Economics

As an economics blogger, I feel I should say something about the current economic crisis hitting our financial institutions. However, my libertarian philosophy isn't helping me as much as I'd like when it comes to the current financial crisis. It's not that pure free-market economics doesn't provide an answer. It does. I'm just not confident it's a good answer. The … [Read more...] about Nothing Profound On the Financial Crisis

Dear Federal Government, Please buy my Nikon 35mm f/2 lens. I bought it in 2006 for $300. My thinking was that a lens at that focal length with that aperture---a fast normal prime, in photographer lingo---would allow me to take medium shots of people in low light. I thought I would get a lot of good pictures that way, but it's not working out. I'm just not getting as many … [Read more...] about Hey Feds, Buy My Camera Lens

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the meatpacking industry agree: The American beef supply is safe from bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), a.k.a. "mad cow" disease. They know this because the USDA has been spot-testing slaughtered cattle for years. That works for me, but maybe it's not good enough for you. Maybe you don't trust the statistical sampling process. Maybe … [Read more...] about Mad Cow Madness Continues

Kip Esquire points us to an AP wire story that has some shameful news (emphasis mine): WASHINGTON - Two-thirds of U.S. corporations paid no federal income taxes between 1998 and 2005, according to a new report from Congress. ... Collectively, the companies reported trillions of dollars in sales, according to GAO's estimate. "It's shameful that so many corporations make big … [Read more...] about Twisted Facts About Corporate Income Tax

Moby Kip posts about the many, many problems with the home mortgage bailout bill, which seems to be designed to lure still more financially marginal families into home ownership. And for some reason it even includes a tax handout to a giant company that has nothing to do with the real estate business. … [Read more...] about The Trouble With Mortgage Bailouts