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Real World Economics: Will our creative intellect work to destroy us?

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

Edward Lotterman“Capitalism is a process of creative destruction,” according to Austrian-American economist Joseph Schumpeter.Yet “capitalism” is such a loaded term, along with “socialism,” that I avoid using it. So think “mixed-market economies” instead.Usually, the benefits from creation outweigh the losses from destruction, but not always.The benefits? The internet and social media, broadly defined, have vastly facilitated many things, including one’s ability to be an academic or pundit. For one grad course paper on sheep production in 1978, I logged 71 hours punching historic data into paper cards. Now I download that same data from a USDA site in less than 30 seconds.And 20 years ago, an editor questioned whether a quip I used was from Dorothy Parker or Anita Loos. “Let me ask a colleague,” Casey told me. “She uses something called Google to look things up.”“Something called Google.”In the years since, work — and life — would never be the sam...

Deion Sanders after CU Buffs’ continued inconsistency in loss to Oregon State: “It’s painful”

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

Shedeur Sanders wasn’t going to quit. The Colorado quarterback was limping around the sidelines while the Buffs trailed No. 16 Oregon State by 18 points in the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s Pac-12 matchup, but he was willing to do whatever it took to give his team a fighting chance.Facing a 2nd-and-34 with 12 minutes left, he threw a 23-yard pass to freshman wide receiver Omarion Miller, then found Xavier Weaver for a 12-yard completion for a first down. A few plays later, Shedeur rocketed the ball across the middle to dual-threat Travis Hunter for a 15-yard touchdown.Sanders went on to throw two touchdowns in the fourth. The only problem was that the Buffs ran out of time, falling to Oregon State, 26-19, at Folsom Field.CU hasn’t played consistently on offense since the season-opener against TCU. Instead, the Buffs tend to catch fire in spurts. Against the Beavers, CU had three points and 52 total yards in the first half before scoring 14 points in their last two possessions o...

1 dead, 6 injured in overnight shooting in Denver, police say

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

One person was killed and six more injured in an overnight shooting in Denver, and police are working to identify suspects, officials said Sunday.The Denver Police Department is investigating the shooting in the 5500 block of East 33rd Avenue, in the city’s Park Hill Neighborhood, the department said in a 4:38 a.m. post on social media.Sunday morning, the parking lot of the Horizon Lounge, 3298 Hudson St., was closed off with police tape and East 33rd was closed between Holly and Hudson streets, Denver7 reported.Police originally said six people were injured in the shooting, but, in an 8:15 a.m. social media update, said a seventh victim had been confirmed. One of the victims, an adult male, died of his injuries, police said.Investigators also have found “evidence of multiple guns being fired,” Denver police said.The extent of the six other victims’ injuries was “unknown at this time,” police said.No further information has been released by Denver...

At least 2 dead after minivan involved in pursuit slams into bus  

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

At least two people were killed after a minivan allegedly being pursued by police smashed into a bus early Sunday morning. According to preliminary information from law enforcement, a total of five people were injured in the crash, which took place near a bus stop in downtown Los Angeles near East 17th Street and Main Street just after 5 a.m. The collision was reportedly the end of a pursuit of an alleged stolen vehicle, authorities said.  Off-duty L.A. police officer killed, SBSD deputy among those injured in crash involving suspected drunk driver Three people were transported to an area hospital in unknown condition; at least one of them was trapped inside the minivan when the crash occurred. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. Another was pronounced deceased nearly three hours later.Authorities on the scene of a deadly crash reportedly involving a stolen vehicle being pursued on Nov. 5, 2023. The bus driver, who was the only person onb...

Hit-and-run victim found dead in road in North Hollywood 

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

The search is on for a driver who fatally struck a pedestrian and fled the scene early Sunday morning. According to preliminary information from the Los Angeles Police Department, the collision occurred on Lankershim Boulevard around 4:15 a.m. Officers were dispatched to the area on calls of a body on Lankershim just south of Valerio Street, authorities said, and upon arriving at the scene, located the pedestrian lying in the roadway. A canopy is seen at the scene of a deadly hit-and-run in North Hollywood on Nov. 5, 2023. The victim, identified by police as a 40-year-old Hispanic woman, was pronounced dead at the scene.No information on a suspect or description of a vehicle was immediately available. 

Saratoga High explores love and loss in ‘Almost, Maine’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

‘Almost, Maine’ at Saratoga HighSaratoga High School students will showcase their talent in “Almost, Maine,” the fall production of Saratoga Theatre Arts. The play by John Cariani is a series of nine short vignettes that explore love and loss in a remote, mythical place called Almost, Maine.The show runs Nov. 11-18 at Saratoga High’s McAfee Performing Arts and Lecture Center. Tickets are available at https://mcafeecenter.ludus.com/index.php.Inspired studentsStudents from both campuses in the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District were recognized Oct. 17 for participating in the development of the district’s strategic plan. The board approved the first two phases of the plan, dubbed We INSPIRE!, at that meeting.The students were members of the Strategic Plan Design Team, which solicited input from a broad-based stakeholder group about the development and implementation of the strategic plan. They worked with staff from both schools, as well as the district office, parents, com...

Local homeowners get maintenance help from San Jose churches

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

Rebuilding DayVolunteers from the Grace South Bay Church and Verbo South Bay Church, both located in the Rose Garden area of San Jose, painted mobile homes at Pioneer Mobile Home Park in Milpitas on Oct. 28 during Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s annual Fall Rebuilding Day. Rebuilding Together coordinated more than 400 volunteers to perform home maintenance and repairs at 18 project sites across Santa Clara County.Last year, Rebuilding Together performed repairs on over 288 low-income homes and nonprofit facilities. On average, 15% of these repairs are completed by volunteers.Rebuilding Together is looking for volunteers for National Rebuilding Day next April. Email Alaina at [email protected] NotesROSE GARDEN>>A Santa Clara County grant to Parents Helping Parents (PHP) will help support families raising children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities. The nonprofit will use county funding for a free mental health program designed to connect parents...

Domus reopens in downtown Los Gatos after 11-year absence

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

It was nearly impossible to chat with Domus owner Margaret Smith without customers pausing to thank her for reopening the long-missed store, which operated for decades in downtown Los Gatos before closing more than a decade ago.Smith, who ran the popular home goods store from 1996 to 2012, says 150 people turned out for the Oct. 3 ribbon-cutting at the new Domus location at 54 N. Santa Cruz Ave.The store’s return came about after Ed Stahl, the building’s landlord, asked Smith to take over the former Pharmaca space and turn it into Domus. Her immediate reaction was no. Thinking of the investment of money and time it would require, Smith told him, “I just don’t think I can do it.”Then, late one night, she was walking down Santa Cruz Avenue. “I passed by the Pharmaca store all shuttered and thought, ‘What if a retailer goes in there that I don’t like? How would I feel?’ I’m at the point in my life where I don’t have 10 years to think about it.“I realized this is what people crave: a lo...

Saratoga students earn film festival honors for ‘Environmental Justice’

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

Five Saratoga High School students earned kudos for their short documentary about a small California city that is a dumping ground for toxic waste.Seniors Simarya Ahuja, George Hu, Nicita Raamkumar Alexa Shuey and Caitlin Weber received an honorable mention for their five-minute film “Environmental Justice” at the One Earth Film Festival in Chicago in September. The documentary focuses on Kettleman City, CA, home of a Class 1 landfill that has led to a sharp rise in congenital disabilities in the area.The student filmmakers made “Environmental Justice” as a project for Saratoga High School’s Media Arts Program, in which they were asked to create a documentary that addressed an issue in the United States and propose a realistic solution to it. The students chose environmental racism, focusing on the disproportionate effect of environmental policies on low-income and underrepresented communities.“Environmental Justice” features interviews with Jorge Pacheco, an ethnic studies teacher ...

Milpitas homeowners get maintenance help on Rebuilding Day

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 00:59:49 GMT

Rebuilding DayVolunteers from the Grace South Bay Church and Verbo South Bay Church, both located in the Rose Garden area of San Jose, painted mobile homes at Pioneer Mobile Home Park in Milpitas on Oct. 28 during Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley’s annual Fall Rebuilding Day. Rebuilding Together coordinated more than 400 volunteers to perform home maintenance and repairs at 18 project sites across Santa Clara County.Last year, Rebuilding Together performed repairs on over 288 low-income homes and nonprofit facilities. On average, 15% of these repairs are completed by volunteers.Rebuilding Together is looking for volunteers for National Rebuilding Day next April. Email Alaina at [email protected] named Progressive chairState Assemblymember Alex Lee has assumed the Chair of the California Legislative Progressive Caucus after being elected into the role by its members.“It is my honor to chair the Progressive Caucus,” said Lee, whose 24th District includes Milpitas. “Progressivism i...