Scott Sumner

1 week ago | scottsumner.substack.com | Scott Sumner

There is a great deal of ruin in a nation — Adam SmithHold my beer — Donald J. TrumpThanks for reading The Pursuit of Happiness! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. (OK, I made up the second quotation.)Tyler Cowen occasionally does posts evaluating the way that current events have affected the status of various groups. Because the past three months have been a particularly “current event” rich period, it might be time to make a few preliminary observations.

2 weeks ago | dcnewsnow.com | Scott Sumner

Given the dmv’s current moderate to severe drought, the parched land might quickly turn to lumber if mother nature decides to get really windy, especially on a bright day. The national weather service will issue a red flag warning for a specific area during certain periods. In essence, a red flag warning indicates that there is a possibility that present or potential future circumstances will result in a higher risk of fire.

3 weeks ago | scottsumner.substack.com | Scott Sumner

It would be tempting to write a post saying, “Look at all the nonsense in the Trump administration, I warned you.” But that would be too easy. You guys read the newspapers. (If you don’t, this and this are just the tip of the iceberg.)This post will mention a few Trump abuses that I predicted, but I’ll mostly focus on areas where I got things wrong. The National Review is an interesting vantage point from which to examine recent political developments.

1 month ago | dcnewsnow.com | Scott Sumner

During the heart of the winter months, when the coldest temperatures are seen, if someone has to be outside for a prolonged period of time and is not protected, frostbite and especially hypothermia can set in. Due to the fact that the heart, brain, and other organs cannot function as efficiently as they normally would, hypothermia, a potentially fatal medical condition, would occur when the body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

1 month ago | dcnewsnow.com | Scott Sumner

Given that it is mid-winter and that the DMV has experienced four distinct snow events, I felt compelled to discuss snow ratios. What I am referring to, is the relationship between the amount of snow and water when we use phrases like “light and fluffy” or “heavy and wet” to characterize the snow’s quality. Temperature is the primary factor influencing snow ratios, although other regional and meteorological factors, like humidity, wind, and a storm’s path, also play a role.