"Another question will occur to you: 'Who am I writing for?' It's a fundamental question, and it has a fundamental answer: You are writing for yourself." -William Zinsser ... Read more

A very interesting interview in which Greenspan praises the gold standard, says that artificially low interest rates can cause the business cycle, and suggests that we could do without a central bank provided we also get rid of fiat money. Hey, this guy should be Fed chairman! (For the good stuff, ... Read more

The IRS apparently thinks all the attention generated by actor Wesley Snipes' tax evasion trial (blogged here ) makes today prime time to get out the word on frivolous tax claims. The agency has issued a notice listing four more erroneous tax-avoidance legal positions that taxpayers should no ... Read more

It's finally showdown time for Wesley Snipes, star of the vampire film series "Blade," who in real life is facing off against the IRS. As blogged about previously ( here , here and here ), Snipes is charged with conspiracy to defraud the government, filing a false clai ... Read more

Used to be that months had to go by before Paul Krugman would make a statement flatly and shamelessly contradicting one he'd made before. Now, in our new world of just-in-time inventory, months have been compressed into days. From Krugman's blog on Friday : The signs point increasingly to an im ... Read more

I am starting to cook more now that I am done with school. I am learning a little each week because I am not a culinary master by any means. I am still learning about my grocery shopping habits and I haven't mastered how to go into the store and not spend a fortune of stuff I don't need. But, I am d ... Read more

Not all corporate employees realize that Roth 401k deferrals have been allowed since January 1st of 2006. The Roth 401k, like a Roth IRA, allows accounts to grow tax-free and allows for tax-free withdrawal of contributions, earnings, and interest. Funds are eligible for withdrawal at age 59 1/2 as ... Read more

FROM TICKER SENSE: The bloggers have stayed bullish for the longest streak since the poll began. I voted neutral again and my stock account remains 90% invested in an array of tech , medical , biotech , and mining . I am also hedged (short 35%) QQQ ... Read more

Interesting article on how the iPhone has upset the cellphone industry . An example of Newmark's draft definition of "entry barrier": An entry barrier is something that someone with a good idea, some guts, and a bit of money can destroy. Nicely complemented by this Mark Stey ... Read more

Credit expansion is responsible not only for the boom-bust business cycle, as Mises showed, but also that it is a major source of artificial economic inequality and sharply increases profits relative to wages. These are processes that come to an end and are actually thrown into reverse as soon as ... Read more