I have followed Steve Hutkins and retired Postmaster Mark Jamison for years now. Both Mark and I have had conversations both on and off Angry Bear. It appears we are nearing the end of the reconstruct of the USPS. Whether it works as well shy 50,000 employees with the expectation civilians on their own can manage without the experience of their help, service, and delivery remains to be seen. Long read and a worthy read with links! Delivering for...

Our Doomed Fate as Ecological Crisis Looms

from Maria Alejandra Madi I am writing today about a new online conference of the World Economics Association ”Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy 80 years later: Looking at capitalism today in light of its past and possible future”.  It runs from 1st February to 28th February, 2024.  You can find more information about it here: https://capitalismanddemocracy2024.weaconferences.net/ Home Background Submissions Register Frequently Asked Questions Conference Leaders Arturo Hermann and...

Manipulability — Pearl vs Rubin (wonkish) Pearl asserts, while some RCM (Rubin Causal Models) theorists deny, that so-called “non-manipulable” variables can be causes (Pearl 2019; Holland 1986, 2008). Race and gender, which arguably cannot be experimentally manipulated, are key examples of such variables … My response is that although advocates of the frameworks adopt conflicting positions regarding certain variables, these positions are not forced upon...

Two year low in new home prices and turndown in sales show renewed pressure caused by increased mortgage rates  – by New Deal democrat Once again, this morning’s report on new single family home sales shows that the compete bifurcation of the new vs. existing home markets continues. Unlike existing homeowners, many of whom are shackled in place by 3% mortgages, new home builders can offer price incentives and downsize floor plans to increase...

My article with the post title is now available at the Bulletin of Political Economy (Volume 16, issue 2, pp. 133-146). The abstract follows: Abstract: This article presents an example of the reswitching of the order of fertility and of the order of rentability. Whether or not these orders differ from one another varies with distribution for certain parameter ranges in the example. This analysis emphasizes that more rent per acre is not necessarily associated with more fertile land and...

Within pretty broad limits[1], I’m an advocate of historical ‘presentism’, that is, assessing past events and actions in the same way as those in the present, and considering history in relation to our present concerns. In particular, that implies viewing enslavers, racists and warmongers in the same light, whether they are active today or died hundreds of years ago. Protesters pulling down a statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol, England, during a demonstration organized...

Economy at Risk Climate change projections

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Support Michael Hudson’s unique perspective by joining his Patreon group, where we hold these quarterly discussions. Next is Thurs Dec 7th. Karl: Welcome everyone to another quarterly session with Michael. We’ve got to come up with a good nickname with these (sessions). They’re great discussions and we like to have a fireside type conversation with Continue Reading The post The Dumb Luck of Dollar Hegemony first appeared on Michael...

Comparing energy efficiency of boiling water: household appliances Michael D. Eissenberg, BSME, PE, Leed AP*, and Joel C. Eissenberg, Ph.D.* *co-corresponding authors Abstract Kitchen appliances use various mechanisms to heat, with differences in energy sources and geometry. The goal of this study was to compare energy efficiency across common household appliances. To facilitate comparison, 1 L of water was used as the heating substrate...