I love these, often read them when on the Tube

“Snow was general all over Ireland...” It’s the perfect day to curl up with some Smyrna figs & one of the great short stories - #JamesJoyce’s The Dead from #Dubliners - set at a party for the Feast of #Epiphany Read by Jonathan Forbes for @BBCRadio3 @BBCSounds www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Britain has talked itself into a flat tailspin. Had weeks of ppl telling me that the country's on the verge of catastrophe. In reality real wages are rising and the economy growing. God alone knows what ppl would say if we went back to the early 80s, 17% interest rates and four million unemployed.

Things are changing in the relationship between politics and "technocrats". In my blog in English, "Real Progress," I argue that a new balance is necessary. @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social @timothysnyder.bsky.social realprogressinenglish.blogspot.com/2026/01/a-ne...

Oh my, snow in suburbia:

I enjoyed this conversation with Oles Andriychuk - & there's a nice view of my office: www.youtube.com/watch?v=doxv...

Competition policy is how to make sure industrial policy succeeds www.ft.com/content/2c9c... Showdown in Brussels over competition policy is nearing

There are plenty of queues to be stood in at #CES2026 but this is the longest- it’s journalists waiting for a free sandwich lunch

My first report from #CES2026 - if the preview show is anything to go by expect lots of health tech but few products that are clinically proven open.substack.com/pub/rorycell...

One of us is working hard on a book draft, the other (#sophiefromromania) not so much

TODAY on the Economics Observatory – Why did Venezuela’s economy collapse? Revisiting Frank Muci’s 2024 analysis. @lsepublicpolicy.bsky.social

And over to you @ofcom.bsky.social We have the regulatory tools. You would not tolerate this with any other medium, why not act now? Shut it down. Imagine if any other company did this, their owner would be in court/jail

Just a few more days left to apply for the Paul McLean graduate trainee programme at the FT. This is an amazing opportunity for any aspiring journalist job-boards.greenhouse.io/financialtim...

Read about ESCoE work on public service productivity, in collaboration with the UK Office for National Statistics, @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social, @rug.nl & Birkbeck, University of London: tinyurl.com/ym97ybnc

A random question led me to a fascinating story involving currency trading, an inquiry into civil service integrity, some high quality writing, a very annoyed wife, and the Katyn massacre. You can read it here: ukcivilservant.substack.com/p/what-links...

As @rorycj.bsky.social is away (Vegas,baby) #sophiefromromania and I had an icy walk walk and a nice (but not big) breakfast

This online, PhD-level course in the economics of innovation is a huge opportunity. Taught by some of the world's top scholars on this: @heidiwilliams.bsky.social, Chad Jones, Azoulay, van Reenen, many others! Co-sponsor @ifp.bsky.social If you're admitted, it's free. Applications due January 9th!

Coincidentally I’m reading Philippe Sands’ 38 Londres Street so I’m feeling unexpectedly well informed about the legal immunity of serving heads of state. And ex-heads of state for that matter. (It’s an excellent book.)

In case you’re feeling a bit tasty, recruitment is open for the new Chair of Ofcom apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/8842

Richard is absolutely spot on. Sadly this is still not the norm in the UK. 👇

I've had two outstanding public service experiences this hols: a new passport within 2 days of application & a prescription ready to pick up within 2 hours of request. Time saved is a key (unmeasured) productivity metric: digital tech makes a huge difference when implemented well.

Be careful out there - rain has fallen on icy pavements making them treacherous. Even #sophiefromromania did some involuntary skating

Oh I loved this book. Also - anything by Kaushik Basu is a must-read

Happy New Year everyone! #SophiefromRomania wants to know why nobody is up on this lovely morning

#sophiefromromania rocking her new pink harness this morning

Hurrah - the new safe harness for #sophiefromromania has arrived. Not sure how impressed she is but we’ll feel more relaxed on walks

Guys guys guys, I found the archive of the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures (it's not an achievement, they've not hidden them) - you can watch every single one since they started televising them in the 60s: www.rigb.org/christmas-le... I love watching them every year, now I can see them all!

12/30/25: New info from #BLS on impact of #shutdown on #CPI data, including: How were Nov. indexes calculated? Why BLS chose carry-forward imputation? How missing Oct data will impact April 2026 rent & OER indexes? Statistical weighting changes made in 11/25? www.bls.gov/cpi/addition... #econsky

Dan Corry also

Many congratulations to the economists in the New Year Honours list - I spotted Paul Mizen, Andrew Scott, Tony Travers, Nancy Hey (@worklifeyou.bsky.social), Jonathan Wadsworth; and a special welcome to the Damehood for Wendy Carlin of @coreecon.bsky.social !

Took #sophiefromromania to a great new park today with pal Juno - she was mostly ok but always leaving the path in search of woods because wide open spaces scare her. So we finished with a romp off lead in our back garden

The 12th-century Romanesque nave at Ely Cathedral rarely steals the spotlight (thanks to that lantern tower), but it’s absolutely jaw-dropping

The winner of the 2025 Enlightened Economist book prize (ie. my top choice among the econ and econ-adjacent books I read this past 12 months): www.enlightenmenteconomics.com/blog/index.p...

Is Ent dot com already taken?

Great pre-doc opportunities at @econ.uzh.ch in Zurich for aspiring PhD candidates from low- & middle income countries or with a refugee/asylum seeker background. Predoctoral Program Global Talent Common Application: www.facultyhiring.oec.uzh.ch/auth/Apply/0... Please share widely in your networks!

Some tlc for Santa from #sophiefromromania before what’s left of him goes away until next year

⚫ Brigitte Bardot, actrice française légendaire, icône féminine des années 1960 et fervente protectrice des animaux, est décédée à l'âge de 91 ans, a annoncé ce dimanche la Fondation Brigitte Bardot.

“Where is everybody?” the prof asked as we set off on our Sunday walk in darkness at 0730.., #sophiefromromania and I said nothing, just got on with it, then home for a #bigbreakfast

Was walking from the Brentford ground to the pub after our stunning victory when I came across this little fellow who seemed bemused by the crowds…

You need a licence if you watch pretty much anything in the UK anyway. It's not just if you watch the BBC. www.tvlicensing.co.uk/check-if-you...

Well I just (eventually) rewatched Perfect Days. I love that movie.

It’s taken me literally 15 minutes and 3 remote controls (with @rorycj.bsky.social on the end of the phone trying to keep me calm and talk me down) to turn on a movie on the TV - is our setup uniquely complicated?

#OnThisDay in 1831, the HMS Beagle departs on its second voyage with an unknown young naturalist aboard. The ship will eventually visit the Galapagos Islands where the scientist, Charles Darwin, will begin to formulate his theories on evolution. #HistoryOfScience

Max Hastings —> Nail —> Head www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

End of year overview of posts on my blog Soft Machines. Featuring -the UK's economic stagnation -why the UK's new nuclear build programme failed -good & bad reasons for growing UK manufacturing -scenarios for the future of AI -Moore's law -university/R&D policy for hard times softmachines.org?p=3218

New, from me: Time for something fun - I wrote about themes and fashions of the Knives Out Universe (KOU). 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/exploring-...

Oh, that they have to think about it for more than a moment…

People, AI is not better search…

Solo walk with #sophiefromromania then home to Burford Blue boiled eggs

🦊 A Londres, 10 000 renards trottent toutes les nuits dans les rues. Devenus emblèmes de la ville, où ils font perdurer une once de vie sauvage, ces animaux suscitent autant d’attachement que d’agacement. Reportage à lire dans le Libé des animaux : bit.ly/4pTZnrJ