Off to the ASSA
Tomorrow morning, I’m off to San Francisco for the Allied Social Science Associations (ASSA) meetings. I have 20 job interviews in 4 days. Wish me luck.
Category: Current Events
SimCity: Los Angeles
How would you like to run a major city? With the economic economic slowdown, would you raise taxes? If so, on what? If you would cut spending, what programs would you cut? The City of Los Angeles has a survey that let’s you decide allocate the taxpayers dollars. More information can be found at the…
Los Galácticos de Obama
At the turn of the century, the football (soccer) club Real Madrid began collecting some of the most famous players in the world. Termed los Galácticos by the media, the team included a stockpile all-world players such as Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham, Michael Owen, Roberto Carlos, and Raúl. It seems Presdient-Elect Obama is trying to form…
Vaccination rate overstated
The Washington Post reports that the number of children who have been vaccinated in developing countries has been greatly exaggerated. Political pressure to increase vaccination rates as well as financial incentives from NGOs rewarded increased vaccinations has driven these reporting errors. Hat Tip: Marginal Revolution.
Books of the Year
My favorite Economist issue is out: The Economist picks for the books of the year. Below, is a list of my favorite books that I’ve read in the last 12 months. East of Eden – one of the top 5 books I’ve ever read. A Separate Peace – A short, simple book, but one that stays…
Do drug companies suppress unfavorable results from academic journals?
In short: yes. A study by Rising, Bacchetti, Bero (2008) compares mandatory trial submissions to the FDA with information on trials which appear in academic journals. The authors find that “Discrepancies between the trial information reviewed by the FDA and information found in published trials tended to lead to more favorable presentations of the NDA drugs…
Humana’s YouTube Videos
Why is health care so expensive? How does insurance work? Health insurance giant Humana has some answers available on YouTube. These brief, two minute videos give a nice introduction to some important health care and health insurance concepts. The videos so clear and easy to understand anyone could understand it. Health experts will of…
Red Light Special on Breast Augmentation
With the economy in a downturn, many firms have been hard hit. Industries that sell luxury goods have been especially hard hit. One example of a luxury good sector taking a beating is the elective surgery market. The New York Times reports that dermatologists, facial surgeons and plastic surgeons have all seen a significant drop in…
Breaking News: A New President and a New Cavalcade of Risk
Barack Obama has been elected President of the United States. Whether you are for or against Obama, this is a historic day. It is the first time an African-American has been elected president. Coverage of the election is below: Reactions from Around the World – N.Y. Times What the World Expects – BBC News Headlines…
Who is going to win the election?
Well its election day here in the U.S. As an engaged citizen, I encourage you to vote. As an economist, I know that your vote will not matter. Anthony Downs looks at the irrationality of voting and claims that the probability that your vote will matter, that it will itself determine the outcome, is in…