Category Archives: Economics

On Stephen D. King's "When the Money Runs Out: The End of Western Affluence," With a Nod to Gus Van Sant's "Promised Land"

So I’ve been reading Stephen D. King’s When the Money Runs Out: the End of Western Affluence, which seems like a perverse act. Of all the things to read in the world, why this? It’s mainly about macroeconomics, the global … Continue reading

Posted in books/film, Climate Change, Economics, Politics, The West | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

On Hanna Rosin's "The End of Men": The End of Men? Maybe Not, But Thanks for Asking

So I’ve been reading Hanna Rosin’s The End of Men (2012)—why? out of sheer obstinacy, no doubt—which is at turns annoying, blockheaded, fascinating, fun, and scary. And for all those responses, it must be doing something right. I would have … Continue reading

Posted in books, Economics, Education | Tagged , | Leave a comment

"The Bird Saviors" as an Example of "Cli-Fi": The Hot, New Literary Subgenre—Climate Fiction

So I’m amused to see this piece on NPR books, which defines a new literary subgenre called Cli-Fi, for Climate Fiction, via a good friend (Thanks, Elizabeth!), here. I’ve noticed a number of novels that have elements of Climate Change … Continue reading

Posted in Birding, books, Climate Change, Cormac McCarthy, Economics, The West, Weird Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

"A Flag From the Poor Kid": A Christmas Essay

So a week ago I attended my daughter’s first community choir event for the Christmas season, at a Lutheran church no less. It was a lovely—even, dare I say, spiritual—event, a crowd of darling children singing (or not) Christmas carols in … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Education, Politics, The West, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The End of Growth, Or to Quote Bette Davis, "Fasten Your Seatbelts, It's Going to Be a Rocky Ride."

So there’s a fascinating, if decidedly gloomy, piece in the NY Times today, about one economist’s challenging paper that argues the U.S. (and other industrialized nations) are in store for a dramatic decline in growth, here. The most interesting part … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Politics, The West | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Fires, Plagues of Locusts, and Chiggers: Signs of the Apocalypse in Colorado, Or Is That Global Warming in Your Pocket?

So I believe in the biblical apocalypse as much as I do the Tooth Fairy, but replace the word “apocalypse” with “global warming” and we’re onto something real. The back roads of Custer County, Colorado are now covered with swarms … Continue reading

Posted in Birding, books, Climate Change, Economics, Politics, The West, Water Crisis, writing | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Big Friend, Boohoo, Big Mess: How the Facebook IPO Symbolizes the False Hype of the Financial World

So I’m mildly amused by the debacle that was Facebook’s Wall Street debut, in that I always found the multi-billion dollar value of FB to be an illusion. Now that it’s dropped in value by over $20 billion, my suspicions … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Politics, Social Networking, Uncategorized | Leave a comment