Palm Springs in the FT

... for a Louis Vuitton traveling fashion show at Bob Hope's house. The FT is correct that it is a very cool house, at least as best one can see without an invitation. It is not correct to say, though, that it is "far" above the valley. It is only a short way up the hill really. I like the term "brand narrative" as well but am not sure how to work it into a paper.

The American Association of Wine Economists gets noticed by the Colbert Report

The Colbert Report

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Note the wise remark about the dangers of generalizing from samples of study volunteers.

Hat tip: Orley Ashenfelter (at a conference in honor of Bob LaLonde)

Economics moment of Zen #12

"There is no late paper prison."

Robert LaLonde

Michigan on the role of free speech in academic life

I am with Miles Kimball that our university has done a good job of taking the high road on this, after some faltering around the showing of American Sniper.

The point of university is not to provide a greenhouse for delicate intellectual orchids. It is instead to prepare students to participate effectively in the life of the mind in both their personal and professional lives. Such participation implies the ability to effectively confront, engage with, and learn from ideas that differ from one's own.

Quack, quack.

An Oregon runner is just a bit too arrogant and learns a valuable life lesson.

What associate deans do ...

Michigan's new policy on drones .... I mean "unmanned aircraft systems".

But are we allowed to use the word "unmanned"? I would not have thought so.

Hat tip: Charlie Brown

Correction: An alert reader (who holds the title "deputy dean") writes me to note that, in fact, Michigan's policy on unpiloted (thanks don!) aircraft systems was conceived not by associate deans but rather by vice presidents. Upon reflection, I realize that I was using "associate dean" in the generic sense to mean any overpaid university administrator of non-obvious value (regular econjeff readers excluded, of course, as their value is clear).

Some evidence on the superiority of Australian politicians relative to American ones

The BBC on the ability of various Australian prime ministers to rapidly consume beer.