Labor Mobility and Immigration in a Recession

One of the arguments some economists (like Gary Becker) make against the stimulus bill is that it funds work in areas which are short-staffed, and not in areas of unemployment. (That's roughly put.) The LA Times has an article on farm labor, yesterday, which starts:

What a difference a bad economy makes. The collapse of the construction industry and a slump in the restaurant and food service sector have sent thousands of people back to looking for work on California farms, which not so long ago were hurting for workers.

Apparently there's some mobility in labor at the lower end. I don't know why this surprises me, but it did.

IT People Are Human Too

Technology Review interviews the woman touted to be Obama's Chief Technology Officer, Padmasree Warrior, currently Cisco's CTO:

"TR: But can you get rid of skips in voice calls and jitters in streaming video?

PW: Quality of service continues to be important. One of the things we believe, that we've put a lot of effort into...

TR: Hello?

PW: (a minute later) Hi, sorry, I didn't plug in my cell phone last night!"

Some nominees forget to pay all their taxes, some forget their cell phones. The problems a new President faces. As an increasingly forgetful senior, I suggest a blanket amnesty for all memory lapses.

HFCS Debunked, It's Sugar Says the Times

Jane Brody in today's NYTimes says "sugar is sugar is sugar" and it's bad for you, regardless of whether it's high fructose or not. The column is the first of two.

High fructose corn syrup makes a convenient target for those who would blame our ills on big business, but the reality is we love sweets.

Foursquare for Morality

That's John Phipps, who argues it's in his interest to honor his rental contracts:

All told, 2009 offers a unique chance for renters to differentiate from many competitors. And contract fulfillment is a tactic at least as practical as meticulous roadside maintenance or colorful newsletters.

So how about this alternative guideline for 2009: A deal’s a deal.

Stimulus and Broadband

The Daily Yonder notes that the House and Senate both allot money for rural broadband. Except they give it to different agencies, House to USDA, Rural Development and the Senate to Commerce, NTIS.

Shot Across the Bow

For fans of Horatio Hornblower, a shot across the bow was the signal to stop (being fired by a warship in front of another ship). That's the way I read this letter to Vilsack from the Senators. And it's a reminder to the greens, who are pushing for stronger rules, who really has the power. (Hat tip to Chris Clayton at DTN and a nod of recognition to Sen Lincoln, who has it posted on her website before Sen. Chambliss.)

[Updated--fixed link.]

Best Sentence Today

University Diaries: "The lesson of Rancourt is that professors and administrators typically have little trouble discerning the difference between dissent and dysentery." (From a discussion of a Prof. Stanley Fish post on an academic.)

Worst Web Site Design?

See here (hat tip to Treehuggers).

Go North, Young Man, Go North

That's not Horace Greeley reincarnated, it's Fareed Zakaria in Newsweek, making a good case for why Canada is a society that works better than the U.S. (One example, its banking system is rated #1 in the world, ours is 44.)

The Swallows Return, First Tourist to Iraq

The NYTimes yesterday reported the first Western tourist returning to Iraq. The Iraqis seemed to agree that reviving tourism was premature, but if tourists can go to Antarctica, Mount Everest, and space, they surely will brave the perils of Iraq.