Welcome Back Davis

Thanks, post title! It's good to be back.


Now let's get right into the rambling - I've got some points to make:


1) I love writing things in list form. Numbered lists are my favorite.


2) Today is November 10th. A year ago today was my first visit to Washington. I remember it like it was a year ago. Today. I've lived around/in DC for 11 months (December 3rd was the day I left Tucson) and I still haven't done 90% of the stuff a tourist would do in this city. The only plus side to this - in my head - is that when old friends/family come to visit me (which has happened... twice...?) I will be able to go see touristy stuff and be legitimately interested. This is, by the way, an open invitation to any one I know who reads this blog - you're welcome to come to DC and sleep on the hardwood floor in my studio apartment, between the table and the window, next to the fridge, any time you like.


3) Here's my ranking of Star Wars movies, from best to worst: I. III, II. II, III. V, IV. VI, V. I, VI. IV.


4) As I had been predicting with extreme arrogance for literally months leading up to the election, Obama won the crap out of that election. I'm glad he won - he's an excellent speaker, an incredibly talented politician, and I'm convinced he's a "Secret Economist." That's right. "Secret" because economist-hating socialists think he is on their side, and "Economist" because socialist-hating economists know that he's not.

Evidence? Obama's positions on freezing interest rates, pigovian taxes, immigration, competition in health care, gas-tax holidays, progressive taxes (including an implied understanding of government budget constraints), and his comments on the gains from freer trade (before it became apparently necessary for him to start bashing NAFTA, which I still hold against him... But, then again, it seems he was just being a clever politician.)

Most of these examples come from his early debates with Clinton, so I will grant you that he might have since contradicted himself and/or changed his "opinion" on some or all of the specific examples (which I'm way to lazy to link to) of the topics I listed above. If so, it just means I have to put more emphasis on the word 'Secret' in Secret Economist.

Obama was supported by The Economist magazine. This line was my favorite, though I've taken it out of its somewhat wary context:

"The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr Obama. We do so wholeheartedly..."

And there's this other line in the article, attributed to Obama's advisors:

"...he is a political chameleon who would move to the centre in Washington."

That sums it up pretty well, I think. How about Chameleonomist? ...Terrible. But you get the point.

Finally, pay attention to Obama's economic advisors. Austin Goolsbee is a pretty clever fellow. I'm convinced you can learn more about a president [elect], by looking at who he trusts for advice than by listening to the things they say during campaigns...

So, long story short, I'm proud Barack Obama won. He'll be a far-better-than-average president. Also, I voted for him, as required by the rules of Gamepaign 2008. Of course, I cheated a little bit and completely ignored Gamepaign 2008 for the past... Year... or so... But hey - rules are rules.


5) Speaking of that: I also voted for Eleanor Holmes Norton, and some Libertarian whose name I don't remember. And that's it. It took me exactly 9 minutes to get out of my chair in my office, walk to the church/polling station, vote, and return to my chair at work. And now my vote is one of the 210,000 for Obama in DC (compared to McCain's 14,800). 14,800 to 210,000?!?! Your nation's capital, dear Foreecon readin' types, is surrounded by quite a shocking number of Democrats. Just FYI.


6) PokingFood.com is kickin' ass and taking names, and has been for weeks. If, after browsing the wonderfully hi-res photos of fingers in food, you become inspired to capture your own FoodPoke, simply email it to pokingfood@gmail.com. Stupid caption optional.

Join the revolution, dickheads!


7) I'll be back soon to update Ye Olde 4ECon with some more useless crap.