links for 2009-01-03

"I'm starting my long-promised series of posts on economic doctrines and policy proposals that have been refuted or rendered obsolete by the financial crisis. [...] Number One on the list is a topic I've covered plenty of times before (in fact, I was writing about it fifteen years ago), the efficient (financial) markets hypothesis. "

"I discovered Donald Westlake in high school, when I was randomly raiding the local library for interesting looking mysteries. I found one called "Castle in the Air" by Donald Westlake, and it caught my eye. While it was filed with the mysteries, it was actually a caper (though I wouldn't have known to call it that at the time) about groups of thieves trying to steal a castle in transit. It was funny and engaging, and I decided to read some more of this guys books. "

"Westlake had a good life, and a productive career by any standards, but I will cherish the books he did write and miss the ones he never will."

"The state needs to balance its budget, and given the fraction of the budget dedicated to education, I don't doubt that budget cuts will hit education. But Schwarzenegger's plan doesn't just force education to pay its fair share in the near term, it hamstrings students and educators for years to come. And that's simply unacceptable."

Oh, Deepak Chopra, no...