Notes from the SEA's

Random assortment of thoughts 1 week after the SEA's:

• Robert Lawson has a very interesting empirical analysis in the works on the Hayek-Friedman hypothesis (which states economic freedom is a necessary but not sufficient condition for political freedom).
• If the conference was a random sampling of sports economists interested in discovering biases in sports betting markets, then I'd say the field tends to suffer the bifurcated man fallacy in their policy recommendations for possible prediction markets.
• Dave Skarbek is taller than I thought he would be.
  
• TPS blew an opportunity to get a "team photo." When will the stars ever align so that all 5 are at the same conference? Probably APEE, but nonetheless...
• Russ Sobel is a Rock Band star.
• If you are on the job market, you are probably doing ok if you are coming out of WVU. PhD candidates are getting more looks from better places with each passing year, even in a tough market like the current one. This is a joint product of the quality of work from previous graduates and the economics department's focus on cultivating PhD students.
  
• If you are just starting your PhD in economics and haven't chosen a dissertation subject, consider environmental economics if you have an interest there. There is an enormous market demand, and the supply is not as impressive in quality relative to other fields. Learn economics first, then approach the climate change research, and I think you could do especially well.
• The TSA searched my luggage and apparently kept a pair of my boxers. Offputting.
• After listening to other new assistant professors' start-up stories, I am more confident than ever that SPEA is a great place to work.