Victor V. Claar's Blog, page 13

twitter's Broken

cnet reports that twitter went down this morning. Perhaps a case of negative network externalities.

(I'd tweet this, but, well, . . . ).

Twitter was inaccessible for at least a half hour on Thursday morning, followed by a period of slowness and sporadic timeouts (and more outright downtime). It's not clear what has caused this. My theory is that it was the volume of millions of people tweeting complaints about why it can't be Friday yet. . . .

New Video about Holland, Michigan

There's a new video on the net about lovely Holland, Michigan. (If the link doesn't work, you can view it embedded on this web site.)

Shot last year, the video is designed to describe life in town to anyone thinking about making a move here.

The film includes a segment about our town's intellectual life, found between the 5:00 and 5:30 marks. And if you take a look, you'll see yours truly in action in the classroom.

Blast from the Past: Princeton Economist Alan Blinder the Mind Behind "Cash-for-Clunkers"

Ever wondered whose idea the Car Allowance Rebate System--aka "Cash-for-Clunkers" was?

Cash-for-Clunkers was proposed by Princeton economist Alan S. Blinder.

You can read his initial "humble suggestion," as it appeared in the New York Times almost precisely one year ago.

Taxes on Junk Food: Fat Chance?

The US Congress is currently considering whether or not to begin levying new taxes on junk food. In one proposal, we presumably would use taxes on soft drinks to finance the expansion of health care. The Economist this week ponders the intended and potential unintended consequences:

ECONOMISTS have long recognised the arguments for imposing special taxes on goods and services whose prices do not reflect the true social cost of their consumption. Such taxes are known as "Pigouvian" after Arthur

Another Local Public School Privatizes Services to Save Money

As reported in the Grand Rapids Press, another local school district found that the obvious way for them to save money in tough economic times is to turn to private provision of services. In this case, the public schools in Jenison decided they could save $425,000 per year by privatizing 17 custodial jobs.

Though teachers protested the action, the district claims it will be able to save nine teaching positions as a result. The decision to privatize janitorial services is part of an effort to c

Liechtenstein Pledges Greater Tax Openness

Earlier this spring, the tiny Principality of Liechtenstein pledged greater tax openness, under growing pressure from the member nations of the G-20. Nestled between the eastern edge of Switzerland and the westernmost tip of Austria, the tiny principality of just 35,000 inhabitants has long served as an international tax haven--much like its European neighbors Switzerland and Luxembourg. Yet Liechtenstein now pledges to follow OECD financial reporting standards, and the G-20 and the EU both h

Yale Economist Robert Shiller Warns of UK "Double Recession"

In the Times of London, Yale economist Robert Shiller warned the UK of the possibility of a "double recession:"

One of the world's most influential economists warns today that Britain faces the prospect of two recessions in quick succession.

Robert Shiller, Professor of Economics at Yale University, said that the recent stock market bounce should be treated with caution.

He likened the current sense of optimism to a marital row. "You don't know whether the argument with your wife is rea

The Burping of the Lambs: Skip Lamb Chops and Doner Kebabs, UK Climate Panel Urges

From the Sunday Times:

GIVE up lamb roasts and save the planet. Government advisers are developing menus to combat climate change by cutting out "high carbon" food such as meat from sheep, whose burping poses a serious threat to the environment.

Out will go kebabs, greenhouse tomatoes and alcohol. Instead, diners will be encouraged to consume more potatoes and seasonal vegetables, as well as pork and chicken, which generate fewer carbon emissions.

"Changing our lifestyles, including our

Price Point Too Low (or order too small): Beer Festival Taps Out

Earlier this month the 5th Beer on the Wye Festival in Herefordshire literally tapped out. The festival, designed to be a three-day event, had to call off the final day because the entire supply had been consumed in the first two days.

Organizers say they were surprised when 3800 attended--nearly one-third more than the usual turnout. Organizers plan to order more beer for next year's festival, the BBC reports.

Oops, Our Bad: UK Economists Apologize to Queen

A group of economists from the London School of Economics have sent a letter to Queen Elizabeth II, apologizing for their failure to anticipate the financial crisis.

(Hat-tip: harryrady)