and leaving for the farm until Monday night. I will see you all on Tuesday. Have a great weekend. Love, Tink

Tinka said...

10

Bebbilane said...

Zona!! Good day! :) Happy Friday.....!!!


Tinka: Have fun at the farm..I presume it is a real farm and you are not going to a Facebook farm all weekend.. he he. :)

Just_Lin said...

Michael Congrats on first and thanks for the blog today. The blog stretches the, uh......blows things all out of propor.......Oh, never mind.

LOL @ your perfect choice of avatar today.

Just_Lin said...

Zona Yes, there are a lot of big dicks in Congress, even female ones....imho.

Just_Lin said...

Tinka Enjoy your weekend at the trout farm. It sounds so lovely and serene there.

Just_Lin said...

Bebbi Happy Friday to you, too. Any fun plans for the weekend?

Bebbilane said...

J:L: Two dates! One tonight and one tomorrow..still with the same nice man. I am enjoying myself. :)I have told him I want to date around and keep it casual. It seems that his way around this is to see me as much as possible.. he he. I am not complaining. I enjoy his company! :)

Unknown said...

Have fun Bebbi! Just remember...FULL BACKGROUND CHECK!


ahhh...I used to have a trout farm...but my trout all kept dying...I never figured out the correct depth to plant them at..I wrote a little song about my trout...

its to the tune of "Bye Bye Love"..

Bye Bye Trout
Bye Bye Living thing..
Hello decaying stinky thing..
I knew that u would die...

Bye Bye Trout..
Buried your head 8" down...
Your tail sure flopped around..
I knew that you would die...
Goodbye my trout goodbye-eye..


...takes bow...thank yewww..thank yewww!!

Bebbilane said...

LOL Michael!

Gotcha..full background check! :)

Lynn D said...

Hmmm It looks like a Dildo convention on the front page.

Only a man would think up a graph using the Peni as a guide.

Waving at everyone!

Lynn D said...

Speaking of Dicks...Has anyone besides me been watching the spectacle going on in the House?

Unknown said...

what spectacle LynnD?

Just_Lin said...

LynnD Been watching bits and pieces. I'm trying to pray away the idiocy.

Just_Lin said...

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Just_Lin said...

24

Just_Lin said...

25

Just_Lin said...

I guess I scared everyone away.

Shirley(NCC-1701) said...

Not everyone.

Tina~in_ut said...

hotel #2 and fabu internet~ I'm here.....haven't even had dinner yet~ God I love Hawaii~! This hotel is amazing~ Iteach....I took a pic of the triangle toilet paper! :D Hope I can git my vids on FB....but I doubt it....hope to git some pics up~ Hope ya'll are behaving.....and please try and keep Miguelito in line...if you can~ (Hi shirley.....nice to see you!) :D

Just_Lin said...

Shirley Are you still awake? I just got home from my monthly work project at the veterinary clinic. Well, the beginning of the project, anyway.

Just_Lin said...

Tina I love Hawaii, too. It's been quite a while since I've been there now. I guess the last time was in Maui when I married my second husband 10 1/2 yrs ago. Time to go back, I think.

Dianne/Denver said...

Hi....late....4AM....can't sleep as my mind is too full of "things" and it won't let me. I hate when that happens. I can hear you all snoring on your branches.....glad you are sleeping soundly.