Don't Back Down

I've always enjoyed the columns of Walter Williams. Not only is he a good writer, but he has an entertaining sense of humor to boot, making the reading of his views on our world (and specifically economics) a joy to read. I've actually corresponded with him on at least one occasion about providing a news feed, so I don't have to keep checking his web site for updates. But no luck as yet. Perhaps one day.

Nonetheless, he hits the nail on the head again with his latest column, titled appropriately enough The Role of Prices. In it, Mr. Williams illustrates that the higher prices we see in the wake of Hurrican Katrina may illustrate price gouging by some, but that the role of higher prices makes perfect sense from an economic standpoint.

For instance, I certainly would prefer not to pay $5 or $10 per gallon of gas, but I can bet you if that was an option, I would do two things. First, I would re-evaluate my actions to make sure that I wasn't wasting quite so much - and therefore go longer between fill-ups, and then I would look around for competition that's pricing it cheaper. I don't get why we have a problem with this.

The Charlotte-Mecklenburg government has announced a variety of new email newsletters, offering news across a number of different areas. Not news feeds, but it's better than nothing!

After hearing about Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney splitting up after just four months of being married, it's refreshing to see just the opposite - a celebrity couple who is actually working to stay together. The really interesting thing is that it's a couple that involves Charlie Sheen - perhaps one of the more notorious celebrities around.