Extra Credit, Monday Edition

Wristcutters: An Economic Story: My Bloggingheads diavlog with Jesse Eisinger.

Saving Federal Arts Funds: Selling Culture as an Economic Force: The Senate voted against it, but $50 million in extra arts funding did make it into the final stimulus bill. That’s not much, but it’s better than nothing.

Tracking the Household Balance Sheet: A typical US family’s net worth has fallen 35% from 2007 to 2009. Or more, if you mark their cars to market realistically.

OBVIOUS tag, where are you? When physicists try to do finance.

Chávez Decisively Wins Bid to End Term Limits

California Lawmakers Fail to Pass Budget

To See Ourselves As Others See Us: David Warsh joins Paul Krugman in singing the virtues of the excellent Baseline Scenario.

And, of course, your daily Stanford links:

Stanford Depositors Head to Antigua for Redemptions: The bank run has clearly begun.

Stanford: The right to reply: One James Donaldson attempts a defense of Stanford.

Stanford probe hits islanders

Crazy for Cricket: The Forbes profile of Stanford. It says that golfer Vijay Singh is an investor, and talks about his early days as a distressed-property speculator.