Tag: 2008 economic crisis

Reviving the Rust Belt: What’s the Answer?

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Last Thursday I attended an event hosted by Transform Rockford which was part of their Community Learning series. At this event there were two economists from the Chicago Fed who spoke about a recent study they conducted on cities in the “rust belt” or, the postindustrial Northeast and Midwest regions. The goal of this study, the Industrial Cities Initiative (ICI), is to “identify policies and programs that promote (or inhibit) economic growth and vitality in industrial cities.” While Rockford was not included in this study, the results are of relevance to this city which, like cities across the Midwest, has grappled…

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Book Blogging: The Case Against the Fed

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In the last few weeks I’ve been thinking about what to do with my site. It has undergone a lot of transformations over the years. My site is a reflection of me, and like I’ve changed and evolved from my young high school self, this site has developed too. To reflect my reading projects and enjoyment of writing as a way to process what I learn, I am going to start doing something new, what I’m calling, “book blogging.” Up till now I’ve tried to write about books only after I read them completely through. But now I am going…

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First Webinar!

I got done with my first webinar about 30 minutes ago. On this night of The Biggest Snow Storm of the Century I was happy to stay inside and talk about economics…a great way to spend a blustery and frigid evening. 🙂 The first webinar was really great! I think everyone (including me) enjoyed it, and that’s the important part. What use is economics if you aren’t having fun? Webinars are quite challenging, and it will take me a little time to get used to this different format. It is hard not seeing my audience or hearing them ask questions….

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Holiday Special on Economics Tutoring!

I’m feeling pretty generous right now, so I decided to offer a special deal on the tutoring rates. If you aren’t really sure how it would go and don’t want to commit to anything, I will give you two weeks of tutoring absolutely free. You email me at econtutor(at)savannahliston(dot)com and tell me what you’re interested in. Maybe something like, “you know, I don’t really understand all of this about QE2 and the Fed…what is it all about?” Or “I had to read part of The Wealth of Nations for school and I don’t know what to think of Adam Smith…

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To Gouge or Not to Gouge?

You are probably familiar with the term “price gouging.”  I’m talking today about price gouging in a specific market where demand for a good has suddenly skyrocketed. For instance, after a natural distaster demand for water, food, flashlights, etc…becomes very high. Wikipedia says, “Price gouging is a pejorative term referring to a situation in which a seller prices goods or commodities much higher than is considered reasonable or fair.” Now the obvious problem is, who decides what price is reasonable and fair? But there’s a more fundamental problem than that even. Let’s take an example like New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina….

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What’s New?

So you’ve probably noticed some slight changes on the site. I’ve decided to switch my focus from teaching an online class to online tutoring. Why? This is the way of the free market. I’ve concluded that perhaps teaching a full semester of economics may be too daunting for some and the time commitment too great. If you sign up for it before December 13th, I may still teach it, but with such a small group as I have right now, it really isn’t worth the work I’ll have to put into it. So what’s this online tutoring all about? Instead of expecting…

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Did Capitalism Cause the Recession?

After hearing Tom Woods speak last night I was inspired to dig up this youtube video again. It was really cool that Tom Woods talked about much of the same things as I do in this speech. I guess that’s not surprising since I got a lot of my information from “Meltdown.” But in this video I go into more depth and look at more of the causes than Tom Woods did last night. No, it isn’t quite as funny (or near as funny, except maybe the slide about the animal spirits…) but if you need a crash course in…

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