I think there is clearly a connection between free time and procrastination. The more you have of the former, all things being equal, the more likely you are to procrastinate.

Real politics is messy and morally ambiguous and doesn't make for a compelling thriller.

If being the biggest company was a guarantee of success, we'd all be using IBM computers and driving GM cars.

Of course, presidents are always blamed or rewarded for the state of the economy.

Campaigns fail if they waste resources courting voters who are unpersuadable or already persuaded. Their most urgent task is to find and persuade the few voters who are genuinely undecided and the larger number who are favorably disposed but need a push to actually vote.

Most of the work on multitasking suggests that it generally makes you less efficient, not more.

Besides great climates and lovely beaches, California and Greece share a fondness for dysfunctional politics and feckless budgeting.