Whatever Floats Your Boat

Economics is everywhere - even on the cruise ship

By Barry Fagin

I once had a professor who couldn't stop saying "Economics is everywhere." Twenty-five years later, I thought I'd put her theory to the test.

I'm on vacation, traveling with family and friends. Writing this paragraph from our hotel lobby, I'd say we found a pretty nice place to stay. It has great restaurants, a couple of pools, a multi-story lobby with glass elevators, and about a thousand rooms. It's also got twin diesel engines and a top speed of 25 knots.

Freedom From the Man

How libertarian reforms can help women succeed professionally

Thoughts on the Information Age

It's not what you know, it's how you use it

By Justin Hartfield

We are currently living in the 'information age'. This much is undisputed. Through the miracle of the internet, we have access to knowledge and information which would have been unfathomable only twenty-five years earlier.

Traditional models of education and even ideas about knowledge itself are now changing mightily. It is now entirely possible for anyone, of any socio-economic status, to study and download University-level (or higher) course material from the comfort of their own room or favorite local internet cafe. So is the information age ushering in a new era of intellectual understanding and prosperity for all? Maybe, but I doubt it. It is difficult to gauge just how forceful the transmutation of the internet will be on human society, as the medium is practically new and there has been no time for historical perspective.

How to Fix GM
Solutions for the struggling American car industry
Justin Hartfield

Believe it or not, General Motors was once a shining example of American engineering superiority. Really, it's true. Long before its current throes of massive financial losses and impending bankruptcy, GM actually made good cars.

Exhibit A: The 1957 - 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham

The Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was a 345 hp luxury sedan 30 years before the BMW E39 M5. It was a no-compromise luxury auto, intended only for the most affluent customers. For example, Marilyn Monroe had one special ordered in pink. Options included: air ride suspension, automatic transmission, power windows, power doors, six-way power seats, power breaks, air condition, radio, cruise control, memory seats, and electric clocks in the back seats. Its industry-first quad headlights were capable of automatically dimming so they wouldn't blind passerbys on a mountain incline as well as automatically turning on at night. The 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham was priced at $13,075, several thousand less than what it actually cost to make the car. The car was used to enhance the image of the company and to get people in the showroom. When's the last time GM put out a car like this?