For a good recent summary of the [...]
Despite the dismal US unemployment report, there are signs that the economy is stabilizing and even turning the corner, albeit slowly. 
The US unemployment rate, as expected, rose to 10.2% in October. The economy lost an additional 190,000 jobs. It would not be surprising to see double digit unemployment persist until spring. [...] 
Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian
Busy day today (week actually) so I'll farm this one out to Beervana blogger Jeff Alworth who has a fascinating tidbit about what Karl Ockert of Bridgeport calls the 'novelty curve.'
Faith Cathcart/The Oregonian
After my rather lengthy disclaimer about how talking about beer is a device through which I discuss economics principles and have some fun in the process, I tenuously dip my toe back into the beeronomics pond...
The always reliable [...]
[...] 
A wonderful article by local writer Lucy Burningham.
[...] 
The New York Times' Goal blog has the this story on the installation of the natural grass field at the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ, future home of the MLS New York Red Bulls.
This picture from the Portland Architecture Blog is priceless. The Blazers played a exhibition game in the old Coliseum on Wednesday (which I was dying to go to but the wife had a 'retreat') and made the exceptional decision to leave the curtains open. I [...] 
But perhaps the most persistent — and thought-provoking — conservative critic of the party has been Bruce Bartlett. Mr. Bartlett has worked for [...]
From the Calculated Risk blog, this nice picture showing why the news that weekly unemployment claims are falling is good, but that we have a long way to go before we are back to pre-crisis levels...like so many other economic statistics these days. [...] 
Dow Chemical has just announced a new product that may speed the adoption of household solar energy: solar shingles that can be installed with nails by a roofer just like (and along side of) asphalt shingles. This is a product of Dow's Solar Solutions [...] 
Today is Walk + Bike to school day in Oregon (I am a little late with the post) - but it is never too late to pick up your child on foot if you drove this morning. I was handing out prizes at my son's' [...] 
Lalo de Almeida for The New York Times
Heading off to the airport, so here is the picture: edging slightly higher in July. Would not be surprised to see it fall again slightly in the Fall.
Slow blogging ahead, I am off tomorrow for Buenos Aires to attend the 2009 LACEA-LAMES conference. I am woefully unprepared, so lots of scrambling today. Sporadic blogging from BA if I have the time and inclination to follow. 
[...] 
In the heyday of the music business, record labels were important and successful because they could offer two advantages to musical acts: economies of scale and scope.
One of the requirements necessary for a free market to reliably achieve an efficient outcome is full and symmetric information. So this article on a smart electricity grid pilot project is pretty interesting. What this project did, in essence, is give customers real-time information on [...] 
Via John Foyston, the greatest thing ever:
With a loss of 6,600 jobs, Oregon's unemployment rate rose to 12.2% in August. Still wallowing at the bottom and, as I said before, we could be there a while... [...] 
In 2007 the worldwide hop shortage loomed as a potential disaster for breweries. Fortunately, those crafty craft brewers seemed to have weathered the shortage with aplomb. And now some good news: 2009 was apparently a bumper year for worldwide hop production. Why? Good weather and [...] 
Regular readers of my blog will know that I am a bit skeptical of the net economic benefits to 'going local,' but this is often confused with lack of support. On the contrary, I am a supporter of the local economy, I just think claims about [...] 
Forbes magazine lists what they consider the most stressful cities in America. Portland comes in at number 14. Actually this is not so bad, the city is dinged especially for its high unemployment rate and dearth of sunny days (where it comes in at #1 [...] 
Via the Oregonian comes news of this new study on the correlation between driving and density. Portland, Oregon was used as the primary case study for this analysis. From the Oregonian story:
Sorry, slow to no posting this week. This is the last week of summer for my kids and I am devoting this week to them.
The Crazy 8s are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album "Law and Order" tonight at the Crystal Ballroom. Alas I will miss it, regretfully, as I spent many a wonderful evening with them in my youth. Perhaps I shall give the album a spin tonight [...] 
From our friends at Beervana (the Blog) comes this explanation (via The Onion) of Beeronomics:
A good friend of mine who was studying automotive engineering at the University of Wisconsin and into using lasers and fluid dynamics to design a better internal combustion engine used to rant every time a city bus would start going after a stop in earshot. His [...] 
For what its worth...
Maybe it is because I am a nerd, but 
