Looking Forward

Still “Being Wrong,” Parcel B, Central Park and Low Income Housing — Last week I wrote, “Then what (should occupy Parcel B)? It’s perhaps the most valuable piece of land in the city, and we …[READ MORE]

On Being Wrong, the Progressive Dilemma, and Parcel B – Being Wrong by Kathryn Schulz may be the best non-fiction book I’ve ever read — certainly the best I’ve read since i woke up several …[READ MORE]

THE PARADOX OF BRANDING (Part One) When I was a boy, my grandfather loved to tell the Studebaker story. Long about 1937, the company introduced a new pickup truck, which, for the first time, had …[READ MORE]

THE TEMPTATION OF QUANTIFICATION Last week the L.A. Times rated Los Angeles school teachers by their pupils’ scores on two standardized tests. On Friday, the NY Times discussed the abysmal track record of Wall Street’s …[READ MORE]

RED-LIGHT CAMERAS — A MODEST PROPOSAL (with apologies to the master, Jonathan Swift) We read with interest that a local political group has joined forces with the zany wing of the Libertarian Party to oppose …[READ MORE]

Lifestyle Business; Bad Business? Have you heard the term “lifestyle business?” It describes a company that produces something people want to buy, and provides a comfortable lifestyle for the founder, the employees, and their families. …[READ MORE]

How Amazon and eBay cost us all money – and what you can do about it. When I first woke up last year, you couldn’t keep me off Amazon and Ebay. It seemed like I …[READ MORE]

Things have changed a lot since 1961, while I was sleeping. Some, like traffic, air travel and parking, for the worse. Many for the better — women’s rights, civil rights, tools, and TED. We’ll talk …[READ MORE]

As you may have noticed, I’ve been on vacation. To be specific, I spent a week in New Orleans, visiting family and listening to music. Ah, the romance. The liveried driver stowed our bags and …[READ MORE]

Things I Don’t Understand About Economics I’ve been awake for a few months now, and I keep hearing that “consumer spending accounts for 70% of the American economy.” My first reaction was, “Very good. Everyone …[READ MORE]