Just before the election, I signed the “Economists Against Trump” open letter. Trump’s rejection of globalization is based on fallacies, and while I hope there is less domestic regulation in a Trump presidency I fear that on net, the rejection of globalism and the potential erosion of reasonably robust political institutions in the West will […]
Let Kids Buy What They Want
“Sweetheart, I think you’re making a terrible decision. However, I am not going to stop you.” “Yay!” That’s from a not-too-long-ago escapade with my daughter, who was about to spend her money on what I honestly thought was dumb. Why, if she was making a mistake, didn’t I stop her? My kids get a weekly […]
My Thoughts On Uber
Ever wonder if you should Uber? Read on and then tell me what you think. So what is Uber a Substitute *For*? (artcarden.com, May 23, 2016) Art Carden Recommends – Discount Code (artcarden.com) Uber In San Antonio (Forbes.com, November 2, 2015) An Open Letter to Birmingham’s City Council on Uber (Forbes.com, July 22, 2014) Uber […]
Calling The Cops Because You See A Black Guy In Your Neighborhood Is Harassment
Just so we’re clear, calling the cops because you see a large black guy in your neighborhood is harassment. This has happened to a friend with a door-to-door job in three separate neighborhoods over the last few months. And if you’re going to protest and appeal to the black male crime rate to justify your […]
My Thoughts On Immigration
Many of us are thinking about the implication of having a new president-elect especially in regard to immigration. Here are some of my articles and interviews on the subject: Border Fences: Costlier Than The Problem? (Forbes.com, October 17, 2016) What You Don’t Know About Immigration Can Hurt You (Forbes.com, October 17, 2016) Immigrants and Their […]
Hackademia: Take The Grading Challenge
I hate grading. It’s boring, it involves some wearying judgment calls, it’s sometimes depressing… As one of my mentors said (wisely), “We teach for free and get paid to grade.” I just stumbled upon this one weird trick that helped me plow through a lot of grading very quickly. Instead of grading in my office […]
A Few Thoughts For Students From An Economics Professor
A few thoughts for students from an economics professor: We know more than you, but this doesn’t mean we’re smarter. It just means we’re older. I’ve taught lots of students who are smarter than me, but I know a lot more about economics than they do because I’ve been studying it for about as long […]
Matthew 18
Here are a few thoughts on the parable of the forgiven servant in Matthew 18: Our debt is of a kind that can’t be repaid. The 10k talents are a stand-in for impossibility–and yet when we ask for mercy, we still say “I’ll pay it back! I promise!” We are forgiven even above and beyond […]
Some Thoughts On “SEC and College Football: Is it still the dominant conference?”
I recently read an article “SEC and College Football: Is it still the dominant conference?” on the Covering the Business Side of Sports website. Here are my thoughts on the subject: This becomes remarkable when you consider population and enrollment. Ohio, for example, has over 11 million people while Alabama has just under 5 million […]
Get Gooder at Good Writing
Are you needing to write and give a presentation? Here are some resources to help you prepare for your time behind the podium. Writing Posts from Lifehack Improve Your Writing With Word Limits Writing Research Papers Hunt, Gather, and Build: A Review of “Weinberg on Writing: The Fieldstone Method” Edit This Post on Editing Deirdre McCloskey […]