Reading

Matt Yglesias questions the cost of the war in Afghanistan, suggesting cheaper alternatives and pondering the Taliban's training efficiency.

via Marginal REVOLUTION

Jason Kottke shares an analysis of how con artists use seven principles, including "The Time Principle," to take advantage of human behavior. via kottke.org

Detainee 063 publishes the brutal interrogation log of Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohammed al-Qahtani with a 7-year delay.

via kottke.org

Jason Kottke introduces "The Noughtie List," a project curating lists and articles summarizing the 2000s. via kottke.org

Tyler Cowen thinks "What Works in Development?" is a great introduction to the current state of development economics.

Jason Kottke shares a list of 15 failed predictions about the future, including one example where a man believed high-speed rail travel would be impossible. via kottke.org

Tyler Cowen shares a list of books frequently appearing on "best of" lists in 2009, including titles like "The Age of Wonder" and "The Lost City of Z." via Marginal REVOLUTION.

John Scalzi criticizes a homeowner's association's decision to disallow a 90-year-old Medal of Honor recipient from having a flagpole in his front yard. via Whatever

Someone beats World of Warcraft. via www.destructoid.com

The "Page not found" page for the Marginal Revolution website features links to subscribe to various resources, alongside contact information for Alex Tabarrok and Tyler Cowen.

This blog post refutes the strategy of hoarding high-point letters in Scrabble, suggesting instead to focus on common letters and seven-letter words. via Marginal Revolution.

Steven Horwitz analyzes Census Bureau data on household items from 1971-2005, finding significant increases in the percentage of American households, especially poor ones, with access to amenities. via Coordination Problem