So, I'm watching the last disc of Commanding Heights (produced in 2002) and they bring the deep-voiced narrator and the ominous music to talk about the recession of the early 90's when there were 10 million unemployed and the national debt was...FOUR TRILLION DOLLARS. So, in other words, the good-old days.
I couldn't help but think of Dr. Evil, holding the world hostage for ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Commanding Heights
I just finished watching the first episode of Commanding Heights: The Battle for the World's Economy. It's a really good, very general overview of battle between free markets and planned economies over the last century. Highly recommended as a painless way to take in some economic theory.
Fun fact: Keynes and Hayek served as air wardens together in London during WWII.
Fun fact: Keynes and Hayek served as air wardens together in London during WWII.
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Free Audio Downloads from the Library -The Best Thing Ever
Without audio books, I'd never get the dusting done. Or the yard work. Or the ironing. I'd work at them for a few minutes and then sit down to read. The selection is not great, but I never have any problem finding something I've been meaning to read. Or reread.
I recently listened to 1984, which I read so long ago, that my memory of it had become quite dim. It's a must read if you follow conservative bloggers. I've seen all these references to it in the past week: The memory hole, the two-minutes hate, we've always been at war with East Asia, we thank the party for increasing the chocolate ration from 20 grams to 15 grams.
I just finished The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag from the Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley. Flavia is an 11 year-old amateur chemist and sleuth from 1950's England. Although the protagonist is 11, these are not children's books. They contain gruesome murders and adult situations. Having said that, I laughed out loud more than once. Highly recommended particularly if you enjoyed:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I couldn't imagine the point of this book when I first heard of it, but since everyone else seemed to be reading it, I downloaded it. And it was hilarious. I presumed that the shtick of the Bennet sisters fighting the undead would wear off before the book ended, but I snickered all the way through.
Update: Sure enough, the shtick of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did wear off. I tried Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, but I didn't make it through the first chapter. Cute, but not compelling.
I recently listened to 1984, which I read so long ago, that my memory of it had become quite dim. It's a must read if you follow conservative bloggers. I've seen all these references to it in the past week: The memory hole, the two-minutes hate, we've always been at war with East Asia, we thank the party for increasing the chocolate ration from 20 grams to 15 grams.
I just finished The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag from the Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley. Flavia is an 11 year-old amateur chemist and sleuth from 1950's England. Although the protagonist is 11, these are not children's books. They contain gruesome murders and adult situations. Having said that, I laughed out loud more than once. Highly recommended particularly if you enjoyed:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I couldn't imagine the point of this book when I first heard of it, but since everyone else seemed to be reading it, I downloaded it. And it was hilarious. I presumed that the shtick of the Bennet sisters fighting the undead would wear off before the book ended, but I snickered all the way through.
Update: Sure enough, the shtick of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies did wear off. I tried Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, but I didn't make it through the first chapter. Cute, but not compelling.
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