2012 Grammy Awards: Many stars party on as Jennifer Hudson memorializes Whitney Houston
Running with the one you love is the best Valentine's gift
Valentine's Day, Iran, and Hollywood celebrities
Alyssa Bustamante and children that kill: When violence is a lullaby
Looking back: Desegregation busing led to isolation for white and black children
Catholic church demanding yet another financial advantage
Interview with Jamie Story on being Miss Texas and standing for liberty
Behind the Jeremy Lin madness, a hidden opportunity
Leopold Godowsky, pianist and composer, reborn in the 21st century (Part II)
Senior Valentines are happier and more optimistic
Stimulus That!
Linguist and economics professor Jim Picht looks at the global economy, considers the civilizing power of capitalism and wonders what markets have to do with morality. And if you don't think the answer is "plenty," think again.
Entries
Photo: Jim PichtValentine's Day and being in love
"I love you." Why do those words make us so happy and so subject to misery? Published 5:09 p.m. February 13, 2012 - Comments
Santorum sweeps, Gingrich fades to irrelevance
The clear winner of Tuesday's contests was Rick Santorum. The clear loser was Newt Gingrich. Mitt Romney and Ron Paul are in it to spin it. Published 2:44 a.m. February 8, 2012 - Comments
Photo: The White HouseBarack Obama: Channeling Jesus at the National Prayer Breakfast
Barack Obama is who Jesus would be, if only Jesus knew as much as Barack. Published 8:52 p.m. February 3, 2012 - Comments
Photo: Associated PressRomney wins CNN debate, Gingrich loses; Paul and Santorum hold steady
Mitt Romney finally has a pulse. That's bad news for Gingrich. Published 2:34 a.m. January 27, 2012 - Comments
Photo: Associated PressMitt Romney, real conservative
Gingrich and Santorum say that Romney isn't really conservative. They're wrong, at least where it really counts. Published 1:12 a.m. January 26, 2012 - Comments
Photo: Associated PressNewt Gingrich, a one-man CREEP
Newt Gingrich is doing a bang-up job for the Committee to Reelect the President. Published 3:37 a.m. January 24, 2012 - Comments
Photo: Associated PressRomney assails Gingrich during Tampa debate: The tin-man comes to life
By showing signs of life in his debate performance, Mitt Romney may have breathed new life into his campaign. Published 12:45 a.m. January 24, 2012 - Comments
Photo: Associated PressSantorum and Gingrich in South Carolina: Are they really Reagan conservatives?
Grabbing at the mantle of Ronald Reagan, Santorum and Gingrich are tearing it to shreds. Published 5:49 p.m. January 21, 2012 - Comments
The Stop Online Piracy Act: A cure worse than the disease
SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) are misbegotten bits of legislation that fight the wrong war to protect the wrong industry. Published 10:32 p.m. January 18, 2012 - Comments
Photo: Associated PressThe inevitable Mitt Romney
He's won two contests out of 54 (don't forget Guam!), seven delegates out of 2,286. What's so inevitable about Mitt Romney? Published 11:30 p.m. January 17, 2012 - Comments
AUTHOR
Jim Picht
James Picht is an economist, a husband, and a father. He's also a former music major and classically trained pianist, a church organist, and a part-time jewelry maker. He thought he wanted to be a scientist and got a ...
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Featured Neighborhoods
Sportfolio
Exploring the world of adventure sports—where “adventure” is sometimes only a state of mind.
- Walking atop the walls of Jerusalem
Get a different perspective of Jerusalem’s Old City from its ramparts.
- Outdoor gear to battle winter
Face down the cold weather with women’s clothes designed to keep you warm.
- Winter activities in Yosemite National Park
Escape the crowds and visit Yosemite in winter, when there are plenty of activities available.
- Cannery Row adventures combine views and wildlife
Get a taste of Monterey’s Cannery Row with outdoor excursions and a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium.
- Walking atop the walls of Jerusalem
Making Waves: A Hawaii Perspective on Washington Politics
How does our 50th state view D.C. politics?
Pakistan: The Untold Story of Trauma, Transition, and Opportunity
This is story of a beleaguered nation which, on the strength of its heroes, talent, geo-politics and history, can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Do we know whether the long-term, extensive, use of cell phones could affect our health? Are our safety limits reliable?
21st-Century Pacifist
Musings of a bilingual, agnostic, combat veteran and jewelry maker.
James Picht is an economist, a husband, and a father. He's also a former music major and classically trained pianist, a church organist, and a part-time jewelry maker. He thought he wanted to be a scientist and got a degree in biology/chemistry (University of Utah), but a stint in a genetics lab sent him running to graduate studies in Slavic Languages (UT Austin). A computer error landed him in an economics class one summer, after the first hour he was in love with the subject, and five years later he earned a PhD in it (Texas A&M). He spent the next several years working as a contractor for the U.S. government and international development banks with assignments in Kiyiv, Moscow, Sarajevo, and Central Asia. The work was interesting, the travel more so, but he got tired of cold winters and cabbage soup. So he moved to Louisiana and got himself a teaching job, a wife, and two children. He teaches economics and Russian literature at the Louisiana Scholars' College at Northwestern State University, Louisiana's designated honors college. He finds his life even more interesting than before, but without the winters, the cabbage, or the Mafia protection.
