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Progress and panderers
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-7222511525778709700 2019-09-18T07:42:00.000-07:00 2019-09-19T16:49:10.219-07:00 Progress and panderers Progress is my favorite idea. Steven Pinker has (and many others have) documented how much better off we are than those who preceded us. I am happy to be ali
Engines of growth -- and new ideas
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-7997290644931046091 2019-07-09T18:39:00.000-07:00 2019-07-10T10:53:08.018-07:00 Engines of growth -- and new ideas Fly low over a major urban settlement and what do you see? A mesh of an uncountable number of supply chains, including supply chains for thing
Because they can
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-4066377311851607647 2020-02-11T09:09:00.000-08:00 2020-02-11T11:36:54.652-08:00 Because they can I never took the Stanford Marshmallow test but presume that I am patient. The current issue of The Economist notes that transportation in Los Angeles ought to inv
Inequality
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-5762690407597832065 2019-08-31T12:21:00.004-07:00 2019-09-10T08:23:45.019-07:00 Inequality The New Yorker (Sep 2, 2019) reviews yet more recent work on increasing inequality ("Widening Gyre"). There are many discussions like this one. What to keep in mind?
The romance and the news
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-2255123837259419670 2020-01-27T12:02:00.000-08:00 2020-01-27T12:02:10.513-08:00 The romance and the news It's election season and we see sides of human nature that are not pretty. Seeking votes, candidates make promises they cannot keep. Voters chose to suspen
Thirteen thoughts on growth and cities
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-5170911962389400658 2019-07-27T16:28:00.000-07:00 2019-07-27T16:28:34.096-07:00 Thirteen thoughts on growth and cities <!--[if !supportLists]--> n <!--[endif]-->Economists’ favorite question is still “How did we get so rich?” We learned how to coordinate p
Not static
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-8699609169932070916 2020-05-25T06:32:00.000-07:00 2020-05-28T08:23:11.688-07:00 Not static In the time of pandemic, changes that had been underway speed up. People adapt and change a little faster, technology adapts and changes faster, even the rules-of-the-ga
What could go wrong?
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-6845839342045444443 2020-07-22T08:57:00.002-07:00 2020-09-01T13:39:11.909-07:00 What could go wrong? From Wikipedia: “Executive Order 10988 is a United States presidential executive order issued by President John F. Kennedy on January 17, 1962 that recognize
Never simple
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-2173188829670474835 2020-09-10T13:15:00.002-07:00 2020-09-10T13:21:40.668-07:00 Never simple MLK's I Have Dream speech was beguiling in many ways. But I heard a Stokely Carmichael speech shortly thereafter and felt deflated. Didn't he get the word that it must
Be careful out there
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-1960490362146204879 2020-02-06T10:24:00.000-08:00 2020-02-07T14:07:39.485-08:00 Be careful out there Watching last night's State of the Union was not easy. With cameras on and the nation watching, preening and pandering were on full display. That's our democr
Road diets
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-1229551581445101769 2019-06-05T14:45:00.003-07:00 2019-06-13T14:50:20.521-07:00 Road diets It's clear that most people like their cars. But it is also true that many people like to complain about cars and traffic. Some of the confusion comes from the fact that
Envy
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-1521633368144832135 2020-03-08T10:48:00.000-07:00 2020-03-09T11:49:08.749-07:00 Envy The 10 richest men of all time Mansa Musa (1280-1337, king of the Mali empire) wealth indescribable Augustus Caesar (63 BC-14 AD, Roman emperor) $4.6tn (£3.5tn) Zhao Xu (104
It's the season
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-4464509066401613451 2019-08-15T13:32:00.001-07:00 2019-08-15T13:32:12.492-07:00 It's the season The very long U.S. election season is here. What to keep on mind? Two things strike me as fundamental. 1. Knowledge is complex and dispersed. This means that
So many confusions
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-8173062462972221249 2019-10-27T06:40:00.000-07:00 2019-10-27T06:43:51.620-07:00 So many confusions In the current the New Yorker, Adam Gopnik writes "We Built This City: What we can learn from a long-reviled master of 'urban renewal" which is a long-winded rev
Near and Far
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-374403354174158463 2019-10-07T16:06:00.000-07:00 2019-10-07T19:36:35.156-07:00 Near and Far We know that information is crucial, complex and dispersed. This is why there are ubiquitous information markets. We are all on a mission to seek out, not just data and
Perhaps
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-9115596089635146428 2019-06-24T16:26:00.000-07:00 2019-06-25T11:54:27.193-07:00 Perhaps There are many possible futures we hope are not in our future. Nuclear war, meteor colliding with Earth, infectious diseases that we cannot stop, many others. The consolin
It takes a horrific hurricane
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-9033743112963040267 2019-12-10T17:04:00.002-08:00 2019-12-10T17:16:10.481-08:00 It takes a horrific hurricane Where to start? We have too much crony capitalism. Many of our young people graduate unprepared for productive work. Productivity gaps translate into
What do we know? What are we learning and re-learning? My top ten
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-6301444580183421931 2020-04-06T09:32:00.000-07:00 2020-04-06T09:36:19.420-07:00 What do we know? What are we learning and re-learning? My top ten -- Black swans can happen anytime, anywhere. <!--[if !supportLists]-->2 -- Initial responses are inevit
Majority for Bill of Rights
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-3122166557421921078 2020-10-21T11:09:00.000-07:00 2020-10-21T11:09:29.102-07:00 Majority for Bill of Rights The U.S. Bill of Rights is glorious and is supposed to protect us from majority rule. But the Founders did not know about social media and how it would
Happy July 4
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-5777087108232443360 2020-07-03T12:06:00.000-07:00 2020-07-04T11:36:00.006-07:00 Happy July 4 Tribalism is natural and often hideous. But over many years, it had been tamed – to some extent. Every group has historical grievances. These are incited and nur
Big data and big plans
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-5272469198486113042 2019-12-25T05:35:00.000-08:00 2019-12-25T05:35:22.008-08:00 Big data and big plans The year-end issue of The Economist includes a nice essay on planning. “Beware of the Borg” (title in print edition). Everyone plans; plans can be coordina
Retrogression
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-5557076247696598397 2020-09-29T17:37:00.001-07:00 2020-09-29T17:38:47.073-07:00 Retrogression Margaret Heffernan writes beautifully and wisely. "While we can never render complexity simple, we could embrace it as an adventure, calling us to investigate the infi
Covid 19 in Santa Monica and Sweden
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-4779873005739805104 2020-04-19T17:46:00.000-07:00 2020-04-25T15:43:25.369-07:00 Covid 19 in Santa Monica and Sweden Palisades Park in Santa Monica has long been my favorite weekend escape. Many others feel the same way. It is a pleasant place for walks, pic
Common sense choices
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-2347353644441229608 2020-05-13T07:20:00.000-07:00 2020-05-27T16:21:31.105-07:00 Common sense choices Economists tell students and others that there are "needs" and "wants". And the distinction is subjective and personal for most people. "I need a drink." Likew
Be a persuader
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6268492.post-14121577837683464 2019-07-07T15:16:00.001-07:00 2019-07-07T15:16:53.519-07:00 Be a persuader David C. Rose explains Why Culture Matters Most. Small-group moral intuitions, small-group trust, are our heritage. But how to get large-group trust? How do we get a