Separated at Birth: Gronke and Grienke

Pretty amazing. Dr. Paul Gronke, of Reed College

....and Zach Grienke, pitcher for Milw. Brewers

I'm just sayin'...

Carnival Fraud: Really?

So...sheriff's deputies run undercover sting operation to pester people at carnivals.

Because we all want to make sure that no one actually wins any prizes.

Anthony Dewayne Ellis, 32, of Locust Grove, and Kenneth Lea McLeod, 50, of Ashland, Va., agreed to change the rules of a game for undercover Tulsa County sheriff’s deputies, according to an arrest report.

The carnival workers were operating a game involving throwing darts into star-shaped holes when they gave a discounted price to the deputies, who later asked “what it would take to win the big prize,” the report says.

The workers awarded the prize — a stuffed character from the game Angry Birds — after letting the deputies play for $20 regardless of the outcome.

The game’s posted rules required paying $5 to throw darts into the holes for prizes of escalating value, the report says.

State law requires that rules for carnival games be posted at all times. Contradicting the posted rules is a misdemeanor.

(Nod to Jackie Blue, who never cheats)

All We Are Saying, Is Give.....

Actually, I have no idea what they are saying.



You have to like the "Information Man!" thing from the highly educated plumber's helper just after 2:10.

But my favorite is the guy who want "the government" to run the banks. When asked, what about Republicans....um, no, not them. The "government."

Patenting Dad

Creativity and the Family Tree: Human Capital Endowments and the Propensity of Entrepreneurs to Patent

Albert Link & Christopher Ruhm, NBER Working Paper, September 2011

Abstract: In this paper we show that the patenting behavior of creative entrepreneurs is correlated with the patenting behavior of their fathers, which we refer to as a source of the entrepreneurs’ human capital endowments. Our argument for this relationship follows from established theories of developmental creativity, and our empirical analysis is based on survey data collected from MIT’s Technology Review winners.

(Nod to Kevin Lewis)

Not Only Not the Onion, But Not Monty Python

This goes well beyond a simple "not the Onion." This crosses well over into "not Monty Python" territory. (If you think I'm wrong, do watch this early planning meeting of "Occupy Wall Street," where they decide on their program, their demands, and who they will follow...)

Protesters at "Self-Absorbed Atlanta" (yes, they call it "Occupy Atlanta," but my title is more accurate) have set up a system where they can solve a bunch of problems that don't actually exist.

1. How to talk when you have a weak megaphone. Normal solution: get a better sound system. Self-Absorbed Atlanta solution: have a simultaneous translation, English to English.

2. How to signal approval. Normal solution: applause. SAA solution: little jazz hands waving, so no ones' voice is drowned out by applause. Of course, nobody is going to see the individual hands in the sea of hands, either. Either way, minority disagreement is going to be overwhelmed. EXCEPT: SAA requires unanimity! So you CAN see the one nut job/racist/star trek fan who wants to block things. Do NOT talk to the jazz hand that says "no!" (If you are not familiar with Jazz Hands, here is a quick guide to SAA hand signals!*)

3. Finally, if you can stand to watch for that long (I skipped after two minutes, I have to admit. SAA can really do some powerful auto-politicism), go to the 8.5 minute mark. Congressman John Lewis stood up to Bull Connor, and crossed the bridge at Selma on Bloody Sunday. But he was no match for the self-righteous idiocy of Self-Absorbed Atlanta.



As Pelsmin, who sent this in, notes: "This is a perfect illustration of how the extreme left's desire to liberate people from oppressive societal conventions like democracy will lead to something like the Soviet bureaucracy." And Soviet civil liberties, too! An invited speaker suffers the heckler's veto, in this video. Wow!

*Okay, no it wasn't. But I made you look. I think that video should replace Rick-rolling with "Tiny-rolling."

Atheist Hymnal

(nod to the LMM)

New Blog: Euvoluntary Exchange.

New Blog! All things "Euvoluntary."

It is really just for information, and to provide examples for folks who want to use the concept of euvoluntary exchange (either because you think it is useful, or stupid!) in teaching and writing.

At the upper right there are some resources and background information. I'll be adding to that as time goes by.

In the meantime, please do send examples, comments, or critiques, especially of things that happened in the world or the classroom.

And I'll post them, right away. If there is analysis to be done, it will still be back here on good ol' KPC. The new blog is really just an information source.

Business Headlines

Rising wages in China push jobs back to U.S. Look, we told you so. We did.

Amar Bhide: limit the rates banks can pay on deposits!

Lynn Sneary condescends to a venture capitalist who explains why jobs are caused by growth, not vice versa.

The Final Answer: You are BOTH Crazy

There was a bit of a kerfuffle over this comic, by Zach Weiner.

Everyone, including me, was sure that the comic was mocking whoever we were not. Economists laughed that philosophers were so ridiculous, and philosophers thought it funny that economists were so shallow and arrogant. Jacob was sure he knew, for example. But then to be fair a few folks, at least, over here thought that the philosopher was ridiculous.

At KPC we want to KNOW. So I wrote to Zach W himself. And the answer is... you people are ALL crazy. And hilarious. (quotes with permission)

As to the joke: If it went right, hopefully it made fun of both. I actually did a similar treatment of philosophy vs. engineering a while back here:

In that one, hopefully it's clear that the engineer is simplifying in a way that is both informative and problematic. Since Economists are essentially engineers who work with human lives instead of mechanical systems, the perspective is more or less the same.

Curiously, it was popular in both the reddit.com economics forum and the reddit.com philosophy forum. The former thought it was making fun of philosophers for being useless, and the latter thought it was making fun of economists for lacking a sense of profundity.

So yeah, making fun of everyone. Zach Weiner, SMBC

My own conclusion: the Philosophers are not interested in an answer, really. If faced with this real life situation where a decision is required would either respond purely emotionally or else would lie on their backs and kick their little legs in the air, hoping that the problem will go away. Philosophers and grandma both die, because Philosophers aren't interested in answers, only questions.

The Economists would save the Mona Lisa, and spend the rest of their lives trying to forget the haunting screams of the grandma as they carried the Mona Lisa out of the room.

But the problem with policy analysis generally is you don't get to say, "I don't know." You have to do something, you simply must. Philosphers spend all their time wondering if they can get both thumbs up their butt at the same time, or if they have to take turns. Economists spend just a very brief time figuring out "the answer," which is always wrong, and then they pretend they already knew that.

This is Why Al Gore Invented the Internet*

(*although he never, ever actually claimed to have invented the internet)

1. In porn movies, there is sometimes a classroom setting (I am told, I would NOT know, of course). The question is: are the things written on the blackboard actually correct and useful, or did the director just phone it in? This blog answers that question (SFW, unless you work in a church).

2. Awkward Wedding Photos. Once you give the title, there is little more to say, frankly.

3. (A repeat, but always at the top of the list at KPC) Kim Jong Il Looking at Things.

4. Hospital jobs, by district (or state). You didn't even know you didn't know that, and now you know.

5. The Perfect Pet Petter. Again, nothing to add.

(Nod to Kevin Lewis, the Blonde, and Kindred)