The Anti-Keynesian Two-Step

the way the dialogue works is that first a Keynesian observes that fiscal stimulus can increase growth in a depressed economy. Second, as an attempted reductio, a conservative says “if that was true, then you could increase growth by breaking a bunch of windows.” Third, the Keynesian accurately points out that you could, in fact,… Continue reading The Anti-Keynesian Two-Step

Calling Warren Buffett A Socialist Is Ludicrous

Of course, it was inevitable. As soon as Warren Buffett came out and publically said that the super-rich, like himself, should be taxed more, knee-jerk, reactionary right wingers were going to throw the “S” word at him. It is a laughable notion – one of the most successful traders in history wants to march America… Continue reading Calling Warren Buffett A Socialist Is Ludicrous

Florida’s Welfare Drug Testing Costs More Than It Saves

Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s plan to test welfare recipients for drugs is costing the state money, despite his claims that the program would actually save tax dollars. … Under the rules of the program, the state must reimburse recipients who receive negative test results. The state paid about $1,140 for the 38 negative tests,… Continue reading Florida’s Welfare Drug Testing Costs More Than It Saves

Buddhist Meditation Promotes Rational Thinking

But a new study suggests that people who regularly practice Buddhist meditation actually process these common social situations differently — and the researchers have the brain scans to prove it. Ulrich Kirk and collaborators at Baylor Medical College in Houston had 40 control subjects and 26 longtime meditators participate in a well-known experiment called the… Continue reading Buddhist Meditation Promotes Rational Thinking

The Cracked Conservative Mirror

Whenever you read conservatives trying to critique what they think the other side believes, you find them assuming that their opponents must be mirror images of themselves. The right believes that less government spending is always good, regardless of circumstances, so it assumes that the other side must always favor more government spending. The right… Continue reading The Cracked Conservative Mirror

Tea Party less popular than much maligned groups like atheists and Muslims.

Tea Party ranks lower than any of the 23 other groups we asked about — lower than both Republicans and Democrats. It is even less popular than much maligned groups like “atheists” and “Muslims.” Interestingly, one group that approaches it in unpopularity is the Christian Right. From NYT Crashing the Tea Party But are they… Continue reading Tea Party less popular than much maligned groups like atheists and Muslims.

why don’t smart phones do noise reduction?

You’ve got a microphone. You’ve got a processor that is more than capable of mixing an audio stream in real time. Why not have the device capture background audio and apply anti-waves to the audio playing in the headphones?