Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

“Small is Beautiful”

David Zetland The one-handed economist Book Review: “Small is Beautiful” E.F. (Ernst Friedrich) Schumacher published Small Is Beautiful: A Study of Economics As If People Mattered in 1973. I read the book years ago [Whoops! Here’s my 2009 review, which is much shorter!] and even used it as “the text” for my microeconomics course ten years ago, but I […]

Beginning of an exodus?

The training for an independent research career in the biomedical sciences entails a significant opportunity cost. It takes an average of about seven years from the bachelors degree to get the PhD, and then there are 2-5 years of postdoctoral training. Indeed, it’s common to do two postdocs to get diversified training. Those years could […]

Whether a publication is “partisan” when it comes to “various scientific debates”

I have various subscriptions to medical mags. Not that I am a doctor or even a doctorate. I did work for medical supply/pharmaceutical companies and became familiar with various supplies. Some were even used on myself. I found this article to be rather interesting. Hmmm, a government attorney asking questions of an editor on partisan […]

Trump Administration blames the victim

You may have read that the Trump so-called “antisemitism taskforce” recently sent a letter to Harvard effectively demanding management control over the University. Unlike any other university, Harvard publicly refused to comply. Now, the taskforce says the letter was sent by mistake. Sorta. “The university announced its intentions Monday, setting off a tectonic battle between […]

Trump demands MAGA DEI at Harvard

The letter to Harvard that accompanied the Trump Administration funding freeze shows once again that whatever the right accuses others of is what they’re doing. In this case, the Administration demands affirmative action hires of MAGA political commissars under the guise of fighting antisemitism and promoting diversity. “Among other things, it requires the university to […]

Immigration Raids at Schools, Libraries, etc.

It is bad enough as it is with the authorities going after people in public. Now politicians wish to “invade” schools in Arizona. Not that terrorizing people in libraries is acceptable either. And they would force teachers and others within the schools, etc. to fully cooperate by reporting on immigrants. One AZ State Senator wants […]

Vaccine hesitancy’s #1 enabler backs measles shots

Gooz News: Vaccine hesitancy’s #1 enabler backs measles shots It would take an Arthur Miller to do full justice to the gothic plot twists in the two deaths from the widening measles outbreak in Texas. Both young girls belonged to a religious community that dresses in black and avoids seeking help from the health care […]

Rural Schools and Balancing Uncertain Budgets

Arizona is among the states where K-12 public schools rely on federal funding, according to the Pew Research Center. During fiscal year 2022, 19.7% of Arizona school funding came from the federal government, according to the center. Arizona ranks in the bottom 25% of schools for quality of education. Underpaid teachers is one issue. Yet, AZ […]

State Comparisons of Student Loans Balances to State Budget etc,

No words. Just numbers . . . Student Loan Justice Org. I lied . . . some words. The first, oldest and largest citizen’s group in the nation fighting for student loan justice (Alan Collinge).  We are fighting for the cancellation of all federally owned student loans by executive action, and the return of bankruptcy […]