Articles 2026
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Why Buffy Kicked Ass
The deeper meaning of TV's favorite vampire slayer.
Reason, August/September 2003
When Buffy the Vampire Slayer premiered on the WB Network in 1996, American culture was in trouble. Americans were bowling alone, pursuing individual interests to the detriment of the communal good. Business leaders were celebrating creativity and neglecting discipline. Nike's "Just do it" ads were teaching young people to break the rules. Hollywood was turning out "nightmares of depravity."
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Laws That Limit Online Shoppers
A look at wine sales over the Internet shows the price of some regulations in the name of consumer protection.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", July 17, 2003
REMEMBER when getting a mortgage meant visiting a bank or a broker in person, when handcrafted jewelry was something you could buy only at a gallery, when finding out-of-print books meant combing used-book stores, when only New Yorkers could buy certain high-end cosmetics?
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The Aesthetic Imperative
Why the creative shall inherit the economy.
Wired, July 2003
A decade ago, pundits were declaring that the future held two kinds of jobs: computer programming and hamburger flipping - or, in the highfalutin language of Robert Reich, those held by "symbolic analysts" and "in-person service providers." Paleoconservative Crossfire host Pat Buchanan warned we were headed toward a "two tier" society. His left-wing guest Jeremy Rifkin agreed, plugging a book that announced The End of Work. -
Technocrats and Glowing Panties
D Magazine, July 2003
According to the State of Texas, retail lighting should be harsh, fluorescent, and unforgiving. But that makes it tough to sell underwear.
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Specialization Is the Rage
Vertical integration worked well in its day; now companies thrive by turning to specialists.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", June 19, 2003
Sears is selling its credit card division, almost certainly to a specialized financial business. To let customers charge their purchases, retailers no longer have to run their own credit operations. Dell Computer doesn't make its own hardware. It assembles circuit boards and disk drives from specialized manufacturers.
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Is Dallas Going to the Dogs?
D Magazine, June 2003
Like graffiti, rampant dog droppings can indicate a city in decline. In Dallas, however, they just indicate a city that hasn't grown up yet. Our city girl explores how we handle our pets and what it says about our urban maturity.
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Demon Deflation: Not Here, Now
Just because prices are falling, it doesn't mean there's deflation.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", May 22, 2003
"PAY Less for Almost Everything," blares the cover of Reader's Digest, conveniently positioned next to the supermarket cash register.
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The Truth About Plano
D Magazine, May 2003
Inspired by Trading Spaces, our city girl ventures north to the oft-maligned suburb and sees a world of possibility and pleasure.
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How Much Is That Civic Online?
The pundits were wrong: Using the Internet to buy cars does save consumers money.
The New York Times, "Economic Scene", April 24, 2003
The 21st century hasn't brought us flying cars. But it has made the nonflying kind a lot easier to buy.
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Wives' Tale: The "marriage penalty" taxes women for working, not wedding
The Boston Globe, April 09, 2003
Every April 15 inevitably brings complaints about the "marriage penalty." From the kind of talk that surrounds the issue, especially the pronouncements of conservatives, you'd think the penalty was a plot to encourage couples to live in sin.