This blog will serve as a virtual rooftop--a place from which I can shout my opinions and share my thoughts on contemporary issues relating to the economics of agriculture and the environment. I find it cathartic to write when I read about a decision, a policy, or an analysis that just strikes me as wrong. Hence, I have a folder on my MacBook Pro replete with submitted op-eds. I'll now start submitting those op-eds to this blog and expect they will get published. So, in a way, this blog is as much for me as it is for any readers who may stumble upon it. I'll hope to provide you commentary that is occaisionally insightful and maybe even intentionally funny from time to time. In addition to the slew of unsubmitted op-eds that I have written, there are the submitted and rejected op-eds I have written, some with my advising professor David Zilberman. Our ideas have been good--and while our submissions have been rejected, some of the ideas we expressed have subsequently been incorporated into the unsigned editorials of the major newspapers that rejected our submissions. What is that they say about imitation and flattery?
In starting this blog, I am inspired by Greg Mankiw, the crew at Freakonomics, and Matt Kahn, all of whom set a high bar for drive-by contemporary econ analysis. I don't intend to compete, though I may try to emulate. Its hard to say how this blog will evolve. I'm not imposing any rules on myself at the outset. I'll hope to post regularly, but I can't yet say what "regularly" means. Hoping to go on the job market in the fall, finishing my dissertation and getting my other research out the door are my top priorities. If I have successfully lowered expectations, then let me also say I welcome feedback on the blog and the commentary it contains.
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