Number 2

I'd like a little rest, sometime, but I don't think it's coming anytime soon. Long hard look ahead, I am a rational forward looking "agent" after all, there is much work to be done, much much much. Three equals infinity, like what Jeff Ely said.

But, hang on, what is this "agent" anyway. Why does economics love to use such communist notions? Ronald Coase said we are all communists at heart, like everything Coase says, I cannot disagree. So, are we all economists? Probably. After all, all of us have at one time or another said "this is too expensive, outrageous times we live in, hai o rabba". But that we are all economists does not mean we are economists all. And this is a weakness of economics, not of us. I'm nobody's agent.

How am I to make sense of the future? By not making sense of it, maybe. Ouch, the burden of all this wisdom. Twinges muscles, racks limbs, races minds. I like the word "wisdom", it sounds so regal and empowering. "Clever" is sort of saying, okay yaar, I see what you did (you sonofabitch).

***

On phone with old friend, destined the two of us are to go down greying together, discussing the flirtations taking place in the esteemed hallways of MIT and Harvard:

me: man, the whole thing is weird, why would you want to hook up with her anyway

him: they produced papers, they produced a book....babies are next

me: what, do you think he said "I love how you say internal validity"

burst of guffawing laughter for 2 minutes, the sort of thing that reminds you of your humanity, we can still act like school kids. A lovely foolishness.