about why economic theory can be at such odds with reality that highly intelligent people can completely disagree both about what might happen and even more interestingly about what has happened. One obvious problem is there are no control groups, really. I mean I hope we can all agree by now that the North Korean model is bad, but there are so many examples that can be brought to the table that both sides [how sad there are sides in economics … sides of beef, sides as in potatoes or rice, I’ll have a caesar salad …] can easily counter the other side. But that is bias and circumstance, and we shall leave that aside.
Then there is the acknowledged problem of things having different values to different people. The value I attribute to a single baby slipper, the mate long gone, is off the charts compared to its intrinsic value, so you cannot accurately measure even the market in baby slippers. Or as the professor who’s website I bumped into in my search for a dictionary of nautical terms discovered, the market in numerical birthday candles, which you can read all about in The Case of the Missing Pi Day 4s.
But what I think is wrong, if I may be so bold, with Adam Smith and many of his heirs, is that it is impossible to judge “self-interest”. People take one for the team in all sorts of ways all the time. Whether it is the dramatic fireman risking life and limb to save a baby, or just someone helping a stranger get his car out of the ditch, people extend their self-interest to include an amorphous community, which they constantly re-evaluate, according to their own immediate circumstances. And they do not necessarily value the worth of that community in dollars or a countable form.
GDP does not reflect happiness it would appear. And statistics can’t measure human experience. What makes one happy today may not make one happy tomorrow, also, which makes the whole thing a bit of a muddle. And since life is a muddle, the attempt to measure it, put it in a box, and expect it to behave predictably is bound to be only so successful. But we just can’t help but want to know, and meddle in the muddle.
And so here I sit, in the middle of the muddle, hoping to be left [or right] free of the meddle, unless we are talking Pink Floyd.
Have a Wodenesque Wednesday, but with a little less of a heavy hand perhaps. Just feel like Woden. Don’t act like Woden. That would be bad for the team.
Just got an email from daughter, seems she has added a signature quote and I like it.
In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir
Edit- this was actually a test to see if my screen name changed correctly. Your avatar tweak reminded me that I had been thinking of a change for a while. Thought I would have to ask you, but found I could do it myself.
Here’s a little factoid about this Tea Party goofball that bumped off Eric Cantor last night. Most of the chatter is about how he’s against any sort of immigration reform, blathering against “amnesty”, but I find this piece more interesting.
Dave Brat Runs A $500,000 Program To Push Ayn Rand’s Ideas At College
Yeah, that’s what the country needs, is more Ayn Rand bullshit. 🙄
I just moved your comment! I hope that was okay. WordPress seems more friendly lately, but there is something odd about the comment moderation, and if I am at my computer and notice, there seems to be a little comment icon and it told me there was a comment waiting for moderation. I can’t imagine why, but it was Dude’s comment, stuck in cyber space. Then freed and dragged to a new thread, where it inserted itself chronologically correctly.
Because I reinvented myself (again). Now Dude only, no more stacker.
Ah, you newbie! But lots of famous people get by with one name. Sting comes to mind. I like the fore [or hind] shortened you.
Or Charo
Although I could see trading stacker for Scaggs- (admittedly flimsy excuse for playing a song I have loved for 40 years)
Turning on a dime, here’s a version of Brother Can You Spare a Dime that my dad would have loved:
Dave Brubeck, huh? Brings to mind my record club purchases as a young’un. I had Take Five by him, something by Thelonius Monk, the first two Bob Dylans and this one. Sorry, that’s all I can remember.
Oh yeah, just remembered this one, and of course I had Peter, Paul and Mary.
Thelonius my old friend ….
test
i once did a bong hit underwater, and this is how i remember it.
this is supposed to go with my last post.
I have done many things, including playing Twister, but am having trouble with the logistics on that one.
there’s two main ways. you can bring your air down with you, for instance by using a diving bell, or you can use tubing to bring down just the air you need. there are videos on you-tube demonstrating the 2nd method. it is more fun to weigh down a large object underwater that will hold air – such as a large sheet of clear plastic. then you can hang out down there for quite a while along with your buds.
A soundtrack for woodpecker’s mis-spent swim:
This just in. Breaking news from my marital correspondent:
And a very cool photo from the break-up [which was taken by a stranger]:
Not your typical Friday fare, but it’s Friday the 13th and a full moon- always liked him and as an amateur photog, I find these images striking. Last one I will ever see as a matter of fact since next time both occur will be in 35 years.
Hey, I will only be 86! Aiming for 110 at the moment.
You’re nuts! Not me. Hope I die before I get old…………..
Not yet, but when I’m ready, I’ll let you know. I had a friend who totally abused himself and died at 49. He knew he wouldn’t last and prepared a will that left $3000 (1997 money) for us all to have a party after his death. Don’t worry, I’m not quite that crazy- I’ll be here for a while yet.
keeping it all in perspective.
Dude Stacker… come back.
Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town
Doing anything just to get you off of my mind
But when the morning comes, I’m right back where I started again
Trying to forget you is just a waste of time
Dude come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Dood~baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you
All day long, wearing a mask of false bravado
Trying to keep up the smile that hides a tear
But as the sun goes down, I get that empty feeling again
How I wish to God that you were here
Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you
Now that I put it all together
Give me the chance to make you see
Have you used up all the love in your heart
Nothing left for me, ain’t there nothing left for me
Dude come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Dude baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong and I just can’t live without you
I was wrong and I just can’t live
Spending all my nights, all my money going out on the town
Doing anything just to get you off of my mind
But when the morning comes, I’m right back where I started again
Trying to forget you is just a waste of time
Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you
All day long, wearing a mask of false bravado
Trying to keep up the smile that hides a tear
But as the sun goes down, I get that empty feeling again
How I wish to God that you were here
Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong, and I just can’t live without you
Now that I put it all together
Give me the chance to make you see
Have you used up all the love in your heart
Nothing left for me, ain’t there nothing left for me
Baby come back, any kind of fool could see
There was something in everything about you
Baby come back, you can blame it all on me
I was wrong and I just can’t live without you
I was wrong and I just can’t live…
My little baby graduated from high school tonight.
not wasting the time to tackle the in your face obvious reasons, this video dares to demonstrate why it is super uncool not to believe in Jesus…
hallelujah EO!
this is all i could come up with on such short notice.
i have been put on moderation at all the free speech, free market, free me, myself, and i sites now Xty. so here’s to some free love, and a maybe a little hypocrisy…
10cc the things we do for love