Hyde Park Blvd

…and thanks to Frango for his friendship, persisence, and connoisseurship.

1948 Porsche 356 prototype listed for sale on Hemming’s auto blog.    Built by Hans Waibel, it’s a interesting picture of the classic in development.

Fortunately, the production car lost the functional grille, but there are other touches that are interesting, including the faired headlights (lost to aerodynamics or simplicity?) the smooth rear end (reminiscent of 1950s hot rod detailing), the crazy chrome on the hood, the suicide doors, the wheel skirts.

It’s a great restoration (by Monty Montgomery), a pleasure to behold.

On the WSJ blog, Raghuram Rajan makes sense, which seems increasingly unusual in this difficult period:

The question is how you get the benefits without the excess volatility that’s now in the system. I think that’s what we will tackle over the years. We are going to question whether we need a better safety net, we are going to question whether finance should be as risky as it has been.

We may well want to choose more safety and less risk, but we should go into it with open eyes. We can’t have the dynamism and at the same time expect a lot more security.

Via Frango

My 500th post (almost exactly one year, not by design)Thanks for bearing with the growing pains:

Xmas for the Jews this year featured a Moroccan pea soup and “Up in the Air,” Ivan Reitman’s terrific and sobering film (half-full St. Joe Michigan theater).  Frank Rich, deserved recipient of a week’s worth of brickbats (having made Tiger the poster-boy for clay feet, imitates the Nobel Committee and disses Barack by presumption), writes about the movie and gets it 100%.  Read the article and see the movie.

Extraordinary photo.  Thanks, Frango.

“Gang up on the Quakers; play for the Lakers…”

Because the lyrics go by so fast, and because I just enjoy it.

Christmastime for the Jews
by Robert Smigel, Matt O’Brien, Eric Drysdale, Julie Klausner

On Christmas eve the Gentiles gather ‘round the Christmas tree.
They stay at home and party with their goyishe family.
They disappear one day each year and pass the eggnog ‘round,
but it’s all right, ‘cause that’s the night the Jews control the town.

Well it happens every year on Christmas eve.
All the happy Christian people take their leave.
Yeah, the streets are deserted and that’s big news:
It’s Christmastime for the Jews.

Yeah, the Holiday party starts ‘bout 6 PM.
Ain’t nobody re-creating Bethlehem.
Yeah, the three wise men, that’s a big old snooze.
Christmastime for the Jews.

They can finally see King Kong without waiting in line.
They can eat in Chinatown and drink their sweet-ass wine.
They can crank Barbara Streisand on the streets they cruise.
Christmastime for the Jews.

They can gang up on the Quakers, play for the Lakers,
[they can do what they wanna, even blow off Madonna,
Get a chance to drive a tractor, win on Fear Factor,
See Fiddler on the Roof with actual Jewish actors.

Now they really get the party going after dark,
Circumcising grateful squirrels in the city park,
Picking fights in the bars, knowing they can’t lose.
Christmastime for the Jews.

Now it’s nearly 10:30. Yes, it’s time for bed,
Daily Show reruns dancing in their heads.
Maybe next year they’ll learn how to hold their booze.
Christmastime for the Jews.
Have some water…
Christmastime for the Jews.
Don’t get sick now…
Christmastime for the Jews.
Sleep it off, yeah.
Christmastime for the Jews.

Thanks to Tom Alexander for making my Xmas especially happy!!!!

A Chicago specialty from a planet ever further away.

David Brooks has vital insights today; the world of economics becomes less a hard one, returning to its place as a more a social science.  And its anthropological perch is built on foundations by the likes of Northwestern’s Joel Mokyr.  Worth a read.