Rock and Roll: The Universal Language
If the Intertubes are to be believed, this is the Red Army Choir. (backstory) Dig those Britney Spears microphones on the army dudes. All it needs is some guy in the back yelling “FREEBIRD!”
Archive of entries posted by jfleck
The Importance of Political Viability
Environmental economist John Whitehead explains why he won’t sign the economists’ petition arguing for a 100 percent auction of carbon emission credits, rather than giving some of them away for free: Why won’t I sign? I agree with everything in the statement except for the 100% part. 100% auctions seems like a guarantee that some …
What I Love About the Internet, Episode XIV
That I can sit here in the comfort of my own home, idly curious about irrigation in California’s Imperial Valley, and look up the 1950 Census of Agriculture’s California county-by-county data. 503,686 Q: How has irrigation in California’s Imperial Valley changed over the years? A: Great question, John! In 1950, there were 532,543 acres under …
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Re quake
Well here’s some good news: China’s strongest earthquake in 58 years may reduce the nation’s energy demand as damaged power plants and transmission lines force companies to idle some generators. The down side, though, according to Bloomberg’s Rob Delaney, is the quake’s possible contribution to food inflation. Oh, yeah. And all the dead people. That’s …
What Tipping Point?
Matthew Nisbet: Conventional wisdom pegged Gore’s film and media campaign as changing the nature of the debate in the public’s mind, but unfortunately this interpretation doesn’t hold up to the data.
Coleman, Stiger in the Morning Paper
A couple of pieces worth reading in the morning paper by my colleagues on subjects of personal interest: Mike Coleman on the political realities underlying the energy grandstanding coming out of Washington Susan Stiger on the virtues of growing and eating locally
Quote (Conversation?) of the Day
Eckleburg: Workstudy Student: Does Honey Go Bad? Me: After 3 years, it will start to vote Republican. Workstudy Student: [polite silence]
bullshit
Obstructing traffic? Nora is traffic.
Adapt or Die
From the BBC: Great tits cope well with warming: Researchers found that great tits are laying eggs earlier in the spring than they used to, keeping step with the earlier emergence of caterpillars. (via Belshaw)
The Gas Tax Holiday
An economist has finally come forward with a cogent argument in favor of the gas tax holiday. In today’s New York Times, Bryan Caplan points out that voters are demanding that Congress do something. There is nothing Congress can actually do to help the situation. But since they’re likely to do something, the gas tax …