Adding a post to the fluff category without a Star Trek reference isn’t always easy, but here it goes. This Wednesday (Nov. 21, 2007) I decided to drive 130 miles down to Lakeland, FL to spend Thanksgiving with my mother who lives down there. About halfway through at approximately 9:00 p.m while doing 80 MPH [...]
Archive for the 'Miscellaneous' Category
This evening, at the Accent-sponsored forum on universal healthcare, I got into an argument during the Q&A session with Dr. David Himmelstein, Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard and founder of Physicians for a National Health Program. Our debate went something like this:
Me: In the interest of full disclosure, I am a libertarian. To quote [...]
America’s Prisoner Dilemma
Published by November 19th, 2007 in Economics, Law, Miscellaneous and Policy. 0 CommentsThere is a study that has just been published by the JFA Institute on America’s prison/incarceration dilemma. It cites a report by PEW Charitable Trust which states that “under current sentencing policies the state and prison population will grow by another 192,000 prisoners over the next five years. The incarceration rate will grow from 491 [...]
Google Wireless in the Works
Published by November 16th, 2007 in Fluff, Miscellaneous and Technology & Innovation. 0 CommentsNot drooling for the iPhone yet? Just wait until it’s on a Google wireless network along with all the Google goodies we have all come to love and depend on. I know you’re thinking “What does all this have to do with economics!?” Well, it does have serious implications for those in the wireless telecommunications [...]
Some may argue that the right of an individual to develop his own property as he sees fit is constricted enough, given current zoning codes and regulations. While there is certainly room for disagreement on the issue, there is a new constitutional amendment in the pipeline that promises to choke our quasi-free market real estate [...]
Every few years, advances in silicon chip technology furthers our computing capabilities. That next advance appears to be Intel’s new Penryn line of chips, the latest product from the company in an effort to stem the tide towards rival AMD. As a particular IT blog puts it,
No matter what, these new [...]
As you all know, UF recently paid Bill Nye to speak to us Gators in the Phillips Center. Some of his talk focused around global warming and its numerous alleged pitfalls. Personally, I agree that there has been some degree of warming, but I wonder about the parade of evils that will come about as [...]
Meeting Overview 11/06/07
Published by November 9th, 2007 in Education, Meeting Records and Miscellaneous. 4 CommentsThis week’s topic: college loans.
AB: The increasing interest rates will have an impact on the economy because, for example, less people will be able to take low-paying teaching positions, and more people will have to wait before purchasing a home. The cost has far outpaced inflation.
JN: It’s not that big a deal. Sure, it delays [...]
Speeches at Gators for Israel Rally
Published by November 8th, 2007 in Asia, International Affairs, Miscellaneous and UES. 4 CommentsTwo UESers gave speeches today at the Gators for Israel Rally. First was Zach Moller, the VP of North Florida for the Florida College Democrats, speaking on behalf of the Democratic Party. He mentioned President Carter and President Clinton’s attempts to broker peace in the Middle East, then focused on Seeds of Peace. He was [...]
The new wealthiest man on Earth is Mukesh Ambani, the Indian industrialist and top shareholder in Reliance Industries, Petroleum, and Industrial Infrastructure. Thanks to a bull market in the Bombay Stock Exchange, his shares have soared to a net worth of $63.2 billion. Congratulations Mr. Ambani and India. This is just a glimpse of what [...]
I encourage you to read this article on my 2003 home, Brisbane, Australia in the NYT. Gives it a good write-up, but it’s meant for rich people. Part of its appeal has always been that it mixes the old Australian country splendor with the new urbanity of a growing country.
Take a look at what some of the leaders of other countries make. No word yet on the income of various dictators.
We learned earlier this semester in my Public Choice class that when voters weigh the economy in their decision to vote for/against an incumbent candidate, they weigh prior quarters of economic growth at 0.89 of the economic growth in the current quarter. That is, if the value of current economic growth is equal to 1 [...]
The Opposition to School Vouchers
Published by November 1st, 2007 in Economics, Education, Miscellaneous and Policy. 4 CommentsA couple days ago, Megan McArdle launched a fusillade against voucher opponents on Asymmetrical Information, a blog now attached to The Atlantic (a real credit to this magazine’s intellectual honesty). She named the best arguments that voucher opponents were coming up with and responded. In sum:
1) Vouchers don’t work
2) Voucher advocates are total [...]
The only posts in the past two weeks besides my own have been the outstanding meeting records written by Slade. What is going on? Blogging is so eaaaaaaaaaasy.
