New Year’s resolutions

I generally fall into the “why wait for January 1st? Start now!” camp when it comes to improving myself and my life, but this time of year is always a good time to reprioritize and redouble my efforts. So here’s my current list:
1. Read the Sunday paper, every Sunday.  I am happiest when I am [...]

The fabulous Tina Fey

It’s, like, my dream article: Maureen Dowd profiles Tina Fey in the current issue of Vanity Fair.  It is sprinkled with priceless 30 Rock and Fey-as-Palin quotes, and observations like this:
“It is the most ridiculous, borderline-dangerous thing that the Republican vice-presidential nominee happened to look like the funniest woman working in America,” McKay says. “What [...]

Airport dining

If you find yourself stuck at an airport during this holiday season (and who won’t be, with blizzards everywhere from New Hampshire to Las Vegas?), Matt Gross reviews the dining options at the nation’s most popular travel hubs.
Salt Lake City is not on that list, so let me suggest that you bring a sandwich if [...]

Let Detroit fail

The idea of a Detroit bailout has all the liberal economists I know (including myself) feeling and sounding like Republicans: Let the free market decide!
No, markets aren’t perfect.  But the best way to deal with their failings is to hedge against and/or compensate for them, not attempt to prevent them via direct intervention.  If the [...]

Would a Green WPA leave women out?

Linda Hirshman considers what Obama’s WPA-like proposal would mean for women:
Mr. Obama compared his infrastructure plan to the Eisenhower-era construction of the Interstate System of highways. It brings back the Eisenhower era in a less appealing way as well: there are almost no women on this road to recovery.
Back before the feminist revolution brought women [...]

Slate V’s Science Series

Another great idea from Slate.  Top stories this week: A slug that’s half-plant, how sleep is like deleting all those random files you downloaded onto your hard drive, and why we can never let robots take over space missions.

Prop 8 – The Musical

It’s remarkable how well this sums up the last couple of months.

more about “Prop 8 – The Musical“, posted with vodpod

No more little plastic bags!

I just read on a Budget Travel blog that TSA plans to lift the liquids ban for air travel by the end of next year.  Hallelujah.

How likely are you to get a divorce?

Economist Betsey Stevenson has created an online divorce risk calculator.
Because of generational/cohort effects, and variation by age and education level, national averages are meaningless.  This calculator takes all those important demographic factors into account.