Category Archives: United States

Maybe there are some and I don’t know about it.  I confess that out here in solidly Democratic California partisan politics not too high on list of things to follow especially when research in on West Africa.  But I do … Continue reading →

Amongst policy-oriented economists this matters a lot, because the V shape of the recession and recovery in 1991 means that this was either (2) an important exception to the usual “financial crises recessions are really bad” or (2) it is … Continue reading →

New York Times officially declares San Jose a “metropolis”… soon we’ll have a caped super-hero just like the other ones.  But ours will fight pensions? San Jose now spends one-fifth of its $1.1 billion general fund on pensions and retiree … Continue reading →

Embarassing… at least I didn;t yell, or throw down my bagels… (but I didn;t threaten to “report them”)…. this morning I got peeved at a $5 minimum sign (my order was $3.8)… but turns out… they were right… the retail … Continue reading →

Probably the best single guide to the behavioral perspective on macro… why it is relevant, why it is better, and what the models are doing…  Can be read over and over again for nuance.  Did he have help from Thomas … Continue reading →

It’s easy for university administrators to ignore the fundamental truth here, and be constantly reaffirmed by their underlings, so that they can (with some old-fashioned cognitive dissonance) tell themselves they are perplexed and befuddled when suddenly a crisis erupts and … Continue reading →

I have no doubt the paper is terrific and interesting and insightful, but the broad thrust of the economic history agenda seems to be that people kind of stay the same in many ways for a long time.  Well… it’s … Continue reading →

The irony is that council itself created Ulistac Natural Area 15 years ago from an abandoned golf course that was “going natural”… Here’s a very recent Yelp review: The beauty of Ulistac is that it is left natural and a … Continue reading →

A powerful combination of fear-mongering and hero worship has made Canada’s fire departments largely immune to budget cuts. As a consequence, the citizens are getting hosed. via Marginal Revolution — Small steps toward a much better world..

More of his cartoons are here.

Went for a run on the mall, past White House, Capitol, Lincoln Memorial… gorgeous day, very inspiring. Felafel burger 10:30 pm last night when I got in at BTS/DC Commons. Pretty good but not as good as felafel in Le … Continue reading →

What a great plug for Jill and Steve, who deserve it! Matthiasson is another example of the antithesis of Napa Valley’s glamorous side. Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson are farmers, essentially — he is a leading vineyard consultant — and … Continue reading →

Textbook! Let me see if I understand… a self-selected sample of walkers and runners, with no randomized treatments at all, is being “plumbed” by “new science” to make generalizations for people who are neither walkers nor runners already….  And then … Continue reading →