RE: fat tax
Didn't Southwest Airlines announce a new price discrimination policy which would be tantamount to exceptionally obese passengers paying double for their coach seat? This sheds new meaning to the marketing concept of two for the price of one. I personally don't see how Rauch's optimal fat tax proposal would avoid those annoying Harberger triangles and attendant welfare losses. Furthermore, I heard on NPR earlier this week that some researchers have found that junk-food, believe it or not, can be a contributor to helping high school kids raise their academic performance. While these studies may have the same incredulity/hyperbole associated with cold fusion findings from a decade past, they do suggest caution in the war on fat campaign. Bill Dickens (FL) -Original Message- From: Alex T Tabarrok [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 3:45 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: fat tax Jonathan Rauch has a very clever piece on the recent idea to tax fat foods. Only Rauch has a much better idea. Now why didn't I think of that? Alex http://www.theatlantic.com/issues/2002/12/rauch.htm -- Alexander Tabarrok Department of Economics, MSN 1D3 George Mason University Fairfax, VA, 22030 Tel. 703-993-2314 and Director of Research The Independent Institute 100 Swan Way Oakland, CA, 94621 Tel. 510-632-1366
Forecasting the 2002 Noble Memorial Prize in Economics
Well, it's that time of the year when Nobel Prizes are announced. Last year I was half-correct in predicting that Janet Yellen would win but the rainmakers in Oslo decided to go with her husband George Akerlof. This year I will go out on a limb and predict that the field of experimental economics will be recognized with the pioneers Vernon Smith and Charlie Plott reaping top awards. Honorable Mention - William Baumol.
RE: Feral Children
I suppose cowboy extraordinaire Pecos Bill who was raised by coyotes, tamed a tornado and rescued the drought-stricken agricultural economy of Texas is more urban legend than fact. (LOL) Bill Dickens (FL) -Original Message- From: fabio guillermo rojas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 7:34 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Feral Children Diego! Diego! The definitive source on outlandish, but possibly true facts is the weekly Straight Dope Column in the Chicago Reader, written by Cecil Adams. To sum up Cecil's column, yes, there a few authenticated cases of feral children, but most researchers doubt that any of these were raised by animals, a common misconception. Feral children remain stunted most of their lives, unable to acquire a vocabulary of more than fifty words. See the link below. Fabio Check out: http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_046.html On Fri, 6 Sep 2002 [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Maybe the topic of feral children is a bit of target from the armchair list, but I am curious to see if someone could share their knowedge about this. Do the stories about feral children -lost or abandoned children raised in extreme social isolation, either surviving in the wild through their own efforts or 'adopted' by animals- have any truth behind them or are they just old wives tales? I guess the question should be refined: how much truth is there behind particularly famous stories of feral children (Amala Kamala, Victor the wild boy of Aveyron, Wild Peter, Kaspar Hauser, John Ssabunnya, the Hessian wolf-boy, etc.)? Most importantly, what are the conclusions and findings -assuming there is a general consensus- about them? What are the consequences of extreme social isolation in children regarding their abilities to develope complex forms of reasoning and abstract thinking? Is there a critical period for language acquisition? Diego
2001 Economic Nobelists
Hmm..seems like I recall someone predicting Janet Yellen not her husband as the odds-on favorite to win this year :-) Bill Dickens [FL-based] -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, October 11, 2001 3:47 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: well, it seems like ackerlof won! and joe stiglitz! - a good choice.
RE: 2001 Economic Nobelists
Not that reply by my name sake is quite Woody Allenesque. Who said economists don't have a sense of humor? -Original Message- From: William Dickens [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 3:34 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: 2001 Economic Nobelists Bryan, U. A Nobel prize is a slap in the face? I'd certainly turn the other cheek! - - Bill William T. Dickens The Brookings Institution 1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 797-6113 FAX: (202) 797-6181 E-MAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] AOL IM: wtdickens [EMAIL PROTECTED] 10/10/01 03:03PM In a way, isn't dividing the prize 3 ways a slap in the face to Akerlof and Stiglitz? Stiglitz in particular, I suspect, would have preferred not to have won this year in the hope of getting an unshared prize. -- Prof. Bryan Caplan Department of Economics George Mason University http://www.bcaplan.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what *they* thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. --Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
RE: 2001 Economic Nobelists
The same holds for the shared prize when the CAP-M/Portfolio gang won in 91[?] Sharpe, Markowitz forgot the other recipient, but I know his dad is a world class sociologist. Bill in FL -Original Message- From: fabio guillermo rojas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2001 3:58 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: 2001 Economic Nobelists I've read that the Academy tends to clump together Nobelists by topic - the game theory year of Selten, HArsanyi and Nash, for example. Maybe somebody would take it personally, but they shoudln't. Fabio On Wed, 10 Oct 2001, Bryan Caplan wrote: In a way, isn't dividing the prize 3 ways a slap in the face to Akerlof and Stiglitz? Stiglitz in particular, I suspect, would have preferred not to have won this year in the hope of getting an unshared prize. -- Prof. Bryan Caplan Department of Economics George Mason University http://www.bcaplan.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] Familiar as the voice of the mind is to each, the highest merit we ascribe to Moses, Plato, and Milton is, that they set at naught books and traditions, and spoke not what men but what *they* thought. A man should learn to detect and watch that gleam of light which flashes across his mind from within, more than the lustre of the firmament of bards and sages. --Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance
RE: Handicapping the 2001 Noble Prize in Economics
Not to be picky, (I guess I am) but, isn't Tullock a lawyer by primary credential and training? I know there are many outstanding legal theorists [Tullock, Posner, Greg Sidak, Ian Ayers, etc.] who have made significant contributions in formal economic theory. Then again the role of transaction costs in economics has definitely blurred the distinction between law and economics. QED Bill Dickens [FL-based] -Original Message- From: jim horsman [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2001 10:30 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: Handicapping the 2001 Noble Prize in Economics Tullock- a great injustice was done to this man when he wasn't given a joint prize with Buchanan. Does anyone know if Buchanan agrees? I have never heard him address this. Baumol- that would be a wonderful choice. Smith- see above. my 2 personal favorites, though they have no chance of winning are a- Joe Ostroy- the no surplus condition april 82 jet. Reading that paper was the highlight of my academic education. b- Gibbard-Satterwaite .I guess in many ways it is derivative, but was i impressed at their technique.
Handicapping the 2001 Noble Prize in Economics
As Fall approaches one of the interesting rituals involves the selection of Nobel Laureates. While I'm not a legitimate bookie, I do engage in some innocuous speculation about who will receive the Nobel Prize in Economics. I did however correctly forecast Robert Mundell several years ago but for the most part my track record is not impressive. Paul Romer is a sure lock as a future recipient. This year I submit the following three (3) names: 1. William Baumol 2. Albert Hirshman 3. Janet Yellen [sorry Prof. Ackerlof but your wife will be the first family member recognized :-)] So, who are your deserving entries? Bill Dickens
The Krugman Paradox
Many of you know that Paul Krugman is a regular NY Times columnist specializing in political economy issues. Since joining the Times I have noticed that his "popular" writings is weak on substance and retreats from even the very appearance of analytical rigor. Whether the topic is energy policy, tax policy, US economic growth or his specialty, international trade, the product is the same: intellectual surrender specious neo-liberal musings. This is in stark contrast to his "professional" writings which allegedly merited his selection as a J.B. Clark recipient. Why does Krugman now sport a Janus-face for his Times readers?? Neither M. Friedman, A. Blinder or G. Ackerlof allow their popular writings to suffer for the sake of "readability". These economists have demonstrated that mature economic analysis and pop journalism can co-exist. QED Bill Dickens [not the Bookings Dickens :-)] Economist Florida Public Service Commission
RE: This year econ nobel prize?
For some reason I didn't get this message until Wednesday, Oct 11, 2000. I'll take a safe "guess" the James "Heckit" Heckman and Daniel "Don't call me Janice" McFadden are shoo-ins :-) How can Prof. Baumol continuously be ignored by this so-called august Committee. Neither Heckman or McFadden combined have had the theoretical impact on economics as Bill Baumol or Albert Hirschman Am I alone in my thinking about Baumol/Hirschman as the most deserving economists without a Nobel Prize on their c.v.? -Original Message- From: fabio guillermo rojas [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, October 09, 2000 5:04 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: This year econ nobel prize? Any guesses on the econ nobel prize this year? -fabio
