Monthly Archives: October 2007

THE WITCH’S HOUSE.

THE WITCH’S HOUSE. When I was in elementary school, one of the houses was known to all the kids as “the witch’s house.” It was an ordinary house. In fact, the only thing unusual about it was that it was … Continue reading

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MY NIGHT WITH A CELEBRITY.

MY NIGHT WITH A CELEBRITY. I know what it is like to be a celebrity. At least I know what it is to be the escort of a celebrity. Back in the early days of the Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, … Continue reading

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THE NOTORIOUS DOCTOR CRIPPEN AND DNA.

THE NOTORIOUS DOCTOR CRIPPEN AND DNA. Dr. Crippen has a claim to being the most notorious criminal of the last century. His name was used by a major publisher of detective stories, Crippen & Landru. Why was he so celebrated? … Continue reading

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JOURNALISTS AND SOURCE GREASERS (REVISITED).

JOURNALISTS AND SOURCE GREASERS (REVISITED). Almost a year ago, I posted here about some of the problems that arise when journalists rely on anonymous sources. Not only does the reader not know what the source’s agenda is; he can never … Continue reading

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THE MARKET REVOLUTION IN AMERICA 1815 TO 1846–GOOD OR BAD?

THE MARKET REVOLUTION IN AMERICA 1815 TO 1846–GOOD OR BAD? I think most economists assume that the economic growth in the United States in the nineteenth century was a good thing. I know I do. Greater material prosperity and greater … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, History | 3 Comments

DOWNTOWERING AND KARL MARX.

DOWNTOWERING AND KARL MARX. This wikipedia article has the following quote from Karl Marx: “A house may be large or small; as long as the neighboring houses are likewise small, it satisfies all social requirement for a residence. But let … Continue reading

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RELATIVE INCOME VERSUS ABSOLUTE INCOME.

RELATIVE INCOME VERSUS ABSOLUTE INCOME. Kids, there is a vigorous debate among economists about the importance of relative income versus absolute income. This article discusses the difference between absolute poverty and relative poverty. The European Union uses a poverty threshold … Continue reading

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NEW WORDS—“DOWNTOWERING.”

NEW WORDS—“DOWNTOWERING.” The Financial Times noted on October 23 that highly paid expatriate bankers in Hong Kong in the late nineties used the word “downtowering.” If a banker was unsuccessful, his housing allowance was cut and he would be forced … Continue reading

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“GIANT WRESTLING BABIES.”

“GIANT WRESTLING BABIES.” The Economist for October 13 has an article on scandals in the world of sumo. There are allegations of abuse of young trainees—perhaps even murder—in addition to recurrent claims of match fixing. (FREAKONOMICS featured a statistical analysis … Continue reading

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MUSSOLINI, THE INFLUENTIAL–JOURNALISM.

MUSSOLINI, THE INFLUENTIAL–JOURNALISM. The title of the article by the great Murray Kempton that I posted on yesterday was “A Genius of Journalism.” Kempton professed a perverse pride that Mussolini shared Kempton’s profession. Kempton pointed out that journalists made up … Continue reading

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