Marijuana Farmers Markets Proposed In Boulder

“I got news for you: Marijuana is legal in Colorado,” Hartfield, a longtime marijuana activist, said. “It’s no longer a drug in a sense. It’s a plant. It’s a commodity. There’s no reason not to allow trade in it openly.”

Marijuana Farmers Markets Proposed In Boulder

The Shady Economist [Part I]

Sometimes a picture really does tell a thousand words. Here’s a chart, based on data from the Philadelphia Fed, showing actual economic results compared to the predictions of professional economists. As you can see, my profession does a wretched job.

Don’t Trust Economists

Eighty years after the Great Depression we still argue about what caused it and why it ended. If economics is a science, it is more like biology than physics. Biologists try to understand the relationships in a complex system. That’s hard enough. But they can’t tell you what will happen with any precision to the population of a particular species of frog if rainfall goes up this year in a particular rain forest. They might not even be able to count the number of frogs right now with any exactness. We have the same problems in economics. The economy is a complex system, our data are imperfect and our models inevitably fail to account for all the interactions. The bottom line is that we should expect less of economists. Economics is a powerful tool, a lens for organizing one’s thinking about the complexity of the world around us. That should be enough. We should be honest about what we know, what we don’t know and what we may never know. Admitting that publicly is the first step toward respectability.

Don’t Trust (Macro) Economists

Inflation Falls: Is the Economy Saved or Doomed?

Inflation in June fell for the first time in a more than a year. The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the government's most widely watched gauge of what the things average Americans buy cost, fell 0.2% last month. The drop was mostly driven by a fall in gas prices, which were down nearly 7% alone in June. The question is whether this is a good sign for the recovery, or another sign that we are headed for a double dip. Are we at the end of the soft patch, or the beginning of a worse patch?

Inflation Falls: Is the Economy Saved or Doomed?

The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) decreased
 0.2 percent in June on a seasonally adjusted basis, the U.S. Bureau
 of Labor Statistics reported today. Over the last 12 months, the all
 items index increased 3.6 percent before seasonal adjustment.

In contrast, the index for all items less food and
energy increased 0.3 percent for the second consecutive month.

Consumer Price Index - June 2011 

Stop The Presses!! (The Myth Of The Exploding US Money Supply)

So yes, the US government is running a massive $1.5T deficit, however, by any metric of money supply we can see that this is barely offsetting the continued de-leveraging that is occurring across the US economy. We are certain to see higher rates of inflation in 2011 (especially if oil prices surge higher), however, it is not an accurate portrayal of reality to conclude that the USA is “printing money” uncontrollably and flooding the world with dollars that will lead to hyperinflation. That is simply not the case and the data speaks for itself. At best, we are barely printing enough to offset the destruction of de-leveraging….

The Myth Of The Exploding US Money Supply

Gold Lords (He Who Has The Gun Gives The Orders)

Convert all the drug organizations to gold mining firms. Sounds good to me :)

Guerrillas and their paramilitary adversaries have long been involved in mining, often using it and related businesses like cattle ranching to launder money and to extract extortion payments. But military intelligence officials and residents here say that new factors, like the success of American-financed coca eradication projects and the price of gold, have pushed rivals in Colombia’s long drug war to focus elsewhere.

In Colombia, New Gold Rush Fuels Old Conflict

Gold Lords

$8133.64 Per Sq. Foot (Carpinteria Love)

• 3485 Padaro Ln
  CARPINTERIA, CA 93013
• MLS #
  10-3344
• Price
  $5,295,000
• Status
  Active
• Square Footage
  651
• Lot Size
  20,909
• Bedrooms
  3
• Bathrooms
  1
• Half Bathrooms
  1
• Year Built
  1935
• Property Type
  Home/Estate
• Style
  Cal. Cottage
• Contruction
  Single Story
• Exterior
  Wood Siding
• Interior
  Wood
• Roof
  Composition
• Foundation
  Raised

Do you think they will throw in a Weber BBQ for that price??

Adorable 100 year old Padaro Lane beach cottage sits above the sand in Santa Barbara's premiere ocean front enclave. On nearly one half acre with almost 100 feet of beachfront one can enjoy it as it is or take advantage of plans designed by Neumann, Mendro, Andrulaitis Architects for a stunning two story beach home with expansive views all the way down to Serena Cove.

3485 Padaro Ln, Carpinteria


Village Properties

More Gauchos Is Better

Two programs within the Department of Economics at UC Santa Barbara have been ranked among the top 10 in the nation by Research Papers in Economics (RePEc), a volunteer-driven initiative to create a public-access database that promotes scholarly communication in economics and related disciplines.

Only M.I.T. and Harvard University ranked higher than UCSB in environmental economics, and the department's experimental economics program placed sixth behind the University of Chicago, UC San Diego, Chapman University, Harvard University, and New York University. In addition, the cognitive and behavioral economics program ranked 12th. Other UC campuses among the top 12 include UC Berkeley and UC San Diego, at numbers three and four, respectively.

The ranking is a joint product of RePEc and the University of Connecticut, where the database is maintained. The results are based on 31 different criteria, including the number of citations and the publications in which they appeared, the total number of works authored by a particular scholar, journal page counts, the number of times document abstracts have been viewed on the RePEc Web site, and the frequency with which they have been downloaded.

"These rankings are a testament to the commitment UCSB has made to these fields over the past two decades, though of course it is the faculty in environmental, experimental, and behavioral economics who deserve the most credit," said Charles Kolstad, chair and professor of economics and professor at UCSB's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management. "The stature of departments is built one field at a time. The Department of Economics hopes to strengthen all of its core fields over the next five years so that each is top five nationally."

Said Melvin Oliver, the SAGE Sara Miller McCune Dean of Social Sciences at UCSB: "We are gratified that our Department of Economics faculty who specialize in environment, experimental, and cognitive and behavioral economics are recognized in national rankings for their outstanding quality. Such recognition speaks to the scholarly research they continue to produce while educating and mentoring nearly 2,500 undergraduate and 85 graduate students. These rankings reflect a faculty that embraces the teaching and research mission of the University of California."

UCSB Economics Receives High Rank

Top 25% Economics Departments(World), as of March 2010
#41 Department of Economics, University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Barbara, California (USA)

Top 25% US Economics Departments, as of March 2010
#27 Department of Economics, University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Barbara, California (USA)

Top 10% Institutions and Economists in the Field of Business Economics, as of March 2010
#84 Department of Economics, University of California-Santa Barbara (UCSB), Santa Barbara
IDEAS rankings

Professor Crouch would be proud of Trent ;)
I still see him in town at all the dive bars!!!

Stimulus: How Fast We're Spending Nearly $800 Billion | ProPublica

34% and counting.............

Stimulus: How Fast We're Spending Nearly $800 Billion | ProPublica

Santa Barbara Tea Fire

My 6X zoom is weak!!


Here is the Albertsons on The Mesa


Fire destroys up to 80 houses in Montecito

Operation “Gator Roll” Roll Call

I love the nicknames!!
LOL
Chili Red!!
Operation “Gator Roll” Roll Call

Thursday, October 16, 2008

On Wednesday, October 15, the Santa Barbara police and Sheriff’s department joined with federal and state agencies to crack down on the Eastside gang as part of Operation Gator Roll. (Go here for detailed coverage.) On October 16, the Santa Barbara police released the following names of those who were arrested or already in custody as part of the round-up. The grand total in custody is 59, with more sweeps and arrests expected to come. Not listed here are four juveniles and another 100 people who have already been arrested over the past year as part of this investigation.
Arrested on Federal Charges

● ISMAEL PARRA, 23; Nickname: Ishboo; Alleged Role: drug-dealing to gang

● JOSE GONZALEZ, JR., 20; Nickname: Scrappy; Alleged Role: Assaults including 2006 baseball bat attack in Isla Vista

● MIGUEL PARRA, 20; Nickname: Tripps; Alleged Role: Selling cocaine to gang

● ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ, 20; Nickname: Stilo; Alleged Role: Using Molotov cocktail

● FRANCISCO ANTHONY ALCARAZ, 21; Nickname: Stranger; Alleged Role: Gang soldier

● FERNANDO MARCO ALCARAZ, 18; Nickname: Lil Stranger; Alleged Roler: Gang soldier

● HUMBERTO OLVERA, 24; Nickname: Danger; Alleged Role: Knife attack

● PEDRO RENE GARCIA, 27; Nickname: Oso; Alleged Role: Gang leader

● ALFREDO ORNELAS, 23; Nickname: Capone; Alleged Role: Gang soldier

● JESUS MARTINEZ, 18; Nickname: Peke and Lil Pac Man; Alleged Role: gang leader

● REYNALDO FERER-DOROTEO, 36

● IVAN GARCIA, 18
Still Sought by Authorities

● ROBERTO AREBALO AMADOR, 20; Nickname: Lil Oso; Alleged Role: 2007 gang attack

● JESSE GARZA PEREZ, 40; Nickname: Chili Red; Alleged Role: Selling heroin to gang
Arrested but Already in Jail or Prison

● BRIAN JASSO ORTIZ, 22; Nickname: Villain; Alleged Role: attack at Jack in the Box

● OCTAVIO MARIN, 20; Nickname: Lil Tu; Alleged Role: Soldier

● JOSE CAMPOVERDE, 20; Nickname: Big Boy; Alleged Role: Racial attack on African-American

● JOSHUA ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ, 22; Nickname: Sinner; Alleged Role: Attempted murder of African-American

● SEBASTIAN MARTINEZ COVARRUBIAS, 22; Nickname: Seabass; Alleged Role: Made Molotov cocktail

● ROBERT MARTINEZ, 22; Nickname: Lil Bullet; Alleged Role: Conpiracy to murder

● CARL SAMUEL FLORES, 26; Nickname: Lil Kill; Alleged Role: Conspiracy to murder

● IVAN QUEZADA, 23; Nickname: Pac Man; Alleged Role: Baseball bat attack

● OMAR RAMOS, 18; Nickname: Sleepy; Alleged Role: Knife attack

● ARIEL RANGEL COLON, JR., 21; Nickname: Huero; Alleged Role: Attack on African-American

● XAVIER JESUS ALVAREZ, 25; Nickname: Malo; Alleged Role: Knife attack

● MARTIN MENDEZ, 24; Nickname: Lil Shyboy; Alleged Role: Selling methamphetamine to gang

● ELSON LEYVA TAPIA 25; Nickname: Yuyo; Alleged Role: Cocaine sale

● ENRIQUE MORAN, 21; Nickname: Silent; Alleged Role: Soldier

● EDWIN ORLANDO BAY, 20; Alleged Role: Soldier

● JOSE PEDRO ZAVALA, 22; Nickname: Lonely and Shy; Alleged Role: Attack on non-gang member
Arrested on State Charges

● JACKIE ARREVALO, 21

● CHRISTIAN BOTELLO, 28

● EDGAR CORDOVA, 23

● HUGO DIAZ, 26

● RICHARD GARCIA, 19

● JOSE GONZALEZ SR., 58

● GIOVANNI HUERTA, 19

● JOSE HUERTA, 45

● DIEGO LOPEZ, 18

● BIANCA MACIAS, 18

● RAYMOND MACIAS, 29

● PAUL MARTINEZ, 46

● JACOB MEDINA, 19

● PATRICIA MORENO, 19

● OMAR PALENCIA, 26

● JOAQUIN PEREZ JR., 18

● MICHAEL REGALADO, 26

● FLAVIO RIOS, 18

● STEVEN SALAZAR, 25

● TANYA SIERRA, 22

● ERIC TAPIA, 18

● MARTIN TRUJILLO, 19

● EDUARDO ZERMENO, 19

● DANIEL PAZ, 35

● RUDY YBARRA, 28

● PAULINO POMMIER, 23

● CHRISTOPHER MANSON, 18