Monthly Archives: April 2008

FAMOUS PEOPLE I HAVE KNOWN—ALICE BRADLEY.

Posted on April 14, 2008 by Philip

FAMOUS PEOPLE I HAVE KNOWN—ALICE BRADLEY. I posted here and here about how I came to know Alice Bradley, who became a prominent science fiction writer under the name James Tiptree, Jr. The identity of Tiptree was a great mystery … Continue reading →

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THE MAN WHO SOLD THE EIFFEL TOWER.

Posted on April 13, 2008 by Philip

THE MAN WHO SOLD THE EIFFEL TOWER. I posted recently about confidence men who use empty offices. Years ago, I read about a legendary French confidence man whose great coup had been to sell the Eiffel Tower. In fact he … Continue reading →

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THE “TRICKLE-UP” EFFECT IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FASHION.

Posted on April 12, 2008 by Philip

THE “TRICKLE-UP” EFFECT IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY FASHION. The review by Ferdinand Mount that I posted on yesterday takes notice of eighteenth century comments condemning the efforts of the lower classes to dress above their station and points out that “‘The mill … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History | Leave a comment

DID THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HELP THE POOR?

Posted on April 11, 2008 by Philip

DID THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION HELP THE POOR? Kids, one of the much-debated issues in economic history is whether the Industrial Revolution helped the common man. The negative view was expressed by the much-respected E.P. Thompson in THE MAKING OF THE … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History | 1 Comment

THE EASTERLIN PARADOX.

Posted on April 10, 2008 by Philip

THE EASTERLIN PARADOX. Chrystie Freeland had an article about the Easterlin Paradox in the weekend Financial Times. The Easterlin Paradox (named after a 1974 paper by Richard Easterlin) asserts that once a country achieves a relatively low standard of living, … Continue reading →

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DOES THE EXCEPTION PROVE THE RULE?

Posted on April 9, 2008 by Philip

DOES THE EXCEPTION PROVE THE RULE? I have had a long-running debate with Mary Jane about what it means to say, “The exception proves the rule.” Mary Jane has contended that the word “proves” is to be taken with the … Continue reading →

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THE MARRIAGES OF BRUTUS AND HOTSPUR.

Posted on April 8, 2008 by Philip

THE MARRIAGES OF BRUTUS AND HOTSPUR. Cynthia Crossen had a good review in the weekend Wall Street Journal of Germaine Greer’s new book SHAKESPEARE’S WIFE, which defends Ann Hathaway. She had the initiative to contact Stephen Greenblatt, who is a … Continue reading →

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NOISY FISH.

Posted on April 8, 2008 by Philip

NOISY FISH. Nonny De La Pena has an article today about how much noise fish make. She points out that when Jacques Cousteau used the title “The Silent World”, his diving apparatus was concealing the sounds of the deep. Some … Continue reading →

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WHY DON’T THE POOR ACT MORE LIKE ECONOMISTS?

Posted on April 7, 2008 by Philip

WHY DON’T THE POOR ACT MORE LIKE ECONOMISTS? This article by Drake Bennett discusses the claim by Charles Karelis that “traditional economics just doesn’t apply to the poor.” Poor people don’t–and can’t–make rational choices among competing goods or courses of … Continue reading →

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IN THIS WICKED WORLD….

Posted on April 6, 2008 by Philip

IN THIS WICKED WORLD…. I have posted here and elsewhere on THE COAST OF UTOPIA, about nineteenth century intellectuals who dreamed of utopia. I have never been attracted to utopian thought. One of the stories I tell often is from … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Sports | 3 Comments