About Economics: Weekly Update (Vol. 7, No. 3)

Economics In the Spotlight | More Topics |   from Mike Moffatt Where I live we are in the middle of a cold snap, with temperatures in the -5 to -10 Fahrenheit range. This is causing cars to freeze up and even those who have cars are avoiding going to work or shopping, if possible, because of how uncomfortable it is. I have often wondered how big a hit the economy takes when we receive such cold weather. I would love to read a study on the matter.   In the Spotlight What's the Difference Between Nominal and Real? Economics students are back in school, so the number of questions I am receiving along the lines of "What is the difference between nominal and real?" is steadily rising.              More Topics Information on Interest Rates Exchange Rates Money & Monetary Policy Resources Economics Term Paper Resources Inflation and Deflation Free Economics Texts Economics A-to-Z A Basket of Goods 32 Years Ago Compared to Now One of my hobby horses is on how long run inflation is not a particularly meaningful concept, since a basket of goods changes so radically over time with new products being introduced (cell phones, laptops, teeth whitening strips) and changes in quality (desktop computers over the last 3 decades, fabrics, etc.)   U.S. Interest Rates Are Not Zero I hate to keep on picking on Paul Krugman, when there are hundreds of other well-known economists saying things that are going to look downright embarrassing five years from now. But this statement he made nearly made me throw my laptop through a wall...     Sponsored Links   Best Moves in a Bad Economy Save & Invest the Right Way Find out how to beat a bear market, make smart choices, and keep your cool even when the economy is unpredictable. Economics Ads Times of India India Economictimes Economic News Business Letter Economic Magazines Advertisement     Visit Related About GuideSites: Investing for Beginners Stocks Credit / Debt Management Graduate School Mathematics   Search About      Sign up for more free newsletters on favorite topics. You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the About Economics newsletter as lemmetry@GMAIL.COM. If you wish to change or remove your email address, please visit: http://www.about.com/nl/usgs.htm?nl=economics&e=lemmetry@GMAIL.COM About respects your privacy. Our Privacy Policy. Our Contact Information. 249 West 17th Street New York, NY, 10011 © 2008 About, Inc.