Michael Giberson When the Ink Spots sang “I love the java jive and it loves me” in 1940, they could not have known how right they were. Coffee not only helps clear the mind and perk up the energy, it also provides more healthful antioxidants than any other food or beverage in the U.S. diet, … More Jave Jive or Jive Talking? … More Jave Jive or Jive Talking?
Michael Giberson The sacrifice bunt is evil, say the sabermetricians with their numbers and charts and spreadsheets. The cost of the out given up is greater than the value of the base gained, and they can prove it mathematically. Offer to elaborate about this to Washington Nationals Manager Frank Robinson, to show him the charts … More Moneyball Vs. Old School on the Sacrifice Bunt … More Moneyball Vs. Old School on the Sacrifice Bunt
Michael Giberson For months we have been treated to media reports telling us gasoline consumption was undeterred by higher prices. Apparently, not any more. Prices have become high enough to reduce consumption, and because a reduction in gasoline consumption leads to a reduction in gasoline tax collections. State government officials are taking notice, according to … More Tax Collectors Feel Pain at the Pump … More Tax Collectors Feel Pain at the Pump
Michael Giberson Regulatory authorities and public policy goals have collided on the Virginia side of the Potomac River, just across from D.C. This has been a slow-motion collision, long in coming and probably weeks or months still to go, so pull up a chair and watch the show. Virginia state officials have caused the shut … More Regulators Clash on Air Quality and Electric Reliability … More Regulators Clash on Air Quality and Electric Reliability
Lynne Kiesling I am outta here, headed on a week’s vacation to the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. No computer, no cell phone reception, so no LK KP. Mike will soldier on here while I’m gone. But please keep talking! I love seeing the conversation that has started. TTFN! … More KP Northwoods Style
Lynne Kiesling OK, Manhattan in hand … here’s an analysis that improves on the first one. I’ve taken the ratio of [gasoline price x gasoline quantity] to median household income. The gasoline quantity data are from Table 5.13a of the DOE’s Annual Energy Review 2004, in thousands of barrels. Table 5.13a reports “estimated petroleum consumption, … More An Even Better Statistic on Gasoline Household Spending … More An Even Better Statistic on Gasoline Household Spending
Lynne Kiesling OK, last word before I go make that Manhattan … contrary to what Glenn said in his follow-up post, I have no enthusiasm for ethanol as a fuel! Except for when it’s taken internally from a bottle with a red polymer top … … More Internal Consumption of Ethanol
Lynne Kiesling OK, here’s the data to show that relative to median household income, gasoline prices have fallen: Data used to create figure: Median household income data for 1980-2000 from Table H-11 of Census historical statistics, in current dollars Median household income data for 2001-2003 from Table H-8 of Census statistics from the Current Population … More Gas Price Relative to Median Income Has Fallen … More Gas Price Relative to Median Income Has Fallen
Lynne Kiesling In KP’s three years of life there’s been a lot of coverage of oil and gasoline markets, and some dominant themes have persisted: The unintended consequences of price caps are usually pernicious. Environmental regulation, in this case in the form of the EPA federal fuel oxygenate requirement, causes balkanization of regional gasoline markets, … More Summary of Reasons Why Oil and Gasoline Prices Are Currently So High … More Summary of Reasons Why Oil and Gasoline Prices Are Currently So High
Lynne Kiesling I recommend reading Mr. Coyote’s post on the Hawaii price cap over at Coyote Blog. Very nice commentary. And thanks for the kind words! … More Hawaii Price Cap Post at Coyote Blog