Twins in Twinsburg, Ohio

The Daily Mail follows in the august footsteps of Orley Asheenfelter and Alan Krueger by attending the Twins Day festival in Twinsburg, Ohio.

The article contains some great pictures of people for whom being a twin is not just a biological fact of life but also a hobby. There is even some Canadian content, eh.

Hat tip: Charlie Brown

Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

This "new" Jerry Seinfeld project consists of short videos wherein he hangs out with his comedian friends. It is absolutely self-indulgent: he gets to drive around in interesting cars, drink coffee (and often eat lunch) at interesting restaurants in the NY and LA areas, and he gets to hang out (and pay) his comedian friends. But the conversations are fun and often interesting as well, and I enjoy watching someone who seems to enjoy his wealth so thoroughly and with so little drama. I also like Jerry's sense of and interest in the history of comedy.

I have watched the first two seasons. The ones I enjoyed most were Carl Reiner / Mel Brooks and Michael Richards (who played Kramer on Seinfeld) in the first season and Chris Rock and David Letterman in the second.

I would be curious to know how he arranges things with the restaurant owners. Are the other customers, who generally pretend not to notice Jerry and his companions, all plants? Are they all paid?

Employment effects of the minimum wage

Right here at Michigan.

Hat tip (on the link and the subject line): Charlie Brown

Robert Conquest RIP

The Wall Street Journal offers a fine obituary of sovietologist Robert Conquest. It includes many things I did not know - even a limerick about Lenin.

Diane Whitmore to the Hamilton Project

Congratulations to Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach on taking the helm of the Hamilton Project at Brookings.

Though I still don't understand why anyone would name something after the wretched statist Alexander Hamilton, surely the worst of the American founders.

An Iraq veteran on domestic policing

Some useful thoughts on excessive force and on strategy more generally.

An important theme that is left implicit, but that could usefully have been developed at greater length, is that the actions of every police officer in every department have a public goods aspect. Misbehavior by police in one jurisdiction reduce trust in, and cooperation with, police in other jurisdictions. This suggests that the optimal "tax" on such misbehavior is pretty large.

Renovating the State Theater

The Ann Arbor News details the ongoing plans for the renovation of the State Theater in Ann Arbor.

Lots of nice pictures, including bits customers do not normally get to see.