frankditraglia.com

The exams are finally finished. It was a mixed bag, but at least it’s over. Now about that article I’m supposed to be revising…

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Without a doubt, the highlight of last night watching a lass from Yorkshire and a lad from Edinburgh be hyponotized by a man from Devon.  The girl was particularly amusing, but then I’ve read too many James Herriot books…

More pictures later, I promise.

Here it is: my new home as of September 16th. 

Very Harry Potter, no?

How to stack a jury 

Protectionists never cease to amuse me.  Take this article on the European Commission’s attempt make permanent their “emergency” import duties on foreign shoes for example:

The temporary system was introduced following allegations that shoes were being “dumped” - or sold for less than it cost to make them - by manufacturers eager to gain a share of the EU’s markets.

Oh the humanity!  Cheap shoes will surely mean the end of Europe! 

The Commission said at the time it had clear evidence that both China and Vietnam were unfairly subsidising their shoe industries.

Just like the EU unfairly subsidizes their farmers?  Oh, I suppose they forgot about that. 

Why are the most advanced nations on earth so economically backward?

Why the dollar might be on a path towards appreciation.  I know it sounds crazy, but take a look.  The reasoning is not so easy to dimiss, but I’m still not sure I buy it.

The New York Times has nothing constructive to add to the debate, just the usual platitudes.  Why do social reformers insist upon using ineffective and likely counterproductive tools such as the minimum wage and rent control?  Here’s an idea: just give the poor money.  Or better yet, give them an education.

A much better piece argues that theory should weigh more heavily than empirics, at least sometimes.

Read it here.

In hopes of a wider readership, I’m hereby “claim” my blog on Technorati:

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