The daily view 3/30/2023: Home prices fall, UK inflation, GOP, and the Metaverse/META

From the WSJ, Home Prices Fell in February for First Time in 11 Years. It’s waaayyy too early to celebrate. Since 2010, homes prices are way up nationally. Such as the Bay Area: This WSJ story seems like data mining at its finest, and I don’t see how this is so newsworthy. Unless prices never… Continue reading The daily view 3/30/2023: Home prices fall, UK inflation, GOP, and the Metaverse/META

Moloch and college tuition: why broken systems endure

This excellent chart by Richard Hanania also explains why the student loan debt crisis is so intractable: Your typical worker in Japan is smarter and probably harder working than those in any other country. But they earn less than other nations, because they have an inflexible labor market. Picking “ job security” over dynamism, and… Continue reading Moloch and college tuition: why broken systems endure

The fall of crypto, and the permanent ascent of Substack and the ‘wordcels’

First there was Covid. There was the suspense of the possibility of the world coming to an end, and then the sigh of relief when it didn’t. And then the euphoria and exhilaration of the stock market, tech/start-up, and crypto surge that followed. The 2021 crypto surge was like a proletariat revolution of the masses… Continue reading The fall of crypto, and the permanent ascent of Substack and the ‘wordcels’

Tirzepatide and Semaglutide (Mounjaro, Wegovy) are probably not worth the money

In this post I argue that Tirzepatide and Semaglutide (also known as Mounjaro, Wegovy) are probably not worth it for therapeutic purposes. The small increase of expected life expectancy by treating mild or moderate obesity is not justified by the high, recurring costs of these drugs. On the other hand, if one desires to lose… Continue reading Tirzepatide and Semaglutide (Mounjaro, Wegovy) are probably not worth the money

Right again about Trump (so far)

Imagine waking up to the trending hashtags on Twitter “#trumparrest”, #trumpindictment”, or “Indictment Day”. Your heart races or sinks…it must be related to the FBI raid of Mar-a-Lago, Jan 6th, or something to do with Russia? Or taxes? You’re thinking “this is it…it’s happening!” You hurriedly click the hashtag on the sidebar only to see… Continue reading Right again about Trump (so far)