End of Semester Humor

This has been a very interesting period for studying economics.  Sometimes it's nice to just sit back and have a good laugh at some of the craziness we see around us.  Here's a collection of recent economic/political cartoons.  Enjoy!

Is It Goodbye to Twinkies?

Striking unions at a dozen Hostess Brands plants have forced the company to shut down.  18,000 employees including approximately 600 employees at the Ogden, Utah plant will be laid off in the closure.  Here is a real world example of why many economists suggest that unions create more unemployment in the workplace.  Can this iconic brand be saved?  Read about it here.

Goodbye Twinkies!



Three Trillion Barrels of Oil Under Utah?

A Recent discovery of oil in the Green River basin could provide enough oil to make the US totally independent from OPEC.  What are the possibilities?  Read about it here.

Utah-Colorado Oil Find

Students Observed Leaving Fed with Money

Following a recent tour of the Federal Reserve Bank in Salt Lake City, students from LDSBC and SLCC were observed leaving with up to four bills each (value estimated at up to $3200).  Upon further investigation however, Federal Reserve authorities indicated that there wasn't a "shred" of evidence any money was missing.  See what you missed?
Shoulda been there!

Mitt Romney's Political Opportunity Cost

Regardless of your political persuasion, I think you will find this article from Forbes interesting regarding Mitt Romney's opportunity cost for going into the political arena.

Forbes: Mitt Romney Opportunity Cost

Tax Cuts for the Rich

Noted economist Thomas Sowell takes on the argument about tax cuts for the rich in this recent article.

Sowell: Tax Cuts for the Rich

Confusing Unemployment Numbers

If you were confused by the conflicting unemployment numbers published last Friday, read the article posted on Greg Mankiw's blog http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/ entitled "The Two Labor Market Surveys" for a better explanation.