Monthly Archives: August 2008

WHO IS SLEEPING THE BIG SLEEP?

WHO IS SLEEPING THE BIG SLEEP? That is a trivia question that my brother Elmer likes to pose. The answer is given in the last paragraphs of Raymond Chandler’s book THE BIG SLEEP: Rusty Regan, the chauffeur, is sleeping the … Continue reading

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CHECKLISTS FOR DOCTORS REVISITED.

CHECKLISTS FOR DOCTORS REVISITED. Late last year, I posted here on Atul Gawande’s article urging the use of checklists by hospitals to prevent infections. This article by Betsy McCaughey reports on progress that has been made. Medicare is taking the … Continue reading

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RECESSION PREDICTION.

RECESSION PREDICTION. I rashly said in a post a couple days ago that I would make a prediction on whether there will be a recession. (I don’t think we are in a recession now). This was rash because I am … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

THE BELOIT UNIVERSITY REVIEW OF THE GENERATIONS.

THE BELOIT UNIVERSITY REVIEW OF THE GENERATIONS. Kids, this annual reminder of the world that college freshmen have lived in is directed more to older folks, but if you reverse the items on the lists, you will get an idea … Continue reading

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WHY JOURNALISTS SHOULD NOT MODERATE DEBATES.

WHY JOURNALISTS SHOULD NOT MODERATE DEBATES. I have posted several times, including here and here, that Presidential debates are spoiled by journalists who get in the way of discussions between the candidates. This article by Michael Schaffer in The New … Continue reading

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LANDSCAPE AND SKY.

LANDSCAPE AND SKY. In the article on traffic I linked to yesterday, Tom Vanderbilt quoted the writer Maurice Maeterlinck writing about the automobile in 1904: “Maeterlink enthused that ‘in one day,’ the car gave us ‘as many sights, as much … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

DO WE NEED TRAFFIC RULES? (COMMENT).

DO WE NEED TRAFFIC RULES? (COMMENT). Annalisa commented here that when I was helping her learn to drive, I told her that when cars were merging that they would “sort themselves out.” Here is an article about Hans Monderman, the … Continue reading

Posted in Theater, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

SPANKING MACHINES (COMMENT).

SPANKING MACHINES (COMMENT). My niece Molly commented here that she likes the family stories I tell here because her father tells different ones. I saw Molly and her family over the weekend, and I asked her what stories my brother … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments

IT’S NOT A RECESSION UNTIL THE COMMITTEE SAYS IT IS.

IT’S NOT A RECESSION UNTIL THE COMMITTEE SAYS IT IS. I posted a couple days ago on the definition of a recession, expressing a preference for the simple test of two quarters of negative growth in Gross Domestic Product. I … Continue reading

Posted in Baseball, Economics, Sports | 1 Comment

IS THERE A RECESSION? WILL THERE BE A RECESSION?

IS THERE A RECESSION? WILL THERE BE A RECESSION? Kids, I think it’s a good idea, just to make it more interesting, to keep making your own predictions (guesses) about what is going to happen in the economy. (I know … Continue reading

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