Demographic Winter

Are we heading for a demographic winter?

Worldwide, birth rates have declined by more than 50% in the past 40 years.

In most of the industrialized world, birth rates are well below replacement level.

Main issue: The decline of the human family.




View the trailer or the complete movie 'Demographic Winter'.

How European are we?

Two demographers, Wolfgang Lutz and IIASA’s Vegard Skirbekk, teamed up with a political scientist Sylvia Kritzinger investigated (2006) the emergence of a sense of European identity.

On the question "How European are you?" they got these results:

Country	Expressing
	European
	identity
Luxemburg	78%
Italy	72%
France	68%
Spain	64%
Belgium	59%
Netherlands	59%
Germany	56%
Denmark	54%
Ireland	53%
Austria	51%
Portugal	50%
Greece	46%
Sweden	45%
Finland	43%
UK	40%

They analyzed and extrapolated the trends found in the Eurobarometer surveys from 1995 to 2004 for the EU-15.

What they found is that there's an emergence of multiple identities across different age groups in Europe today.

People are increasingly feeling that they are both nationals of their home country and Europeans as well.




Source

About actuary Schmidt!

A movie about an actuary? Yes it's true! Nobody else than Jack Nicholson, alias insurance actuary Warren Schmidt, retires at age 66 in the movie "About Schmidt" (2002).



Plot summary
Schmidt retires from his actuary job at the Woodmen of the World insurance company in Omaha, and is given an impersonal retirement dinner at a local steakhouse. He visits his young successor's office to offer his help, but he is not needed. As Schmidt leaves the building, he sees the contents and files of his office in the basement, set out for garbage collectors.

Schmidt describes to his foster child Ndugu his longtime alienation from his wife, who suddenly dies after his retirement. His friends arrive for the funeral. His only daughter Jeannie and her fiancé Randall. Schmidt finds Randell, a water-bed salesman, mediocre and unsuited to his daughter.

Randall recommends the book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" [not everything in your life has a purpose: Life(You) = God(You) + Randomness] by Harold Kushner to Schmidt.

Perhaps the opposite view from Kirzner [everything in your life has a purpose: Life(You) = God(You) ] of this book would have helped Schmidt more?

Already interested? Read more at Wikipedia or go and see the movie!

Conclusion
Just as Warren Schmidt, we actuaries want to make the difference in life. To do so we have to 'act' as non-conformists.