Monthly Archives: July 2011

If The Debt Ceiling Is Raised, What Changes?

Posted on July 30, 2011 by

The entire debt ceiling debate boils down to two possibilities – either the United States government will begin to borrow more than $14.3 trillion dollars, or it won’t. The August 2 date is irrelevant. Despite the atrocious news reporting that … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Events | 2 Comments

Financial Craziness But Treasuries Still Safe Haven

Posted on July 29, 2011 by

It’s been a crazy week. Ronny and Donny (from my train metaphor) are still fighting each other, and with every passing day and hour it seems increasingly unlikely that Congress will reach an agreement to extend the debt ceiling that … Continue reading →

Posted in Financial Events | 2 Comments

A Tale of Two Train Conductors

Posted on July 28, 2011 by

There are a lot of analogies out there about how the American economy is a train headed for a cliff and Congress is arguing about how to stop it from going off the cliff. I think I’ve got a better … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | Leave a comment

The Struggles of the Long-Term Unemployed

Posted on July 27, 2011 by

Econ bloggers have been discussing this topic for awhile, but now it’s even making its way into the New York Times (I saw the same article on Yahoo! Finance yesterday). The longer you’ve been out of work, the harder it … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 4 Comments

Debtpocalypse & Treasury Forecasts Don’t Add Up

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

I’m still not sure how concerned to be about this upcoming debtpocalypse or whatever. For one thing, the stock market is supposed to crash, and Treasury interest rates are supposed to rise (and if money’s being pulled out of both … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 1 Comment

Do Fines Help Regulations Pay For Themselves?

Posted on July 25, 2011 by

Recently in a comment on a news article, I read someone arguing that the beauty of government regulations is that usually pay for themselves through fines, so it doesn’t make sense to blame regulations in discussions of debt and deficit. … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Regulation Regulation Regulation | Leave a comment

I Never Wanted To Be A Light Bulb Hoarder

Posted on July 19, 2011 by

When 2011 crosses over to 2012, the 100-watt incandescent light bulb will no longer be legally sold in the United States. The 75-watt and 60-watt bulbs will follow in respective years. The government wants us to use more energy-efficient lighting, … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 4 Comments

The Right To A Lemonade Stand

Posted on July 16, 2011 by

Did you ever play that game Lemonade Tycoon? Well, it may be going the way of the Oregon Trail, at least in Midway, Georgia, where police shut down a lemonade stand for want of a business license. Midway Police Chief … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Events | 1 Comment