I got an email earlier today claiming to be from "service@paypal.com" and looking very plausible. It indicated that I had made a $150 watch purchase that I hadn't actually made, and provided what appeared to be links to the PayPal … Continue reading
Former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich explains why it makes sense to raise the minimum wage: Link: http://youtu.be/ct8CGJy9eF8 He didn't even get around to pointing out that if the increase were based on productivity gains rather than just inflation, … Continue reading
Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich gives a brief, straightforward explanation for why switching to chained CPI isn't appropriate for Social Security cost-of-living adjustments: Link: http://youtu.be/fvXuANd2l80 (I'm not sure why some ninny thought the ticking kitchen timer sound effect was … Continue reading
Colbert reports on a recent furor in economics circles: a very influential paper in macroeconomics that turns out to be based on some significant errors. The paper concluded that a debt-to-GDP ratio greater than 90% drastically reduces economic growth, but … Continue reading
Here's how The Colbert Report opened the day after the Boston Marathon bombing, serious and funny at the same time: The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,Video Archive Click here for link. … Continue reading
New Zealand member of parliament Maurice Williamson addresses the house briefly on the subject of same-sex marriage, which passed by a larger-than expected margin of 77-44 on Wednesday. The woman shown several times is a principal sponsor of the bill, … Continue reading
About the time of the explosions in Boston I was on the phone with a colleague there who had been visiting family and was at Logan on the way back. Neither of us learned about the attack until later. Fortunately … Continue reading
Conservatives have never been fans of Social Security and for years have advocated fully or partly privatizing it (which Wall Street would adore) or at least pushing through major cuts, which they are often inclined to call "entitlement reform" because … Continue reading
Last week, Rep Rand Paul (R-Texas) made an appearance before students at Howard University and tried without notable success to persuade them that Republicans are the real pro-civil-rights party (at least if you overlook the last half-century or so). On … Continue reading
NBC's Saturday Night Live often parodies the Fox News morning program Fox and Friends, and a routine feature is a rapid crawl of corrections to things supposedly said previously on the show. A few examples I particularly liked: At no … Continue reading