Monthly Archives: July 2016
That height study: bad science, bad reporting, both – or neither?
It's been reported on NPR: Americans are shrinking, while Chinese and Koreans sprout up. In the New York Times: Adults have become shorter in many countries. In the Guardian: Women and men have grown taller over last century. On Global News: Canadians don't stack up in height quite like they used to. In the Daily Telegraph: British overtake Americans after growing […]
Finite Horizon models of inflation as the horizon goes to infinity
You have an infinite horizon model of inflation. Your model tells you what happens to the time-path of the price level P(t) if the central bank changes monetary policy. Please do something: Convert your infinite horizon model into a finite horizon model. Suppose the price level at time T, when the world ends, is pinned […]
Scarce versus Abundant TP Equilibria
Canada is in an abundant TP equilibrium. Washrooms in restaurants, shopping malls, museums, universities, and other public places are, generally speaking, well stocked with toilet paper (TP). Inner Mongolia is in a scarce TP equilibrium. With the exception of elite venues such as four star hotels and airports, toilet paper is absent from public places. […]
Some Simple Basic Money, for Finance People
Finance people are good people. Economics needs finance people. Some of my best friends are finance people. But (you heard that "but" coming), finance people (though there are of course honourable exceptions) just don't seem to get money. I can hear the reply now: "Yeah, and money people don't get finance either!". And I think […]
Can sex triumph over patriarchy?
The way women and men spend their time has changed profoundly over the past century. Women in the developed and, to some extent, the developing world are spending much less time in unpaid household work, especially in tasks like cooking, cleaning, and laundry, and much more time in paid work. Men are doing a little bit less […]
What’s wrong with Airbnb?
Airbnb undermines the distinction between short-term, "hotel", accommodation and and long-term, "apartment" accommodation. Some people seem to figure this is a bad thing. New York State legislators, for example, have passed legislation imposing heavy fines on anyone listing their entire apartment on Airbnb or a similar service. But what – if anything – is wrong with what Airbnb […]
Worthwhile Canadian Initiative 
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