In the winter (February 2008) newsletter of the Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors, I wrote of the prospect of "a full-on economic depression, a possibility that is starting to loom on the US horizon (at least according to George Soros and Robert Reich)." What can I say--I used to work at a mutual fund--


and sometimes I read the tea-leaves aright. Higher education, including one's own institution, has as usual been taken by surprise. And, again as usual, it is unlikely the administrative budget (70%, at my place) will take the whole, or even an appropriately proportional, hit.

Fellow academics who may be a tad uncertain of where to turn for good coverage of the present situation might want to bookmark "Calculated Risk."

Those who might like an introductory, painless, and reassuring tutorial on how to get rich slowly while investing on a modest income may want to make the acquaintance of The Wealthy Barber (a.k.a. David Chilton), a blast from the '90s financial past whose book and PBS videos remain entertaining and wise classics. A short video clip of a recent appearance is here; a review of the book that seems to sum it up well is here. The videos are still buyable off Amazon.com, at least in VHS and audio- as well as paper books.

Don't be fooled by Chilton's folksy humor; he got the highest score ever on the Canadian Securities Course exam (equivalent to the US NASDAQ Series 7). His videos epitomize the concept of wearing your learning lightly; we should all give lectures as good.

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