Comments for Caveat Archos http://caveatarchos.com AIER Fellows Guide to Graduate School, the Economy and Good Places to Eat Wed, 27 Aug 2008 23:31:25 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 Comment on The Magna Carta is Being Sold by Michael http://caveatarchos.com/2007/09/28/the-magna-carta-is-being-sold/#comment-54 Michael Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:31:50 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/09/28/the-magna-carta-is-being-sold/#comment-54 Update: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Mar04/0,4670,MagnaCarta,00.html Magna Carta Back at National Archives "The 710-year-old handwritten copy is on permanent loan from David Rubenstein of The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm." Update: http://www.foxnews.com/wires/2008Mar04/0,4670,MagnaCarta,00.html

Magna Carta Back at National Archives

“The 710-year-old handwritten copy is on permanent loan from David Rubenstein of The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm.”

]]> Comment on The Irrepressible Gold Standard; or: Inflation, Inflation Everywhere, and Only Rate-cuts to Drink by wintercow20 http://caveatarchos.com/2008/01/28/the-irrepressible-gold-standard-or-inflation-inflation-everywhere-and-only-rate-cuts-to-drink/#comment-53 wintercow20 Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:21:43 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2008/01/28/the-irrepressible-gold-standard-or-inflation-inflation-everywhere-and-only-rate-cuts-to-drink/#comment-53 Tyler Cowen sums up the inflation problem when talking about something else ... "We pass too many policies just to show politicians are "doing something," just because it is an election year, just because voters think government should solve every problem, and just because politicians know that voters don't understand any real economics." Is it any wonder I am on the verge of depression? Tyler Cowen sums up the inflation problem when talking about something else …

“We pass too many policies just to show politicians are “doing something,” just because it is an election year, just because voters think government should solve every problem, and just because politicians know that voters don’t understand any real economics.”

Is it any wonder I am on the verge of depression?

]]> Comment on The Irrepressible Gold Standard; or: Inflation, Inflation Everywhere, and Only Rate-cuts to Drink by Michael http://caveatarchos.com/2008/01/28/the-irrepressible-gold-standard-or-inflation-inflation-everywhere-and-only-rate-cuts-to-drink/#comment-52 Michael Wed, 06 Feb 2008 21:43:08 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2008/01/28/the-irrepressible-gold-standard-or-inflation-inflation-everywhere-and-only-rate-cuts-to-drink/#comment-52 I'm with you on the majority of the post, but not to the point of hyperinflation. Although I can see inflation rising, I don't see it getting to hyperinflation unless I've seriously underestimated the inteligence of Ben. You've really hit the nail on the head with regrds to commodity driven prices, but if there is a sudden increase of demand for a product, it can raise prices and might be better off not being used in an inflation calculation. This is why the FED went with core inflation; because the increase in oil demand from other countries could distort the actual inflation. However, that, among other reasons, is why the FED shouldn't be determining money supply from inflation calculations. The increase of gold quantity happens to correspond with growth historically, but there are times that it fails. I still need to learn more about the free banking system, but I tend to favor it. I’m with you on the majority of the post, but not to the point of hyperinflation. Although I can see inflation rising, I don’t see it getting to hyperinflation unless I’ve seriously underestimated the inteligence of Ben. You’ve really hit the nail on the head with regrds to commodity driven prices, but if there is a sudden increase of demand for a product, it can raise prices and might be better off not being used in an inflation calculation. This is why the FED went with core inflation; because the increase in oil demand from other countries could distort the actual inflation. However, that, among other reasons, is why the FED shouldn’t be determining money supply from inflation calculations.
The increase of gold quantity happens to correspond with growth historically, but there are times that it fails. I still need to learn more about the free banking system, but I tend to favor it.

]]> Comment on A Response to “sticking it to The Man” by Michael http://caveatarchos.com/2007/11/29/a-response-to-sticking-it-to-the-man/#comment-48 Michael Wed, 05 Dec 2007 21:49:04 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/11/29/a-response-to-sticking-it-to-the-man/#comment-48 FYI, my original post was "Barriers in Discussion." I can see some of your points, but it really depends on the conversation. What Marx said and believed compared to what Marxist say and believe today are two different things. For example, Marx and Engels valued the price system. "Only through the undervaluation or overvaluation of products is it forcibly brought home to the individual commodity producers what society requires or does not require and in what amounts. But it is precisely this sole regulator that the utopia advocated by Rodbertus among others wishes to abolish. And if we then ask what guarantee we have that necessary quantity and not more of each product will be produced, that we shall not go hungry in regard to corn and meat while we are choked in beet sugar and drowned in potato spirit, that we shall not lack trousers to cover our nakedness while trouser buttons flood us by the million..." (The Poverty of Philospohy, intro by Engels. Thomas Sowell is very good at pointing out the differences between Marx and Marxists. But the whole point of this topic was that several people with whom I've chatted set up producers as the capitalists and consumers as the proletariat. So I'll agree Marx didn't mean this, but when dealing with Marxists, they often don't know what he actually said. FYI, my original post was “Barriers in Discussion.”
I can see some of your points, but it really depends on the conversation. What Marx said and believed compared to what Marxist say and believe today are two different things. For example, Marx and Engels valued the price system.
“Only through the undervaluation or overvaluation of products is it forcibly brought home to the individual commodity producers what society requires or does not require and in what amounts. But it is precisely this sole regulator that the utopia advocated by Rodbertus among others wishes to abolish. And if we then ask what guarantee we have that necessary quantity and not more of each product will be produced, that we shall not go hungry in regard to corn and meat while we are choked in beet sugar and drowned in potato spirit, that we shall not lack trousers to cover our nakedness while trouser buttons flood us by the million…” (The Poverty of Philospohy, intro by Engels.
Thomas Sowell is very good at pointing out the differences between Marx and Marxists. But the whole point of this topic was that several people with whom I’ve chatted set up producers as the capitalists and consumers as the proletariat. So I’ll agree Marx didn’t mean this, but when dealing with Marxists, they often don’t know what he actually said.

]]> Comment on Training Idiot Savants by Michael http://caveatarchos.com/2007/08/07/training-idiot-savants/#comment-47 Michael Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:09:25 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/08/07/training-idiot-savants/#comment-47 My Public Affairs class wins again! Yesterday, Adam Smith, J.B. Say, Joseph Schumpeter, Frank Knight, Fredrick von Hayek, Israel Kirzner, and Peter Drucker all mentioned in class. The subject was Entrepreneurship and how the concepts of it in economics evolved. Needless to say, zero references to dead economists in any econ class. My Public Affairs class wins again! Yesterday, Adam Smith, J.B. Say, Joseph Schumpeter, Frank Knight, Fredrick von Hayek, Israel Kirzner, and Peter Drucker all mentioned in class. The subject was Entrepreneurship and how the concepts of it in economics evolved. Needless to say, zero references to dead economists in any econ class.

]]> Comment on The ‘New Tenure’? by Michael http://caveatarchos.com/2007/10/02/the-new-tenure/#comment-46 Michael Wed, 03 Oct 2007 20:36:11 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/10/02/the-new-tenure/#comment-46 Often times I see the "research" that some professors do, and really it is just a new way to beat a dead horse. But more on the topic at hand, I would have to start off with some very basic questions, like what is the purpose of a university? I think the answer is debatable. Some people focus on the research side, but speaking a little more personnaly, I pay them to give me an education worthy of a degree. I'm not positive as to what the market values, but I do know that many universities do not "earn" money from their research results, rather they are given grants from the government for specific research, regardless of results. It could turn out that the research benefits society as a whole; I don't know. But I think a lot of people are like me, and we pay for the education (or a piece of paper that says we should have gotten it) in which case I don't care about the research, but the quality of teachers. But taking it from the article side, then I would agree with it that research needs to be applicable to the society, and thus a broader definition of scholarship is necessary than the current definition. Often times I see the “research” that some professors do, and really it is just a new way to beat a dead horse.
But more on the topic at hand, I would have to start off with some very basic questions, like what is the purpose of a university? I think the answer is debatable. Some people focus on the research side, but speaking a little more personnaly, I pay them to give me an education worthy of a degree. I’m not positive as to what the market values, but I do know that many universities do not “earn” money from their research results, rather they are given grants from the government for specific research, regardless of results. It could turn out that the research benefits society as a whole; I don’t know. But I think a lot of people are like me, and we pay for the education (or a piece of paper that says we should have gotten it) in which case I don’t care about the research, but the quality of teachers.
But taking it from the article side, then I would agree with it that research needs to be applicable to the society, and thus a broader definition of scholarship is necessary than the current definition.

]]> Comment on The ‘New Tenure’? by Christa http://caveatarchos.com/2007/10/02/the-new-tenure/#comment-45 Christa Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:25:35 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/10/02/the-new-tenure/#comment-45 Alright, I commented earlier but apparently the website didn't like it and chose not to post it. If this randomly shows up twice I am sorry. I agree with you one hundred percent on the fact that researchers should be able to effectively communicate not only their research but in general as well. (Not that you implied this, but I am making a point) I do not believe that good communication skills necessarily make a good professor. Just because a researcher can effectively transmit their knowledge doesn't mean they will be effective in the classroom. I don't know, maybe I am just stuck on this idea that teachers should be in the classroom because they want to be, not because they have to be. Alright, I commented earlier but apparently the website didn’t like it and chose not to post it. If this randomly shows up twice I am sorry.

I agree with you one hundred percent on the fact that researchers should be able to effectively communicate not only their research but in general as well. (Not that you implied this, but I am making a point) I do not believe that good communication skills necessarily make a good professor. Just because a researcher can effectively transmit their knowledge doesn’t mean they will be effective in the classroom.

I don’t know, maybe I am just stuck on this idea that teachers should be in the classroom because they want to be, not because they have to be.

]]> Comment on The ‘New Tenure’? by wintercow20 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/10/02/the-new-tenure/#comment-43 wintercow20 Wed, 03 Oct 2007 14:35:57 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/10/02/the-new-tenure/#comment-43 "Why is it that the university professors have to be ‘different’ from the K-12 teachers?" Quinn raises some excellent questions. The textbook theory relies on the notion of there being complementarities between teaching and doing research. I am not sure one has to actually be DOING research to benefit from these as a teacher; I do think that researchers should at least be aware that their work is more valuable if they are able to effectively communicate it. That said, some institutions are looking toward creating tenure-track teaching lines. I'd be a big fan - and surely would return to academia if that were the case. I think Duke is already doing something like it. “Why is it that the university professors have to be ‘different’ from the K-12 teachers?”

Quinn raises some excellent questions. The textbook theory relies on the notion of there being complementarities between teaching and doing research. I am not sure one has to actually be DOING research to benefit from these as a teacher; I do think that researchers should at least be aware that their work is more valuable if they are able to effectively communicate it.

That said, some institutions are looking toward creating tenure-track teaching lines. I’d be a big fan - and surely would return to academia if that were the case. I think Duke is already doing something like it.

]]> Comment on My Favorite New Professor by Ben http://caveatarchos.com/2007/09/15/my-favorite-new-professor/#comment-31 Ben Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:12:22 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/09/15/my-favorite-new-professor/#comment-31 The last two days' jackets were purple and hot pink, both in floral patterns. They're about the only things brightening my days. The last two days’ jackets were purple and hot pink, both in floral patterns. They’re about the only things brightening my days.

]]> Comment on The Magna Carta is Being Sold by Mike http://caveatarchos.com/2007/09/28/the-magna-carta-is-being-sold/#comment-42 Mike Fri, 28 Sep 2007 23:34:28 +0000 http://caveatarchos.com/2007/09/28/the-magna-carta-is-being-sold/#comment-42 Perhaps Professor Webb could get in that game and win it for us! Perhaps Professor Webb could get in that game and win it for us!

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