To Open an Account or Not (That is the Question) My son’s Bar Mitzvah (Jewish confirmation, sort of) is rapidly approaching, which means that a slew of checks — many of them from out-of-state relatives — isn’t far behind. Opening a “kid” checking account for him certainly seems like the smart, responsible thing to do....Read More
Epic . . . Slog “It’s like a dog walking on its hind legs. It’s not done well, but the surprise is that it’s done at all.” –Samuel Johnson Sad to say, that’s my take on octogenarian Thomas Wolfe’s most recent (and last?) effort, “Back to Blood.” Who but Wolfe could conjure — for the...Read More
“And the Oscar White House Goes to . . .” What do you call the person who finishes last in their medical school class? Answer: “Doctor.” –old joke. If Mitt Romney wins today’s election, he is, of course, President. If he loses? Like other runners-up (Minnesota’s Walter Mondale, Al Gore, John McCain, etc.), he is...Read More
Are Natural Disasters Partisan? Every time the wire services publish a photo of President Obama comforting a victim of Hurricane Sandy, it’s hard to imagine jaded citizens (and potential voters) not being touched, at least a little bit (and no, I’m not attaching political motives to Obama’s humanitarian actions). In fact, a broader principle seems to be...Read More
Supply, Demand, and the Price of Electricity “Xcel Energy reported a 17 percent jump in earnings per share for the third quarter, but warned that electricity sales remain slack, and that it will seek a Minnesota rate increase.” —Star Tribune (10/26/2012). OK, so it’s been 30(!) years since I studied economics in college. And I...Read More
Define, “Enervate” (Ahem, Ahem) “Mr. Obama’s goal, it seems, was to indicate his continued willingness to serve in a job he believes he can do better than the other guy, but that doesn’t really seem to enervate or enliven him. That’s a problem, and not only for the duration of the campaign.” –Matt Bai, “Obama’s...Read More
