Father of 3 marvels. Lucky husband. Parent lottery winner. Ret’d infantryman. George & Frances Ball Dist. Prof. of Econ, VMI '84, UT ‘98, personal account.
Joined September 2010
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6 Jun 2018
The ideals of the Enlightenment returned to an enslaved French beach by the wretched refuse of her teeming shores. June 6, 1944. goo.gl/images/d3bKZI
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Do you happen to oversee an organization, one in which you previously served, also celebrating a birthday today that you didn't mention, but made time to kiss up to the boss?
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Jun 13
The level of cope in the Trump-supporter responses to the WSJ article about The Bulwark is really something to behold.
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Ooooof.
Jun 13
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Happy 251st birthday to the finest fighting force the world has ever seen.
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"If a candidate wishes to make his wartime service an essential part of why voters should select him, then he should highlight the traits he wishes to bring to the office, not dismiss the traits he wishes them to ignore."
My latest in @TheAtlantic
theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0…
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The rich getting inexorably richer is why Carnegie and Rockefeller heirs are so dominant in today’s society.
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Jun 13
In the 20th century, European leftists promised that their ideology would make regular people richer. That didn't happen.
So in the 21st century, the pitch has shifted to: "Actually, we'll make you poorer...which is good, because you deserve to be poor."
noahpinion.blog/p/degrowth-w…
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Dictators checking the table of contents in the American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics this morning: 😳
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Jun 12
What happened to the Rockefeller, Carnegie and Astor by the way?
According to the “law of capitalism” (r>g) their wealth should have grown ineluctably faster than GDP unless there is a wealth tax.
By now, assuming a 4% spread between r and g, these families fortunes should represent roughly 200% of GDP. Is that actually true?
Or maybe somehow the wealth of these families got ultimately diluted in other ways? Maybe we should wonder in what ways
Jun 12
At the peak of the Gilded Age, the 4 largest fortunes were Rockefeller, Carnegie, Astor ( Baker/Frick/Field depending on the year).
If they had spent their wealth, they could have bought 4% of all the goods and services produced in a given year in the US at that time.
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Jun 13
Stunning strategic loss for the USA and Israel.
Jun 13
Trump is getting fleeced by Iran
The deal:
• $24B cash oil sales
• Just 60 days of open Hormuz
Iran pockets $30B in two months
Day 61, Iran can close Hormuz again, and repeat the extortion
Massive loss for Trump—Huge win for Iran
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Jun 13
Jun 13
🇮🇱 SENIOR ISRAELI OFFICIALS: U.S. AGREED TO IRAN’S MAIN CONDITIONS, ISRAEL’S KEY CONCERNS LEFT UNADDRESSED
Senior Israeli officials say the emerging U.S.-Iran deal reflects acceptance of Tehran’s “main conditions,” warning that “the Iranians are not agreeing to this for nothing.”
“This is the same framework as the agreement to end the war in Gaza,” one official said, questioning what leverage Washington will have if Iran fails to meet its commitments after a ceasefire.
Officials also warned that “the uranium extraction has become uranium dilution and the missile system is not part of the agreement at all,” arguing that Israel’s core war objectives remain unaddressed.
“Not only is Iran not required to stop supporting proxies, it is reconnecting itself with Hezbollah terrorists through the agreement,” an official added.
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Jun 13
Live your life so people don’t celebrate when they take your name off things
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Jun 13
Unhinged part right here.
Especially chuckling at the “their God destroyed.” What a bizarre thing for a Christian to write.
In the end, the Christian Nationalists are just unhinged.
Jun 13
"In half a lifetime, many Americans have seen their God destroyed, their heroes defiled, their culture polluted, their values assaulted, their country invaded, and themselves demonized as extremists and bigots for holding on to the belief Americans have held for generations." - Pat Buchanan
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Jun 13
Berkeley math professor:
“Today, the more successful a public high school is at preparing its students, the lower its graduates' chances of getting into top UC campuses like Berkeley and San Diego.”
Berkeley admitted 45% of applicants from a high school where nearly 94% of “students failed to meet the state standards in mathematics.”
It admitted less than 14% of applicants from a school where “nearly 100 percent of its students in AP Calculus BC pass the national exam with a perfect score of 5.”
Jun 12
California universities dropped the SAT to help low-income and minority students. The policy is doing the opposite, writes Svetlana Jitomirskaya, a professor of mathematics at UC Berkeley. thefp.com/p/bring-back-the-s…
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Jun 12
Peer-reviewed literature review on degrowth:
◼️Almost 90% of “studies” are opinions rather than analysis.
◼️Few of them use quantitative or qualitative data; even fewer use formal modelling.
◼️Most of them offer subjective policy advice without policy evaluation.
◼️Most “studies” focus on small, local cases without a clear implication for the whole economy.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…
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Jun 13
Last month, solar power generated 12.8% of electricity in the U.S. while coal was responsible for 12.2%.
It’s the first time in history that solar accounted for more energy than coal. 🔋 abcnews.com/US/solar-generat…
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Jun 12
“Including in Ukraine”
Conspiracy theory masquerading as intelligence.
Jun 12
Today, I’m releasing never before seen intelligence revealing new evidence of past US government funding for more than 120 biolabs in over 30 countries, including Ukraine.
In support of President Trump‘s Executive Order to end federal funding of dangerous gain of function research around the world, and increase transparency and accountability, ODNI will continue working with partners across the Administration to identify where these labs are, what pathogens they contain, and what “research” is being conducted.
odni.gov/index.php/newsroom/…
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Jun 12
Larson dental Clinic, Fort Carson.
4ID soldiers in the field testing, integrating NGC2 equipment and trying to complete dental.
Dental clinic refuses to make appointments and provides a 2 hour block for walk-ins.
"Majority of soldiers complained about it during the SRP rodeo for the upcoming NTC rotation and the provider was in denial.
Soldiers leave requests are getting denied because of the nonsense of not being green on MEDPROS.
Soldiers are forced to sit outside hours in advance just to hopefully be seen. And yes the line wraps around the corner of the building."
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Jun 12
A lot of people bristle when you say, or suggest, that Trumpism is a cult, and I can understand the bristling. But listen to the man below. He is a member of Congress. Is this not, at a minimum, "some weird sh**," to quote George W. Bush in a different (though related) context?
Nehls: Donald Trump is the best thing to happen to this country in a hundred years. He was born a very special baby. I bet the doctors said, “I can tell this is a very special baby.”
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Yeah, I definitely would have had more time & mental energy to write more papers if I didn’t have kids. It’s brutal. Now I’m “penalized” forever with a shorter CV and three amazing human beings I love with all my heart.
Children derail academic careers even in places with good social nets, like Denmark
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