Innovative Immigrants
Depending on who you listen to, we are either making slow steady progress at creating jobs in this country, or we are stuck where we were four years ago. One thing is for certain; both parties love to talk about jobs, and both will recklessly sling around words like education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Neither says […]
Student Debt
We Americans are totally at home with the concept of borrowing our way to prosperity. Our government does it, so why shouldn’t we? Total U.S. credit card debt is around $604 Trillion, and contrary to popular opinion, we are not paying it down. When it comes to owing money, the number that should concern us […]
Panhandler Makes $60K
Beggars have always been drawn to the beachside resort community of Santa Barbara. The climate is mild year-round, and the residents and visitors are generally affluent. Local businesses have tried in vain to chase them away; the latest “Don’t Feed Our Bums” campaign featured signs and bumper stickers, to no avail. My wife and I […]
College Students as an Investment
People have been talking about a college diploma as a valuable investment for far too long now; it’s time to put up or shut up. Higher education as it is practiced today is arguably the most highly subsidized business there is; not including tax breaks or funds earmarked for research, the number is […]
The Spiraling Cost of College
Here in California where I currently reside, the cost of a college education is a hot topic. The University of California system, arguably one of the best in the country, is caught in the vise of the Golden State’s financial woes. On one side, there is the perception that the only way the […]
The Flash Startup
The Internet is an incredible wealth of information; somewhere out there is an answer to every question. Often when I use it, I find myself riddled with guilt. I know in my heart that it’s better to give than to receive, and with the Internet I’m a habitual receiver. Whenever I try to […]
PhDs on Food Stamps
When I am asked if getting a PhD was “worth it”, I presume this to be a question about return on investment. The short answer is no. The long answer, factoring in the lost opportunity cost of those long years as a poor graduate student and the narrower job market, is the same. There […]
Rare Earths and China
Most of you reading this already understand that rare earths are not hard-to-find potting soils; they are exotic materials like cerium, neodymium or dysprosium, that have been key to the development of such diverse products as advanced optics, computer hard disk drives, and hybrid automobiles. While environmental concerns were shutting down RE mines in […]
Managed Care
My annual physical used to begin with a visit to my doctor’s office, where lab work would be completed by his nurse. About a week later, I would report to the same office where the same nurse would take an EKG, the “vitals”, and lead me to my doctor’s office. He would chat with […]
The Economy Game
In the following parable, the names have been changed to protect certain individuals, and to avoid potential lawsuits. The national championship game between the Donkeys and the Elephants is tied at 100-100 with one second remaining. The Elephant’s all-star forward is at the free throw line with one shot left and the game in […]