Homines libenter quod volunt credunt
Posted in Entrepreneurs, ethical foundations, Flotsam and Jetsam, Fun Facts on Nov 6th, 2014
Rest in peace S. Donald Stookey: In 1952, he placed a plate of glass into an oven to heat it, but the oven malfunctioned. Instead of heating to about 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit, the oven shot up to more than 1,600 degrees. Stookey expected to find a molten mess. Instead, he found an opaque, milky-white plate. […]
Posted in Disingenuous, Education, ethical foundations on Oct 10th, 2014
Such a question is normally asked by me in an intermediate micro class to illustrate that basic economic tools can be useful for understanding the most pedestrian events of our everyday life. Indeed, I was all set to have my intro students grapple with this earth altering question as I wander into class today. But […]
Posted in Classical Liberalism, Disingenuous, ethical foundations on Oct 2nd, 2014
I’ve already been asked to do a half-dozen campus events, give a couple of interviews, and sit on a couple of committees. I’ve said no to all of them, and I will no longer be part of any of it for the foreseeable future. The same is true about what I talk about here for the […]
Posted in Behavior, Competition, Corporatism, Development, Disingenuous, Environment, ethical foundations, If I Really Hated the Poor ..., Politics, Price System, Special Privilege on Oct 2nd, 2014
It turns out that Californians have successfully made their lives less comfortable by banning plastic bags. As you surely know this is yet another feel good policy that will accomplish almost nothing in the way of real environmental benefits. Now, I have no problem with people making poor choices especially with their own funds, and […]
Posted in ethical foundations on Sep 25th, 2014
I think that when people approach you, particularly unsolicited, and ask questions AND demand answers, that is as close to bullying as you can get without actually bullying. Is it? Once you are put in an awkward position of dealing with a question that you’d prefer not to speak about, no matter how you respond […]
Posted in ethical foundations, Politics on Sep 13th, 2014
Dear social contractarians, suppose I agree with you that by being born “into society” that I am bound by an unwritten social contract, and therefore am bound to allegiance to my fellow citizens and the representatives they choose. Great, I agree. What, then, do you say to me when both my fellow citizens and especially […]
Posted in Behavior, ethical foundations, Institutions on Sep 4th, 2014
Ahh, nothing like the anticipation of seeing the future of a freshly seeded lawn …
Posted in Behavior, ethical foundations, Institutions on Aug 23rd, 2014
My family and I attended a swanky golf tournament yesterday (the Barclays, played at the austere Ridgewood Country Club). Needless to say, the place is populated with a slice of folks from the very top of the income distribution with a sprinkling of “regular Joes” tossed in. Two small obsvervations: I have rarely encountered more […]
Posted in Economics Problems, Economists, Employment, ethical foundations on Aug 17th, 2014
Lest one wonder if Wintercow has truly disconnected I’ll just remind folks that I’m not permitted to comment on the goings on in Ferguson or Iraq or Palestine or just about anywhere for that matter. I’m a resident member and practicing oppressor, paid by corporations and clandestine organizations to subtly promote and continue this oppression […]
Posted in Environment, ethical foundations on May 28th, 2014
The current debate about whether or not “we” should eliminate the last two lab samples of smallpox has me thinking more widely about the issue of species extinction. Also, I am in the middle of this book at the moment (my favorite nugget was his discussion of how a typical plant only converts 2% of […]