I received a copy of the book Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar… by Thomas Cathcart and Daniel Klein today as a gift. I haven’t read through the book in awhile. I found the ‘Tale of the tailor’ to be instructive as well as amusing given the topics we have been discussing concerning […]

Per the Health at a Glance Chart Set, Powerpoint, available here: All OECD countries have achieved universal or near-universal health care coverage, except Turkey, Mexico and the United States And it’s even more impressive when you go to Slide 36 (whose header is quoted above) and realise that the Public Coverage in those three states […]

(hat tip reader Lyle)

by Linda Beale(cross posted from ataxingmatter) Economic Theory–how much is it worth[hat tip–Yves Smith at Naked Capitalism] Michael Hudson, an economist at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, asks how the economic discipline became so “trivialized from its classical flowering””taking for granted the social structures and dynamics that should be the substance and focal point of […]

LOL…prodded into being by a kind note from MG.

by cactus Rubinomics Bleg I’ve read in a few places that the term “Rubinomics” was coined by Kevin Phillips. Anyone know the original cite? Thanks. Cactus

Now that I know we’re just members of the “Peanut Gallery,”* let this random links post work as a placeholder for longer posts as we prepare for the “holiday”: Shorter Mark Thoma at Marketwatch: If you can’t build a better model, best to reappoint a man who doesn’t think he has to do half of […]

by Rebecca Wilder(crossposted with Newsneconomics) This week the Federal Reserve reported the Q3 2009 Flow of Funds accounts. The headline indicators show household net worth improving and private debt burden falling. The private sector – households and firms – is dropping leverage. Update: This chart has been modified slightly – the leverage level data (highlighted […]

by cactus Comparing Presidents, Real GDP per capita, All the Lags You Can Eat Three Ways From Thursday I didn’t really wanna write this post, but I keep getting told that when you look at how Preznits did on the economy, lags, lags, and more lags are what matters. I’d like to move on to […]

by Bruce Webb CBO Director’s Blog Manager’s Amendment to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act CBO Analysis/Score Senate Health Care bill Manager’s Amendment Also I would like some links to current and historical numbers on Medical Loss Ratios. I found some claims from a commenter at Dean Baker’s Meet the Press (and past commenter […]