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Asides archive at Awkward Utopia

Asides

Turning the corner?

President SBY has been at times daring, cutting fuel subsidies, and at others more cautious, like most of his predecessors, in challenging the status quo. Indonesia is still as backward as a country can get financially — but it may be turning the corner. At least five state-owned enterprises will be selling substantial shares to [...]

Radical Islam… Again

The Law School Republicans were right. Dr. Telles-Irvin was wrong several times over: Radical Islam still wants us dead. This time, someone from USF (again) helps martyrs by way of YouTube.

E-Verify… It’s electric!

Since citizens of the United States already have to ask the Social Security Administration for permission to work legally, why not throw Homeland Security into the mix while we’re at it?

Inflation in 2008

Here is some evidence that I might be spectacularly wrong regarding inflation. I have thought inflation was very high due to probable increases in the money supply, but this looks like it is not the case at all. Since I am not a believer that rising prices from supply and demand are inflation per se, [...]

Same thing for everyone!

This article discusses why athletes go broke, and it seems to mirror our standard criticism of education in America generally — as a reason for increased foreclosures and general economic discontent based on perception alone.

MORE PROPERTY RIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!

So says Hernando de Soto, repeating himself for the millionth time, joined by Kim Jung-il coddler Madeleine Albright.

The Legendary Steve Fossett

In UES, we have a board that we use to attract new members at informational events for business students. Historically, we put names of famous people with economics degrees. If, someday, we should return to that, let us put another name on there: Steve Fossett, adventurer, aviator, explorer, and namesake for a WhiteKnightTwo-class suborbital ship [...]

LP Debate

Is this one of Slade’s transcripts for a UES meeting or is it really the Libertarian Party debate? Well, the LP gets a few issues wrong (UES is more pro-intervention in terms of the military), but by and large…

Anti-Advertising Agency

We must keep an eye on these misfits, the Anti-Advertising Agency. It seems that their entire mission is to destroy both culture and living standards. That being said, I am still going to *try* the Add-Art application, despite the fact that if everyone does, we are doomed to advertisements in much worse places. (h/t Hunter)

Farm subsidies for Salmon

New subsidies for salmon farmers! Aquanomics properly says Congress has acted “in its infinite stupidity.“

Breaking the Unions

Breaking up Teachers unions is apparently the main reason behind success in New Orleans’ public education resurgence.

The market for kinds of currency

An interesting decision: Apple will not accept cash payment for iPhones. Presumably this is to prevent resellers: cash does not allow Apple to ration quantities.

The Resurgence of Luck

Leonard Mlodinow, who has a career but is best known for co-writing Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “The Drumhead,” argues that luck means more than we think and thinks Twain is 110% right that “People commonly use statistics like a drunk uses a lamp post: for support rather than illumination”?

NBER mini-course

The NBER is offering a free 18 hour mini-course entitled “What’s new in econometrics” taught by Jeffrey Woolridge and Guidio Imbens.

Santa Tracking

I will be watching for Santa. You can catch all the latest developments, including Santa’s taste in architecture and history, here.