Filed under: Music
My favorite song from Jay Chow, whom I deem the counter part of Alicia Keys in the Chinese speaking world.
Filed under: Holy Grail
Today I went to the capital theory working group and the international working group, saw an almost totally theoretical paper, and an empirical/descriptive statistic paper. The first paper wants to do empirical also, but it achieves just that: want to. The second presenter was not shy about saying he does not have a model, yet in the end everybody in the room was impressed by the empirical facts that he painstakingly produced. The first presentation began with high expectations but faltered. The second presentation began with low expectation but took flight after.
What is good research? Sigh.
Filed under: Random
Today on the bus home, I sat behind four 10-ish year old kids. The physical size of these kid varies a lot (one huge white kid in glasses, one tiny white kid in glasses, one tiny tiny Asian girl, one medium size Asian girl with glasses), but they all looked dorky.
So the small white kid in glasses was showing off his new Texas instrument calculator. Although I could not exactly catch what they were talking about, I did hear mention of the word “ETS” and Pi. The white kid was reciting the number of digits after the decimal for Pi, totally impressing the other kids. The tiny tiny Asian girl was in awe with this little white kid. Then the white kid said he could recite 50-60 digits after the decimal for pi, but continued on with his reciting. The other kids were clapping their hands.
When did reciting the digits of Pi became a cool thing to do in front of your peers, especially when you are only 10? Discussing Texas Instrument calculators? ETS? (My school campus is next to the Lab school, which is a private school…that’s probably why I see these wizard kids)
It just seems like math teachers in school like to tell their students to memorize Pi. When I was in 8th or 10th grade, the teacher had this competition whereby the student who memorized the most digits of Pi received much glory and attention from the class.
Filed under: Personal
Today I did not check the news. Then I received an email from a friend, titled “DOW and YOUR MOOD”.
He said my mood today might be the same as DOW (Dow Jones hit 2nd highest rise EVER), because once it hits low it will bounce back.
On an unrelated note, sometimes my own actions puzzle myself: today I decided to cook the chicken which has been in my fridge (the low deck) for 1.5 week. I knew there are risks with eating this chicken, but I could not accept the fact that I bought a perfectly fine chicken and it is rotten just when I decided I want to eat it. So I cooked it. Strange smell arose from the pan — the first red flag. So I thought I will ignore this sign and sprinkle some curry powder and coconut milk and spoonful of cream of chicken on it. For sure these things will cover up the wierd taste from a semi-rotten chicken. After that, I tried a piece of chicken — it tastes a mix of the conspicuously sweet flavor of a semi-rotten chicken. So I cooked the chicken with onions (LOTS OF ONIONS) in hopes of dispelling that taste. I tasted the chicken — still strange. Now that I have put all these work and time on the chicken, I decided I just HAVE TO eat it. So I ate it.
Consequence: I have to run to bathroom right now.
P.S. I have this chocolate mousse I made (after a lot of sweat) last Friday. Chocolate mousse contains raw eggs. But it has been awhile. Hmm….should I eat it?
Filed under: Personal
Going to the car pound to get my car may be an experience, but it is not funny at all and I do not intend EVER to break the law again.
So I just came back with my car (Judy) from the car pound from 103rd street (very South of Chicago, close to Indiana). The serial numbers marked on every window of Judy branded Judy like a criminal. The large sticker on the window by the driver’s side seems to be there to allow the embarrassed driver to hide behind.
I experienced the full force of the state today–its monopoly on coersion.
I gave the department of revenue a look of glossy eyes. I gave the currency exchange cashier weepy eyes. I gave the person serving at the payment center a look of eyes threatened by flowing tears.
The normally unfriendly people suddenly became soft and caring.
Filed under: Economics
I am currently grading exams from the undergraduate intro to macro class, and here are some interesting answers:
1. Question: Who won the Nobel Prize in Economics this year? (This is a bonus question)
One answer is: “Krugman, for his criticism of Bush Economics.”
Another answer: “Patrick Bruner for some theory.”
Another answer: “For something that he wrote by himself. It was an individual prize. His name is Greg.”
Here is a slightly better answer: “I can’t recall his name, but he is a well known anti-Chicago economist awarded the prize for his contributions to trade theory.”
Here is an answer that put things in new light: “Paul Krugman: economic study of travel.”
Another answer: “Some guy from Princeton who stole his market theory from some guy at Columbia.”
Another: “Paul Krugman….he was Anti-Bush and also maybe because the committee wanted this to be an anti-Chicago award.”
Lastly, a Sarah Palin-ish answer: “Princeton professor….for the”
2. Question: Give EXAMPLE when grape and gas are intermediate goods vs. final goods.
One answer is: “Grape is a final good when it is sold at the final market. It is an intermediate good if it is sold at the intermediate market. Gas is an intermediate good if it is still oil. It is a final good when it is sold at the final market.”
Another is: “Grapes bought by the Roman Emperor Caliguca to be fed on his divan are final goods.”
3. Question: How would you be classified by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in terms of your status of employment? (the answer I am looking for is: I am NOT considered part of the labor force and I am not considered unemployed because I am a full time student)
Student’s answers:
One answer: “I would be counted as an 18-year old white male, unemployed….but I would be not be counted as unemployed in the BLS survey”
Second answer: “I am currently listed as unemployed with the state of Illinois. This is because I am a seasonal employee and am laid-off every September, re-hired in March. However, the State of Illinois does not know that I am currently a student, and I do collect unemployment insurance, because according to them I am unemployed, but looking for work. This, however, I am not doing.
(I didn’t deduct points from the second answer, but I did make the comment: OK…but is this moral?)
4. Question: Anna, one of your TAs, is from Hong Kong; Marc, your other TA, is from Barcelona. How do their earnings working in Econ 199 this quarter enter into US GDP, GNP, and NNP account?
Student #1’s answer: Their earnings count in GDP. When Marc and Anna buy food, clothes, etc with their earnings, it is all counted in GDP because they are adding to the productivity of the US economy. In terms of GNP, their earnings would not count because GNP only looks at American workers and American productivity. In terms of NNP, Marc and Anna’s leisure time, illegal activities, as well as any work they do for their spouses is also calculated into what GDP is for the year.
Student #2’s answer: Anna’s earnings go towards the US GDP because they were made on US soil. However, they go to Hong Kong / China’s GNP as she is a citizen of Hong Kong.
????
!!!
Filed under: Random
Extremely difficult. Today I learned the meaning of “stiff” and “soft peak”. Never knew that.
