Category: Web/Tech

MR has many new readers, especially since the financial crisis, so I thought I would offer this brief guide to what we are all about.  Plus one of the readers, under "requests," asked for a foundation statement for this blog.  Here, in six easy steps, is "The Show So Far":

1. Luring Alex to lunch.

2. A "public choice" and indeed Straussian reading of Star Wars.

3. Alex ponders immortality and it changes his life.

4. When to say "I Love You".

5. The economics of relativity.

6. Alex explains the difference between Tyler and Alex.

For this New Year I remain thankful to have what I consider the very best readers in the world.

1. H5N1 update, per reader request; there is more here.

2. Me on fiscal stimulus on NPR.

3. What is the 11th best job?

4. Can you use hypocrisy to change people’s behavior?

1. The work habits of famous people.

2. MasterResource; a free market energy blog.

3. Arnold Kling is very wise; today on fiscal policy.

4. Saying words wrong on purpose.

1. Ten young progressive intellectuals.

2. International bright young things; the new economic superstars.

3. First Chinese restaurant with three Michelin stars.

4. Best science fiction books of the year; you’ll find one list here and another here.

5. Here is Alex Ross’s list of the best classical music recordings of the year.

1. Doug Elmendorf (another good pick) to head the CBO

2. What really happened to AIG?

3. Top ten food trends of 2008, via Craig Newmark with the meta-list here.

4. Does it matter if judges know some economics?

5. Overall, was 2008 a year of *good* news? 

What do you wish to hear about?  I know I haven’t finished all of your older requests, but I surveyed them a bit yesterday and I thought that perhaps the list has evolved since April.

1. The corruption of accounting standards; an important article.

2. A good smash of the pallid Benjamin Button.

3. Should Eugene be annoyed by "Happy Holidays"?

4. Writers pick their favorite books of the year.

5. The health benefits of candy canes?

I was impressed with these RC controlled cars that race on walls and even on smooth ceilings.  They were a big hit with the kids too!

1. China photo of the day; I love the caption as well.

2. Improvised car pools, organized through iPhones.

3. A photograph of Gresham’s Law.

4. How has the financial crisis changed economics?  My words: "People used to think that these behavioral effects were small
anomalies that turned up in experiments but washed out in the real
world," says Tyler Cowen, an economist at George Mason University not
himself affiliated with behavioral economics. "But there’s a sense in
which they get multiplied in the real world."

5. NYT Words of the year: Robin Hanson’s "futarchy" makes the list.  Go directly to the excerpt here.

1. The Panic of 1873

2. Changes in tax law made the housing bubble worse

3. The Fed’s balance sheet

4. Via Kottke, top astronomy photos

1. Joanne McNeil on science fiction and glamour

2. Taiwan tries to break the liquidity trap

3. The Midwest has the safest weather in the U.S.

4. German woman now the editor of the Michelin Guide; if you are into breaking stereotypes, there was also an article (gated) in today’s WSJ entitled "France Credits Deregulation for Cushioning its Economy."

1. Jessica Fridrich

2. Robert Mundell sponsors a Chinese chess tournament

3. Problems in the repo market

4. Not enough acorns in Virginia

1. Appreciative thinking

2. The real value of a Senate seat

3. Vending machines for crows

4. What does "science" tell us about the financial crisis: a symposium?

5. What Obama needs to know about drugs

1. Virginia Postrel on the economics of bubbles.

2. The economic outlook.

3. Frog picture; recommended.

4. Robot density.

5. We’ll do the next two chapters of Keynes on Monday.