…sounds like the title of a children’s book.
It’s not, though.
Economics & Finance
Experimentation, Uncertainty, and the Economy
Some interesting thoughts from Jonah Goldberg.
The key point is that uncertainty about government policy makes private-sector decision making very difficult, and tends to inhibit rational and dynamic investment.
(via Betsy)
Is This a Joke?
I could have sworn that someone was pulling my leg when I read this post over at Six Meat Buffet. No one could possibly imagine that I could be taken in by some tall tale of a socialist restaurant where the patrons pay what they think is fair, or “what they could afford”.
The only problem is that it doesn’t look like it was a hoax. The restaurant managers weren’t even bothering to pay attention to their daily expenses!
I’m in the wrong business. There has got to be a way to fleece liberals that don’t even understand basic market forces!
What about if I become a progressive investment consultant who uses visions that come to me while listening to Joan Baez songs? Think I can get any takers on that?
Re-visiting the Car
While I dream about owning a Nissan GTR that I saw at the Chicago auto show, in reality I drive an old Nissan Altima about 10 years old. That damn car will run forever since I take decent care of it and my frugal nature won’t let me replace it without a valid reason.
As I drive around in my older car, however, I can’t help noticing all of the expensive cars out on the street. Right now it is Saturday night here in Chicago in River North, and lots of people are “cruising” up and down the major streets, seeing and being seen, in their tricked out cars.
The situation is the same even when I visit a poorer neighborhood. A relative of mine moved to Beverly, in the south side of the city, and no matter how you drive to get there, you need to go through some pretty rough neighborhoods. New and expensive cars are ubiquitous, even there.
Let’s think a bit about car economics. If you use $25,000 / loan at 48 months as a starting price point, and the average rate of 6.5%, you are paying about $600 / month.
However, that “minimum payment” model has gone belly up. Here’s why.
The Obama Bounce
The stock market is looking weak. Purely a coincidence, I am sure.