Higher education is expensive. The cost is especially high for people who attend for a while, then drop out. They incur the costs but not the benefits, and it’s got to be demoralizing, too. Not everyone should go to college. Certainly, not everyone should go to college at age 18. I believe this. Still, it… [Read More]
Blog
There is no secret ingredient.
This photo shows a Taoist temple on Qingcheng Mountain, the birthplace of Po the Kung-Fu Panda. Kung-Fu Panda is big here in Chengdu, since Po is a native son, and I’m told that he is typical of people of Chengdu: friendly, loves to eat, interested in peace and not war. Ever since I saw the… [Read More]
Questioning Conventional Wisdom on China and Entrepreneurism
While I am in Chengdu, I am trying to talk to anyone I can who is part of this new economy here. One person I talked to asked me what my article was going to be about, and I told him that I didn’t know because I hadn’t talked to enough people yet. But this… [Read More]
Paying for College: Looking at the Donors
America’s universities are mostly funded by private funds: tuition and donations. Yes, even private universities receive government funding, but the volume of state and federal dollars has been steadily declining. Who provides the money, and how much they give, affects the amount of non-loan financial aid available, what you get for that money, and how… [Read More]
Fashion Ephemera
I like to dress nicely and snag a bargain as much as the next lady. I also know that cheap clothing is bad for the environment and bad for workers. All the cognitive dissonance makes me crazy! Really, what does it mean to be fashionable? I can’t buy clothes in Chengdu, so the fashion I… [Read More]
