Clearly today's big news is Bear Sterns. So why $2 a share? And what what different over there as opposed to what happened here with Northern Rock? And where might such things happen next? And if you really want to be scared out of your Calvin Kleins, read this.

A possible solution to the whole thing. 

On to lighter things. Did Adam Smith have Tourettes? 

The House of Lords now has a blog.

Does having Bianca Jagger doing a book blurb make you more or less likely to purchase a book on economics? 

Tastes like chicken, yes, but which type of chicken? 

And finally, yes, we would all like greater efficiency in the provision of public services, but perhaps not Prussian efficiency.