While the mission of the DC Cat Count is humane treatment of cats, it is also a cat census that provides a basic economic lesson.…
How To Divide the Rent, a Cake and a Country
Assume for a moment that you have just rented a 4th floor walk-up apartment for $3000 with 2 friends. One bedroom is mid-sized and near a fire escape, the second is rather large and has a view of a ma…
Should Detroit Sell Its Art?
During 2009, a still life painted by Henri Matisse was sold at a Christie’s auction for $46 million. The Detroit Institute of Arts owns Poppies, also a Matisse oil on canvas but a bit larger. A …
A Command Economy: Playing the Game
Queue is now a game. But not always. In Poland, during the 1970s, you might have taken an hour or two off from work, rotating with a brother or sister, to stand in line. Everyone could have been waiti…
Indicators of Political Unrest
Is political upheaval fueled by corruption? Low GDP per person? Less democracy? This Economist interactive indicator lists 9 variables. Together they add up to 100%. But the question for rea…
Everyone Rations
I am concerned that the word “ration” has a bad reputation. In a recent CBS story about a new Medicare/Medicaid head, and throughout the healthcare reform debate, stories about repute…