1. I wasn't invited again this year to the Allen & Co. media mogul bash at Sun Valley, but I was in 1997 and then I predicted, while sitting next to David Geffen, that the Internet would overthrow the structure of the music business. Still another prediction from which I personally made no profit and yet which proved completely true.
2. The music touring business is showing record profits. Only the intermediaries, who package and yet neither sing nor play, have suffered from the overthrow.
3. The Wizards really have to trade Etan Thomas along with Spanish star Navarro in return for some relatively low paid but very tall man who blocks shots. Unless this happens, Agent Zero will leave the team at the end of the coming year.
4. There doesn't seem to be an antitrust policy

any more. That is because we don't have antitrust politics. None of the candidates emphasizes it; indeed, few even mention it. Policy comes from politics, not the other way around.
5. The Washington Post has it completely wrong: most of what needs changing in order to reduce global warming is not a problem in economics but culture. For instance, if everyone in America knew how to eschew buying an I-Phone (or its equivalent in terms of unnecessary but amusing expenditure) in order to save Africa from burning up over the next century, I bet we would all do it. And $2,000 a person (the device plus the AT&T contract) would make some big advances. That is $600 billion after all. You can buy a lot of green power for that number. But caught in the web of our beliefs and values, we do not know how to see this connection and make that choice. That is not economics but a cultural, or if you prefer, informational failure.
6. Of course we need to find a way to use nuclear power -- especially in developing countries. Indeed, the World Bank should primarily focus on loaning money to encourage non-carbon energy generation in developing countries. But, sadly, it won't, for the reason implied in paragraph 7.
7. About two-thirds of the problems in battling climate change result from the vested economic interests of the current holders of power in the global economy, and not from the cost of changing to green power, much less from the inability of technology to discover alternatives to carbon energy.
8. The primary path to success in converting to green power from carbon power is antitrust policy, which means we need antitrust politics --we need to treat the energy industry as Ma Bell was treated in 1984: break-up to stimulate innovation.
9. The reassembly of Ma Bell is a big problem for America but oddly you can't find an economist to say so. You can't find too many economists in today's day and age to say what really are big problems. But I love Brad DeLong.
10. I don't see how the Redskins make big advances without a big defensive lineman being added to the team. And the O-Line is old.
11. Don't you think Bud Selig should decide if he's happy or sad that Bonds is breaking Aaron's record? How long does one need to think about whether to celebrate or ignore the event, which is certain to occur soon?
12. How come in its article today about the super-rich the New York Times mostly featured Democrats? What's up with that bouleversement of expectation? On the other hand, out of the 15,000 families that make a kaboodle every year according to the article, what's your guess on the percentage that vote Democratic?
13. I bet the green tech conference in Aspen this coming week is not well covered in the mainstream media, yet is more interesting than any article in any MSM about climate change in the coming two months.
14. The novel is alive, fun, and well. See "Raw Shark Texts" for an example.
15. I don't see why "saving Africa" is necessarily a bad idea for non-Africans to hold; isn't the point of progress the development of a greater complexity of commitments to other people and other ideas than those one has grown up with?
16. I'm quite concerned that Conan won't be as consistently funny as Jay, who, albeit quite mainstream, is quite daring in his own way. Maybe this transition is Dave's Last Chance.
17. Ralph Nader thinks he may run again? I guess he hasn't done enough harm. So, is there such a thing as a group of Naderites who could rise up en masse and cause him to come to his senses? Probably not. He's a celebrity. But why? Why shouldn't the MSM decide never to write another word about him; that would do him in politically.
What makes him news? It's a circular feedback loop to write about him.
18. I don't see how the Republicans resist nominating Romney. He has all the money and his opponents are self-destructing. Well, what was good for American Motors is good for America, I guess.
19. I saw that one of the many who lied to a grand jury about the quiz show scandals has just died; the whole group is now almost gone. The idea that television would tell the truth is itself long gone.
20. I think Balkinization is a great legal blog. Very daunting expertise demonstrated often! Now where is a similarly skilled blog for MBA's?