If you have the time, here are 20 high-value minutes with Ken Rogoff.

http://watch.bnn.ca/headline/august-2010/headline-august-5-2010/#clip332999

Merry Christmas Eve! Here is your present...your new Doctor. BOHICA baby, and I mean it.

You think you are bad? No you not.....

Thanks for this from our good friend Wes Johnson.

Self Explanatory.

This is not good at all.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703846604575448022122679194.html?mod=WSJ_hps_SECONDTopStories

A short visit with Alan Blinder.

If you thought the Army Golden Knight had some stones then watch this.....

Thanks to Anonymous for alerting me.

I really like this guy, Christopher Hitchens. Was saddened to learn he is dying from esophageal cancer.

http://www.slate.com/id/2264770/

You can clean your computer screen on the outside. Here is a tool to clean it on the inside.

http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf

Once a King always a King...but once a Knight is enough.

Young King Arthur was ambushed and imprisoned by the monarch of a neighboring kingdom. The monarch could have killed him but was moved by Arthur's youth and ideals. So, the monarch offered him his freedom, as long as he could answer a very difficult question. Arthur would have a year to figure out the answer and, if after a year, he still had no answer, he would be put to death.

The question?...What do women really want? Such a question would perplex even the most knowledgeable man, and to young Arthur, it seemed an impossible query. But, since it was better than death, he accepted the monarch's proposition to have an answer by year's end.

He returned to his kingdom and began to poll everyone: the princess, the priests, the wise men and even the court jester. He spoke with everyone, but no one could give him a satisfactory answer.

Many people advised him to consult the old witch, for only she would have the answer.

But the price would be high; as the witch was famous throughout the kingdom for the exorbitant prices she charged.

The last day of the year arrived and Arthur had no choice but to talk to the witch. She agreed to answer the question, but he would have to agree to her price first..

The old witch wanted to marry Sir Lancelot, the most noble of the Knights of the Round Table and Arthur's closest friend!

Young Arthur was horrified. She was hunchbacked and hideous, had only one tooth, smelled like sewage, made obscene noises, etc He had never encountered such a repugnant creature in all his life.

He refused to force his friend to marry her and endure such a terrible burden; but Lancelot, learning of the proposal, spoke with Arthur.

He said nothing was too big of a sacrifice compared to Arthur's life and the preservation of the Round Table.

Hence, a wedding was proclaimed and the witch answered Arthur's question thus:

What a woman really wants, she answered....is to be in charge of her own life.

Everyone in the kingdom instantly knew that the witch had uttered a great truth and that Arthur's life would be spared.

And so it was, the neighboring monarch granted Arthur his freedom and Lancelot and the witch had a wonderful wedding.

The honeymoon hour approached and Lancelot, steeling himself for a horrific experience, entered the bedroom. But, what a sight awaited him. The most beautiful woman he had ever seen lay before him on the bed. The astounded Lancelot asked what had happened

The beauty replied that since he had been so kind to her when she appeared as a witch, she would henceforth, be her horrible deformed self only half the time and the beautiful maiden the other half.

Which would he prefer? Beautiful during the day....or night?

Lancelot pondered the predicament. During the day, a beautiful woman to show off to his friends, but at night , in the privacy of his castle, an old witch? Or, would he prefer having a hideous witch during the day, but by night, a beautiful woman for him to enjoy wondrous intimate moments?

What would YOU do?

What Lancelot chose is below. BUT....make YOUR choice before you scroll down below. OKAY?








Noble Lancelot said that he would allow HER to make the choice herself.

Upon hearing this, she announced that she would be beautiful all the time because he had respected her enough to let her be in charge of her own life.

Now....what is the moral to this story?



Scroll down

The moral is.....
If you don't let a woman have her own way....
Things will get ugly

Makes a lot of sense when you don't scream and holler.

http://www.funnyeconomist.com/DeLong.pdf

What's wrong with this idea? Nothing. All subsidies distort the allocation of resources.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704518904575365450087744876.html

Larry Summers vs. Larry Summers

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2010/07/22/summers-that-was-then-this-is-now/

Welcome home Leona Helmsley.

When I was in graduate school, I lived about one mile away from the federal prison in Lexington, KY. Leona Helmsley was was one of the most famous inmates there after she was convicted of tax evasion. She stated "taxes are for little people" and the judge did not like her tone of voice. He threw her in the cross bar hotel and her sentence started on April 15th. At that time my favorite liquor store (in reality, they're all my favorite) put up a sign that simply read "Welcome Home Leona Helmsley" and made a big joke out of it. I talked to the owner of the store and he said "how big and important do you think she feels today?"

I relate this story in connection with the attached article sent by the capable Dr. Rothman. I title it "Welcome home intended consequences".


http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704723604575379650414337676.html?mod=WSJ_hps_LEFTWhatsNews

Inflation or Deflation...which is it?

From Greg Mankiw's Blog:

Horse racing is on the way down...and perhaps for the count. 20 years from now there will be the triple crown and the Breeders'Cup and 10 tracks.

http://www.economist.com/node/16507659

Some cheap jokes but some really great ones too.

From my youth and public television: Irish comic Dave Allen

Robert Hall is one of the three top economists in the world. He is worth the time.

Dr. Rothman and I have been thinking and talking recently. We have determined that James Hamilton, Greg Mankiw and Robert Hall are three macroeconomists who are the most reasoned and careful of any in the profession. They don't push agendas like Krugman and are only in it for the science, and what we know from economic research. That is why they are really worth listening to. The link below is a recent interview with Robert Hall. It is packed with information from the Dean of macroeconomics....and is worth the read. No venom and his hair is not on fire.

http://www.funnyeconomist.com/Hall.pdf














http://www.funnyeconomist.com/Hall.pdf

Confusion over what the rules are and will be is holding the economy back ...just like Roosevelt did.

http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/07/07/feds-fisher-confusion-leading-to-slower-growth/?mod=djemRTE_t&reflink=djemWLB

More cool pictures from the military.

http://www.tom-phillips.info/images/cool.pics.military.htm

This gives a whole new meaning to bull riding.

Duck Mate!

Hiroshima

We did the right thing here. End of story.

Four views of structural unemployment.

http://www.economist.com/economics/by-invitation/guest-contributions/address_structural_unemployment_slowly_and_cautiously

The article presents one view. Then at the end of the article there are links to three others. All are worth the read.