Check out the Colosseum or the Roman Forum or any number of ancient structures.  For you architects, this is a great opportunity to see what these old buildings really were like.  They even have full interior on some buildings.

View the following video for a fly-by as well as more details on the project.

It’s rare that we get a glimpse at what happends in the battlefield.  He’s an oportunity to see an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) up close.  A little too close.

IED Up Close

Remember if you can’t see the video, view the full post here.

Interestingly enough, these two economists follow each other’s blogs and often comment on the other’s analysis.  Following both, I feel I get a fairly well rounded view of things.

Recently, Mankiw commented on the Presidential candidates tax plans and how it effects his incentive to work extra hard for his children.

Using the chart on the right (borrowed from the Wall Street Journal), an assumption that he will live another 35 years and some economic formulas, he calculates how much each dollar he earns now will be worth to his children when he dies.  Under McCain’s plan, each dollar will be worth $4.81 (in 35 years) while Obama’s plan would yield $1.85 for every dollar earned now. Sadly, he also points out that without any income, capital gains or estate tax, his $1 would be worth $28 in 35 years.

So in Mankiw’s view, Obama’s plan would, in a way, reduces or removes the incentive for Americans to work hard.

Of course, Mulligan doesn’t quite agree.  Well, he kind of does.  He argues that Obama won’t be able to get these tax laws passed.  In additional to that, Mulligan gives the following argument:

Second, most of the price-tripling result comes from the capital tax side. Because Professor Mankiw expects to live about 35 more years, the President during the next eight is hardly relevant. Indeed, if it were true that Obama would be a heavy taxer, Professor Mankiw and his kids might be better off if Obama gave a vivid demonstration of the harms of heavy taxation before they realized their capital gains in the year 2043.

So in essence, he agrees that Obama’s tax proposals would be economically detrimental, but claims that Mankiw’s argument doesn’t really hold much weight because policy can easily change in the next 35 years. And in fact he says that voting for Obama will help you enjoy your children more because you won’t have a desire to work additional jobs/hours because it won’t be worth as much.

Although Mulligan’s arguments may be relevant, I think Mankiw’s intention was to illustrate the problems associated with a higher capital gains tax and other heavy taxation.

So one of problems with both arguments is the that the details are what makes both arguments even close to valid.  Without the nasty formula from Mankiw, you can’t really understand the problems associated with the heavy taxation.  But without the understanding of when the taxes actually take affect, one can’t accept Mulligan’s argument.

What is the average person going to see when they look at this chart?  Do they see higher taxes are do they think, “Oh, that won’t affect me for a long time, so I’m not going to worry about it.”

Be sure to read both articles to fully understand the different arguments.

PS. Interestingly enough, both economists minimize the current downturn/recession/depression.  Mulligan claims that it’s not even a downturn as it only affects two markets (financial and real estate).

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Mendenhall talks to players before 2006 TCU game -- From Wikipedia

It’s all summed up in a single quote from BYU’s head coach, Bronco Mendenhall:

“What’s happening here isn’t about me,” he says. “My ultimate goal is for my job to be expendable, where I could walk away from this program and have it continue on without missing a beat. We’re a lot closer to that than we were three years ago.”

He’d like to work himself out of a job!  Now how many FBS (Division-I) coaches would ever say that?

* In an interview for Rivals.com (read the full article)

“There’s a huge spider on the porch!  It’s as big as a tarantula!”

Of course she was exaggerating….  so I thought.  I told her to save it in a bottle.  When I got home, I found a freaked out mother and kids that were a little anxious…. and a big old massive wolf spider (we think).

So after Emily left to go to a volleyball game, I broke out the spider to get some picture.  Check it out! Click the pix for the full size.  They are fun!

We quickly realized that we had come a day early. The first day was tutorials for somewhat beginners and we had not signed up (or paid) for these sessions. We found ourselves with a free day close to one of the coolest cities in the world, San Fransisco.

So we took the rental car up highway 101 into downtown and toured the city. A few shots (taken with the iPhone) documented the fun.

I’m not sure how my wife would feel about this doorbell, but I think it’s rather elegant.  A must have for any true geek.  The problem… it’s not even close to available.  It’s just a design concept from renown designer, Li Jianye.

Come on ThinkGeek, hope on the stick with this product.

It’s so cool, er, geeky.  Heck, I’ll take two (one for the dog house I will be in after installing this on the house).