Reading

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

Curious about the fees associated with buying a car in Texas? This article breaks them all down, including sales tax, registration fees, and potential penalties for late payments.

via The Freeman Online.

This blog post on Marginal Revolution compares President Roosevelt's attempt to boost retail sales by moving Thanksgiving to government interventions like "cash for clunkers." via The source of this content is Marginal Revolution.

In the Spirit of the Day, this blog post recommends four logic puzzles to help readers pass the time.

Talking Points Memo (TPM) is a news website with a 404 page that lists recent articles. via TPM.