Tuesday, August 28, 2007

My Newewt Hero

Ever since Joe Camel was tossed to the curb, I've been looking for a smoking hero. Well I've found her:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=478075&in_page_id=1770

My only wish is that she would emigrate to the United States for her final years so we can learn from someone with a don't tread on me attitude.

Also, I really wish Camel (or whomever owns him now) would license the rights to use Joe Camel to me. If he was SO powerful he made children start smoking, maybe I can use him to get my students to learn economics.

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

It Never Fails!

This is purely misanthropic with little economic relevance, but I don't care. Why do people drive out the in gate in a parking garage when they can see someone trying to come in? Better yet, why is there always one idiot driving ass backward through a parking lot? I experienced both in about a 5 minute time span. Maybe speed bumps that will slash your tires if you hit them from the opposite side would cure this little annoyance.

My shack in the woods days are getting closer.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

Rush and South Park

I didn't know this until I found the video on YouTube, but the guys from South Park did a bit for Canadian rock trio Rush to use before the song Tom Sawyer. Even if you're not a Rush fan, check out the video. I've been laughing all day thinking about it. I'm thinking about showing it to my classes this fall just to see how many of them get the joke.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ-XNDEuYCs

Spurrier and other Smart Guys

1) I really hate to break this to Steve Spurrier, as if the Old Ball Coach will ever hear of this, but he is not the center of the universe. Spurrier is upset because two of his recruits at South Carolina were denied academic entry to the university.
http://msn.foxsports.com/cfb/story/7097586

All I can say is OUTSTANDING! I wasn't sure lots of the major universities still had admission standards (I know the lower level state universities don't), especially for athletes. Maybe, just maybe, but probably not, a few universities will start enforcing admissions standards. Ted Kennedy will probably pass a field sobriety test before that happens.

2) This clown who caught A-Rod's 500th home run ball. (Sorry, but I couldn't find a link to the story. Saw it on Mike and Mike this afternoon). This guy was recently unemployed. He had to empty out his savings to buy Yankees season tickets. Now he has A-Rod's 500th home run ball and want to cash it on it. The economist in me is all for this. It is his money and he can spend it how he wishes. And any ball that goes into the stands becomes the fan's property and he can dispose of the ball as he chooses.

Taking off my economist hat now, I hope A-Rod doesn't give the joker a red cent! If you are unemployed and clear out your savings to buy baseball season tickets, you really should check your priorities. One way or the other this guy will cash in because someone will pay a few thousand dollars for the ball. Good for him. But otherwise, what a doofus!

Sowell, Bridges and Incentives

Great column by Thomas Sowell on the Minnesota bridge disaster and the incentives facing politicians in general:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2007/08/07/a_bridge_too_far_gone

Nice column from the Mises Institute on the same topic as well:
http://www.mises.org/story/2668