Mark Thoma's Other Blog

Economist's View

My economics weblog is here:  Economist's View

It's the Thought That Counts

That was weird. On the way home, I was thinking how nice it was that, since the recession, the motorcycle cops who give you a ticket for going 28 in a 25 – they hide with radar guns and seemed to be everywhere – have been gone. I hadn’t seen one in a really long time. Budget cuts, I suppose.

Then I turned the corner, noticed I was following a motorcycle, white helmet, black jacket, something written on it – hmm a motorcycle cop! Wow, I summoned him up from somewhere with those thoughts (I'm thinking as I hit the brakes so as not to close the gap). He then literally led me home, parked about a block from my house, radar gun in hand (on a big hill where people always speed, you can hardly help it), ready to give a ticket.

Guess I need to be a little more careful about what I’m thinking.

Messing with the Wrong Mellow

Messing with the Saturday Market types in Eugene is a bad idea:

Judge sentences man to federal prison for selling corn wrongly labeled as organic, by Karen McCowan, The Register-Guard: "You made a big mistake to commit this crime in Lane County," a judge on Wednesday said in sentencing a Springfield man to more than three years in federal prison for selling 4.2 million pounds of conventional corn he misrepresented as organic.

U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken referenced the long-running Lane County Farmers Market and strong local interest in pesticide-free foods... Chase pleaded guilty ... to ... wrongfully pocketing an extra $190,000 by passing off the conventional grain as U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic corn. ...

Part of My Garden

Hiking at the Dunes

My Students

John is first from the left, Sean is third.

Derrick Thoma: Senior Enologist

An email sent to empoyees at King Estate Winery, where my son Derrick works (his first job out of college):

...Derrick Thoma also joined us in the summer of 2008 and worked as Lab Intern for the 2008 vintage. After the lab internship the production team was quick to recognize that he was a nice asset and we wanted to keep him around. So the very next vintage we decide to try him out in the cellar. Derrick performed and soon advanced his role to Enologist. I am honored to report that Derricks’ diligence, positive attitude, and hard work have him entering into a new position, Senior Enologist here at KE!  Derrick has the perfect combination of a strong chemistry background and an enthusiasm for wine that indicates to me an incredible potential for winemaking in the future.

Derrick keep up your incredible development – you are already a leader in the cellar and one of King Estate’s most loyal ambassadors. Kudos to you on your rapid progress here. ...

I couldn't resist bragging. I'm pretty lucky -- all of my kids are doing really well.

The View from the Hyatt on The Avenue of the Stars

The View from My Window

Bretton Woods, NH

Last Week's View from My Window

Kansas City

A Bit of Snow Today

The View from My Window

They Kept Muttering About Getting Even for Thanksgiving

A couple of the visitors I had yesterday

A Stroll through the Streets of New York

Long walk today. For those who know the area, after walking to Wall Street, I headed back to my hotel across the street from where they are constructing the new World Trade Center towers, then walked to Central Park via Broadway. I came back via 5th Avenue, Thompson, and then Church Street (for those who don't know the area, here's a map). It was rainy, cold, and generally miserable weather, but still worth it. Here's a few (iPhone) pictures I took along the way:

The View from My Window

World Trade Center construction (click on the picture for a slightly clearer version). One tower is up to 55 stories, but it's too dark to show up in a picture -- I'll try again when it's light (the room came with ear plugs as the contruction is noisy -- stayed here becasue it's close to the NY Fed where I'm attending a conference in the morning).

Burns Night for the Economics Department

I am so glad I was taking the picture instead of being in it.

What's That Yellow Thing in the Sky?

It was actually kinda sorta nice today. In January. In Eugene. Wow.

Kid at Work

Amy at "our GIANT press conference."
[This is the day after Carly Fiorina was released from the hospital.]

Frantic Remote Control Button Pushing

Larry King interviewing Ben Stein. I couldn't change the channel fast enough.

The Purpose of a Dissertation Defense

The real purpose of a Ph.D. dissertation defense is to ensure that three people will actually read it.

Email Repellent

When someone gets angry about something on the blog and begins sending me email after email, hitting reply and writing the following in the subject works way better than I would have guessed:

Notice: This email address has been blocked - email was not delivered to addressee

I had to do it a second time in one case, but every other time once was enough.

Moral Hazard

I managed to trash the screen to my laptop today. It turns out that it doesn't like to have objects in the way when you shut it:

(The background is a picture of part of my backyard)

I'd like to be upset, but it's usable with an external monitor, it can be fixed, and best of all, it may be just the excuse I need to get a new one.

Missed Connections

At my class reunion, I found out that the pilot of the Northwest Airlines flight that made news when it flew 150 miles past the Minneapolis airport where it was supposed to land was someone I knew pretty well in junior high school.

By Ferries

Blocked

I got blocked from using the Internet at the first motel I stayed at on this trip.

Apparently, if you try to open way, way, way, way, way too many tabs in a browser, open an e-mail program at the same time, then open a feed reader looking at several hundred feeds, the surge in traffic in the system generates an automatic block.

I called the tech people and got unblocked, but then it happened again right away and I gave up. iPhone tethering saved the day.

Lost and Not Found

I somehow lost the packet of Ph.D. core exams that I need for our meeting later today. That's not good. Not good at all. I've retraced my steps several times and can't find them. I sure hope I left them at home. Grrr.